Mums rope in experts to host autism summit

dubai — A group of UAE mums of children of determination are organising an autism education summit to help bring together other parents and medical professionals.

The not-for-profit summit — scheduled at Armada Hotel in JLT on February 15 — will discuss different treatment methods for medical conditions and behavioural difficulties of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental delays.

The mums have managed to bring ASD researchers and doctors from Italy, the US and India to the event with the help of a non-profit organisation, called Generation Rescue.

Lalita Mehta, other of a 6-yearold girl who has mild autism and severe speech delay, said such events can help educate parents such as herself.

Mehta shared the struggle her family has faced since her daughter was diagnosed. She is one of the parents that has signed up to attend the summit.

“I am so grateful to the organisers for this event. Something like this would have been very helpful to us when my child was two. I remember at that time asking our psychiatrist, if changing my kid’s diet would help. He told us diets were useless.

I am so grateful to the organisers for this event. Something like this would have been very helpful to us.” Lalita Mehta, mother, 6-year-old girl

This was over 4.5 years ago. We make sure our daughter eats home-made food for the most part — plenty of veggies, free range meat and no refined sugars. So, outside cookies and donuts are a very rare treat.”

Farida Malek, mother of a fouryear-old boy, said when her son was diagnosed ASD, it was the “most devastating” news that she and her husband heard.

Malek is another parent who has signed up to attend the summit so that can she can meet different doctors and gain knowledge for her son’s disorder.

She said: “We faced many challenges. It was and is an emotional roller coaster between trying to find therapies that would help him to finding doctors that could figure out what medical issues he has. We were lost for quite sometime. This summit is grass root initiative to educate parents, pediatricians and doctors on how to help special needs children achieve their best potential.”