By Sami Numan
ADEN, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- Autistic children in Yemen suffer from dire conditions because of the conflict that affected this vulnerable segment thus diminishing chances of their integration into normal life.
Around 65 children in Al-Amal Autism Center in the southwestern city of Taez lack sufficient funding, six years after its opening as the first center for rehabilitating autistic children in Yemen.
Autism, a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication, affect children between age of 2-2.5 years.
There is no known cause nor treatment of autism. It is treated through rehabilitation programs which helped many people with autism to become normal persons.
It was Samira Al-Basha's passion that created Al-Amal Autism Center in 2009.
A mother of an autistic children, Al-Basha tried hard to find a cure for her son, Shehab, in 2006-07. She was able to diagnoze Shehab in Saudi Arabia, where her son underwent a rehabilitation program, and when she returned to Yemen she opened the center.
Amal Al-Saqqaf, responsible for Taez City Al-Ahmad Center, said the government-supervised facility was forced to close for three years due to the spiral of violence that began early in 2015, as the the building was at the frontline of warring parties.
This closure, she told KUNA, resulted in deterioration of conditions of many children because of cessation of rehabilitation programs. Programs, luckily, were held in another center which was on lease and away from hostilities.
At the beginning, Al-Saqqaf said, most of the autistic children lived in the city and could not reach the center because most of roads were closed due to fighting. Then a company in the city gave away one of its apartments to host rehabilitation programs.
She said the center she was running lacked stationery, cleaning and education materials, in addition in inability to pay for transportation and salaries.
Donations, she added, was keeping the center operational.
Al-Amal Center, said Al-Saqqaf, was providing the materials as well as clothes for children in order to alleviate burden on their families despite difficult living conditions.
Teachers had to improvised by creating simple educational materials made out of boxes, cans and styrofoam, she said.
Al-Saqqaf said the teachers' salary was around 19,000 riyals (USD 30) per month. They get their wages every three months. The salary, she explained, was not enough to cover transportation or breakfast meals.
"If rehabilitation means like toys and equipment are available then it is likely most of the autistic children overcome autism and be normal people," she said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said autistic persons could improve if they were treated psychologically and socially, and at early age which would contribute to easing their integration into society. (end) sns.bs