(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs yesterday concluded the first edition of its Autism and Applied Behaviour Analysis Conference, sponsored by QNB, as part of its campaign to raise awareness about autism.
The two-day conference took place in the three-dimensional theatre at Shafallah Centre.
Shafallah welcomed delegates and professionals representing several educational institutions in the region. The conference's main goal was to provide a platform for experts and practitioners in the field of behavioural analysis to share their experiences, research results and best practices, which contribute to the development of the programmes and services provided for children living with autism in the region.
Shafallah brought in a number of experts in the field of applied behaviour analysis, including Dr Mohamed al-Attrash, director of Psychological Services and Family Support, Shafallah Centre, and Thomas M Caffrey, Penn State University.
Shafallah executive director Mohamed Badr al-Sada gave the opening speech in which he emphasised the commitment of Shafallah Centre to seek the latest technology and best practices.
"Last year, we developed a methodology to evaluate the behaviour utilised by specialists and practitioners in the centre, which was adopted by the American Association for Behaviour Analysis, representing a major breakthrough in the rehabilitation of people with autism. It will be the first of its kind operating in the Arabic language," said al-Sada.
The first day of the conference included three lectures discussing the behaviours of autistic children and methods of treatment. Dr al-Attrash started with a keynote lecture titled "Where we are now, and where do we go from there" and also took part in a seminar with other members of Shafallah to talk about curriculum and programmes applied in the centre.
The seminar was followed by two lectures with Caffrey, who presented autism cases he tracked and studied over the years. He also discussed the behavioural changes which children with autism go through during adolescence and ways to control their behaviour at home and at school.
"Shafallah's first Autism and Applied Behaviour Analysis Conference aims at providing an excellent opportunity for experts and specialists from various institutions," said Dr al-Attrash.
On the second and final day of the conference, Caffrey concluded his series of lectures with a final presentation.
Once again, members of Shafallah came together to discuss new and innovative ways to develop services at the centre in order help to students affected by autism reach their full potential.
Dr Irshad Shaefallah, a psychiatrist at Shafallah, concluded the conference with a lecture on the role of psychiatry in the evaluation and treatment of people with autism.
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