“Understanding Autism in Children: Insights from Experts at Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival”

SHARJAH, 14th May / WAM / Psychologists and those with experiences with children with autism spectrum disorders revealed that love, understanding, inclusion and social support are all that an autistic patient needs, noting that this is also what their families need in light of the confusion and lack of social awareness about these disorders.

This came in a dialogue session within the sessions of the 14th session of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, titled “Understanding Autism in a Child”, with the participation of Dr. Ammar Al-Banna, Consultant Child Psychiatrist and Autism Specialist at Al-Jalila Hospital, Dr. Amal Al-Hamid, a psychiatrist in mental and neurological diseases, and Francesca Mendes. A former ambassador of Mexico to the UAE and author of a book on autism, in which she recounts her experience with her son who suffers from autism.

On the other hand, the two writers in children’s literature, Jikar Khurshid and Dima Al-Alami, discussed in a discussion session entitled “Once Upon a Time”, the importance of developing children’s reading skills from an early age, and its impact on shaping the minds and future of young people. An integrated pleasure that they associate with, becoming a daily routine in which they find a solution to the challenges they face and through which they develop their skills and talents.