Autism in Yemen
June 4, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
The May 27th Yemen Observer estimates that there are 40,000 – 133,000 autistic individuals in the country (no studies are cited). Ahlam Al-Arashi, the executive manager of the Yemen Center for Autism, thinks that there may be as many as 150,000 autistic individuals in Yemen, as noted in the Yemen Times. Says the director of the Center, Hussein M. Najee:
“Estimates about autism in Yemen differ,” he said. “In those countries that address autism, one thing is certain – it’s more prevalent than previously believed.”
Another quote from Najee suggests how much is (or is not) yet understood about autism in his country:
“During the bazaar, I met people who thought that autistic people are handicapped people, and they were surprised to see [that autistic children are] normal children with physical ability enjoying their time with their parents……Autistic people typically exhibit difficulty in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction and leisure or play activities.”
So as more is known about autism perhaps, as Najee notes, the rates will increase—something not unheard of in other parts of the world.
Here’s what I want to know: is it the vaccines in Yemen?
If it’s not, they can come up with at least a dozen other reasons, don’t worry.
There is very little awareness of autism in the Gulf countries. We are Americans living in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and our son was diagnosed with Asperger’s at age 3 1/2. It has been a struggle finding appropriate services for him, but we have cobbled together a program. In the richest city in the world, we had trouble finding a doctor to even evaluate him, and there exists just one program (NECC-Abu Dhabi) that really lives up to modern standards of treatment. Unfortunately, NECC-Abu Dhabi only has the staff to treat a handful of students (they run an intensive 1:1 program), so the vast majority of special needs students get ignored in mainstream classrooms or receive sub-optimal education in “autism centres” run by well-meaning but poorly trained staff.
For our son, we’ve managed to find a wonderful ABA therapist who has worked with his preschool teachers to create supports in the classroom environment. He has improved remarkably since we started a very simple reinforcement program at school.
But for so many children with such pressing needs, there is little help to be had. In a country where most middle- and upper-class families can afford to have full-time maids, out of sight is out of mind when it comes to “difficult” children. The parents don’t have to deal with their kids on a daily basis and lack the incentive to teach them. Those who do want to intervene find themselves in a literal desert of expertise. The only English-language speech therapist in town stopped working after her visa expired. Did I mention this is the richest city in the world??
Happily, the situation is changing. There’s greater awareness of the needs of autistic children and of the impact that early intervention can have. And the government is starting to take more proactive steps towards addressing the problems. For our part, we’re looking forward to the return home.
@Ann, Thank you for sharing this—-I’ve met a few other families living abroad who have an autistic child. One family already knew the child’s diagnosis and brought a therapist; others were in your situation and have had to pull things together.
If I may ask, when do you return to the US? Is it possible to come back sooner? And what resources would be most useful to help you son?
Thanks for your response, Kristina. We will be home the summer before he starts kindergarten. Coming home sooner is possible but a difficult proposition. We weighed our options and decided to stay.
What is he missing out on? First, he isn’t under the care of a specialized doctor or anyone who can direct his overall program. We, his parents, are responsible for identifying his challenges and finding people or activities or interventions to meet them. Perhaps I idealize the kind of support we would receive back in the States, but it would be wonderful to have someone just tell us what we need to do! At the moment, we lack OT, speech therapy, and a special needs classroom.
What we do have is a wonderful preschool where our son is absolutely cared for by loving teachers. Although the classroom environment initially proved challenging for him, his teachers gently guided him through his first few months. Now, he functions well at school, although his interactions with other children are minimal.
One interesting sidenote is that I’ve found the social environment here to be a boon. Because most expatriate families arrive on one spouse’s (usually the husband’s) job, there are many, many stay-at-home parents. The result is something of a throwback to the fifties. Playdates are a cinch to arrange, and our afternoons are filled with outings to the playground with other children or trips to the beach with neighbors or classmates playing in our living room. My son does much better in a one-on-one situation, and it takes lots of time (several playdates) for him to really warm to and interact with another child.
I found that arranging playdates back home was much less spontaneous. But I think the availability of friends in the afternoon has really helped with his overall social skills.
The thing is that change in routine really triggers anxiety in my son and actually causes him to backslide. The move out here was one such upheaval. By the time we received his diagnosis, he had finally settled himself into the new routine. His newfound comfort with his surroundings weighed heavily into our decision to stay. But I know of families who have returned home from this place because of the lack of services and many more who don’t (or aren’t allowed) to come because of it. Happily, we’ve found our niche, and our son is genuinely thriving at the moment.
Dear Ann, I live in Abu dhabi. My son 3.5 years old has autism. I desperately need an ABA therapist. I would be very thankful to you if you could please email me the contact details of the ABA therapist that you found. Please. I will wait. My email is never_free at yahoo.com
Thanks,