Autism expert urges UAE parents to heed early signs

Timing of Detection and Intervention have Huge Impact on Outcomes

Abu Dhabi, 1 February 2016: UAE parents should be extra vigilant in assessing early signs of Autism in their young children, according to a local expert speaking at a parenting talk hosted by Abu Dhabi’s Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.

During the ‘Autism Symptoms and Early Signs’ talk, Dr. Ahmad Almai, Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, and Hanan Abdelhameed, an Emirati parent of a child with autism, urged parents to educate themselves on how to detect early signs of Autism in their toddlers and, should certain symptoms persist, seek immediate medical attention.

“Early intervention is crucial and parents should be concerned if their child isn’t babbling at or making basic gestures such as waving bye-bye or pointing at 12 months, speaking a single word at 16 months, speaking two-word phrases at 24 month, or has a sudden loss of language or social skills at any age,” said Dr. Almai

“Other early warning signs include self-stimulating behavior – this can include something as innocent as a child relentlessly flapping their hands - and repeating noises and meaningless phrases,” he added.

Albedhameed, the mother of 10-year-old who has Autism, urged parents at the talk to heed Dr. Almai’s warning signs.

“I first noticed changes in my son’s behavior when he was 15 months old,” said Albedhameed. “By the time he turned two years, I was very concerned because he was extremely energetic and had not acquired the language skills his older siblings had at his age. This is when I sought professional advice. He was diagnosed relatively early, but if we had been more aware of the early signs of autism, he could have begun treatment even earlier.”

The Autism talk, the first of the Foundation’s 2015 - 2016 Parenting Talks season, was held under a new format where multiple speakers engage in conversation to share their professional and personal perspectives and experiences. Future panels will include local and international experts such as physicians and academics in key subject matters, as well community speakers with personal or practical experience such as parents and teachers. 

“Through a dialogue between an expert and a parent, the Parenting Talks aim to guide and inform parents with practical information to promote healthy outcomes for their children,” said Sheikha Shamsa bint Mohammed Al Nahyan, leader and patron of the Foundation’s Early Childhood Development program.

“Our goal is to empower caregivers of young children in the UAE by enhancing their understanding of child development and offering useful information and advice about child rearing.”

The third annual series of the Parenting Talks runs until June 2016 at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. The talks will also include the Children’s Workshop activities at Studio 2 in Manarat Saadiyat, where parents can get their children involved in art activities. All sessions are free and open to the public. Interested attendees can register by emailing at eduprogram@shf.ae.

Upcoming Parenting Talks will cover the following topics: supporting dual-language acquisition in early childhood (February 29); developing ethical and moral behavior in young children (March 14); and recognizing and preventing the onset of bullying in the early years (May 2).