Under the patronage and presence of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Farhan Al Saud, Chairman of the Consultative Council for Autism Services, the Council organized a forum titled: “Autism Services in the Kingdom: Between Reality and Aspirations” on the morning of Sunday, April 21, 2025, in the capital, Riyadh.
The forum included a presentation introducing the Council and highlighting its key achievements since its establishment. These include the launch of the national awareness campaign in cooperation with the Ministries of Education and Sports, the initiation of the school integration licensing program to facilitate the transition of autistic students into schools, and the development of vocational rehabilitation in collaboration with the Human Resources Development Fund and the Ministry of Human Resources to launch specialized employment pathways. Additionally, the Council cooperated with the Insurance Authority and the National Health Insurance Center to address challenges in insurance coverage for rehabilitation services, launched an initiative to guide families after diagnosis by publishing guidance and educational manuals, and engaged with universities to establish interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs to address the shortage of specialized competencies in autism rehabilitation.
Dr. Saleh Al-Salehi, Chairman of the National Committee for Developmental Disorders at the Saudi Health Council, moderated the panel discussion titled “Autism Services: Between Reality and Aspirations.” The esteemed panelists included Dr. Hessa Al Mishaan from the Ministry of Education, Dr. Khalid Al-Rabiaan from Sultan bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City, Dr. Faisal Al-Qurashi from Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, and Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri from the National Health Insurance Center. The discussion revolved around the challenges facing autism services, how to address them, potential development enablers, and future ideas and plans to serve and support the sector in the Kingdom.
The forum witnessed the attendance of over 200 guests, including Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, officials, specialists, and families of individuals with autism.
For his part, His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Farhan, Chairman of the Council, expressed: “Today, praise be to Allah, we are witnessing rapid development and serious steps in the autism sector with the aim of providing empowerment and development facilitators to serve and support our loved ones with autism across the Kingdom. Perhaps one of the indications of these steps is our meeting today at the Autism Services Forum, which is considered a planning space that brings together minds and expertise under one common goal: to draw a future roadmap that enhances the quality of services and involves all sectors in supporting individuals with autism. I am grateful and happy for this meeting and the honorable gathering built on partnership, and I look forward, God willing, for it to bear fruit in practical steps that translate awareness into programs, interest into projects, and partnership into results that benefit every individual on the spectrum throughout the Kingdom. Our thanks extend to all who contributed to the success of this forum, asking Allah Almighty for success, blessings, and guidance.”
It is worth noting that the Consultative Council for Autism Services is the first entity to gather autism service providers from various sectors in the Kingdom.
