Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, speaks about the importance of autism awareness, and allowing all children to reach their full potential.
It’s the morning of April 2nd, the same day that the United Nations declared World Autism Awareness Day, and I’m scheduled to visit Renad Academy, a school that specializes in providing educational services for children with autism. The Renad Academy takes its name from a flower that grows in our Qatari desert environment.
I am fasting and tired because of the lack of hours of sleep during the blessed nights of Ramadan, which we live until dawn. I arrived exhausted at Renad Academy, with some pallor in my features. But as soon as I entered the kindergarten classes at the academy: the energy level surged in my veins.
The children are preoccupied with their hobbies, filling all the classroom spaces, and hardly listening to their teacher, who tried to warn them of the presence of a strange guest in their class. Some of them avoided looking at us, while others greeted us with curious, innocent looks.
I chose a small chair from their chairs, and sat between two students, so that I might succeed in engaging them in conversation with me. Haya was the more outgoing of the two, instantly sharing her interests, her favorite toy, and even her apple. Haya carelessly captured my heart, and my energy level rose in seconds. I asked her about her desire to join me on a tour inside the academy, she did not hesitate, she simply held my hand, and stood ready for us to go together on a tour inside the Renad Academy.
Not long ago, awareness of the needs of children with autism around the world like Haya and her classmates was weak, and the first case was dealt with in a traditional way, when the American Donald Triplett, the first child diagnosed with autism at the time, was sent to a private educational institution, because his family was unable to Understanding his behavior and privacy, and if his story has turned into a source of inspiration and happiness for those around him, unfortunately, this was not the case for many around the world.
Our human principles urge us to discover the abilities possessed by people with autism, but our societies besiege their capabilities, and put them in a comparison that adopts marginal criteria and perceptions, and because their ability to play and achieve is different from their peers because of autism, they were not allowed to enter the playground where many of them were bullied, and they were denied From receiving a comprehensive education, from participating in extra-curricular educational and recreational activities, left to their fate in a life that was full of untapped potential, and stripped of their opportunity to contribute to building their societies.
For these reasons, we opened the Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities in 1999, and the Renad Academy in 2016, and launched many specialized programs that address their needs. Also from this standpoint, we proposed in 2007 to the United Nations to allocate an international day for autism awareness, and we moved forward with our efforts, so that Qatar would be the first host country for the FIFA,Football,Soccer World Cup, which provided sensory rooms for people with autism, and we overcame this challenge in our stadiums.
These endeavors came as a continuation of the efforts of the State of Qatar within the National Plan for Autism, which was launched in 2017, and established a comprehensive and integrated framework. to the facilities and services available here.
We have always believed that early intervention is the basis for bringing about positive change and building the future that we aspire to, and this is what we seek to achieve in the State of Qatar. As a small country in terms of geographical area and population, we have the ability to document and develop links between health service providers in diagnosis, treatment and support, and to conduct research and analyzes based on genetic links, which enables us to provide support for people with autism and follow them in all stages of their lives.
To this end, we are working today to develop an integrated program that includes education, research, physical and psychological health care, and genetic research in order to explore new genes and scientific insights elicited from population characteristics, paving the way for adopting innovative and effective early intervention strategies, in addition to our continuous work with researchers to take advantage of artificial intelligence techniques. Advanced, modern sensing techniques, remote monitoring, and quantitative estimation of the number of children with autism.
In this context, current statistics indicate that the percentage of children with autism somewhere in this world is 2%, and the number is increasing. This is likely due to the use of more accurate diagnostic techniques. In Qatar, research indicates that out of every 87 children, there is one child with autism. Therefore, it is imperative that we ensure early diagnosis of children, as it will help us provide them with access to education that meets their individual needs.
Autism is not a disease, but rather a condition that a person lives with throughout his life, and the extent of its impact on our lives can be controlled if we accept difference and adapt to it. Recognizing the capabilities of a child like Haya and the skills she carries in her personality is the first step towards empowering her to deserve her appropriate role and place in our society.
Haya accompanied me while I went to attend a discussion session with experts and specialists in this field, which we held on the occasion of the International Autism Awareness Day, where we discussed the achievements of the State of Qatar and the challenges we face in meeting the needs of children with autism like Haya, and supporting their parents, and everyone who deals with autism from Teachers, experts, and mentors.
Haya was very reluctant to leave the room before the session began, but her teacher persuaded her to return to her favorite classroom activity, which is coloring. Little Haya is lucky because her condition was diagnosed at an early stage, and she is keen to go to her school, which was carefully designed for her and other children with autism. I do not say to children “like her”, because every child is “different” and every child is unique. This is what is embodied in the educational environment in Renad, where there is no pressure to achieve achievement or achieve similarity. The students of this academy have complete freedom to be themselves, because those who take care of them understand their rights to belong to society.
And if the journey of Haya and the students of Renad Academy was smooth as they received education and attention in a safe haven, the situation for many children with autism around the world is not. However, the international recognition of the International Autism Awareness Day will help us get rid of the misconceptions hidden by many societies, whether in Qatar or other regions of the world. I hope that some families from Haya’s story, and from the UN Declaration, will find the courage to explore the best skills in their children, and that they will not choose to deny the fact that their child is “different”.
For me, Haya’s embrace was something very special. My dream will not be that Haya and all children with autism and neurodiversity of any form win, but that they be allowed into the playground, along with other children, cheered by their parents, brothers and sisters, all family members, teachers and fans who need them. to their support.
Every child has the right to be treated with dignity, to learn, and to unlock their full potential.
