Implementation of an Educational Program for Children with Autism

Abstract

In Kuwait, care of disabled children is undertaken by many government and nongovernment agencies and institutions. It is scattered, unplanned, and unintegrated. In the last decade, however, growing concern by private and voluntary sectors about the care of disabled children has been in evidence. A review of current facilities in Kuwait and other oil-rich countries suggests that autistic children are at a great disadvantage in terms of their basic rights and the adequacy of the services provided them. This is due to the low level of public awareness of the problem, a lack of legal mandates, and the transitional developmental stage of the society. Diagnostic and assessment facilities could be a great tool in indicating the magnitude of the syndrome and planning appropriate action; but, unfortunately, such facilities are inadequate. This necessitates the use of external experts for the short term to help create the needed indigenous capacity for diagnosis and assessment. An evaluation of existing educational facilities for autistic children in Kuwait gave rise to an impetus to establish a separate program for these children. A compelling factor was the frustration of parents who were unable to place their children in ordinary public schools and forced to enter them in unsuitable programs. Although one private school had been accepting autistic children since 1989, there was no truly separate, specialized program for them.