New autism centre to come up in Al Dakhiliyah

The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) hosted the third edition of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Art Exhibition, titled ‘Mountain Rose: Vibrant Colours and Developing Skills, on Tuesday.

The exhibition, organized, represented by the National Autism Centre at the Ministry of Social Development, in cooperation with the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM), coincided with World Autism Awareness Day.

The event was held under the auspices of H H Dr Mona bint Fahd al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for International Cooperation at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), in the presence of Dr Laila bint Ahmed al Najjar, Minister of Social Development.

The exhibition features 20 artworks created by children with autism spectrum disorder, along with a collection of distinctive art pieces. The works draw inspiration from the environment of Al Jabal Al Akhdhar, and featured roses, pomegranates as well as the traditional irrigation systems (aflaj).

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Development and the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) signed a funding agreement to establish a rehabilitation centre for individuals with autism spectrum disorder in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate at a cost of RO 2.3 million.

This initiative comes in response to Royal Directives to study the needs of the governorates for autism spectrum disorder centres and to develop a timeline for their establishment based on the number of cases in each governorate. The aim is to provide specialized and integrated services across the Sultanate of Oman and enhance national efforts in care and rehabilitation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

The centre will have a capacity of 120 individuals and will provide a range of specialized services, including comprehensive rehabilitation, temporary care, diagnosis and assessment, as well as recreational activities. This will contribute to improving the quality of life for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and enabling their active integration into society.

Text by Abdulaziz al Abri