JEDDAH: To help the growing number of autistic children in the Arab world, the first scientific forum of autism centers in the Arab world began on Sunday night at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The event — entitled “Autism, Reality and Future” — was held under the support of Prince Talal, president of the Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND), and was organized by the Al-Faisalya Women Welfare Society and the Jeddah Autism Center.

The forum, which marks the Jeddah Autism Center’s 15th anniversary, aims to shed light on the latest medical, educational and communicational developments in the autism care.

Participants of Sunday’s opening session were given an insight into the pioneering experiences of autistic treatment services in the Arab world. The event began with a reading of the Qur’an by an autistic child from the Jeddah Autism Center. A parade by autistic children followed.

The event is being officially sponsored by AGFUND, a nonprofit organization established in 1980 by Prince Talal.

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