International autism congress 2014 kicks off

 Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Planning and Development Hind Al-Sabeeh has emphasized the role by the Kuwait Autism Center caring for patients suffering from the neurodevelopmental disorder.
Al-Sabeeh addressed the International Autism Congress 2014 that kicked off here on Tuesday on behalf of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who sponsors the event organized in cooperation with the World Autism Organization.
His Highness the Amir, recently honored as a "Humanitarian Leader" by the UN, pays major attention to the disabled, autistic patients in particular, she told the opening session.
For his part, Secretary General of Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation (KAPF), founder and sponsor of Kuwait Center for Autism (KCA), Abdulmohsen Al-Kharafi, underscored the hard efforts to care for the children with special needs and the importance of helping merge them in the society and public life.
He added that the 'Autism Waqf' has been managed by the KAPF since it was registered at the Ministry of Justice in 2003.
According to Al-Kharafi, the Kuwait Autism Center, established in 1994, has offered a role model, citing the Albanian autism center as based on the experience of the Kuwaiti one. The KAPF supported the Albanian center with 250,000 euro.
Addressing the international gathering, Kuwait Autism Center director Samira Al-Saad, also president of the congress, voiced gratitude to His Highness the Amir for sponsoring the event, part of his care for people with special needs.
People involved in the field feel responsibility toward the society, prompted them to work harder and their efforts guaranteed the Kuwait Autism Center ISO certificates for quality of administrative efficiency and accreditation of technical program, Al-Saad said.
She noted that the Int'l Autism Congress 2014 is part of the efforts to spread awareness on autism and sound treatment.
Specialists and researchers from 36 countries are taking part in the three-day congress to discuss papers submitted by Kuwaiti and foreigner experts.