The National Autism Survey has King Salman's approval
The goal of the national ASD survey policy is to provide systematic methods for the early detection of ASD and to identify strategies for increasing care through research and education.
RIYADH: King Salman has given the Saudi government permission to carry out the nation's census on autism spectrum disorders.
King Salman's approval of the Saudi Health Council's recommendations, according to the organization's secretary-general Dr. Nahar bin Mazki Al-Azmi, shows the country's interest in the healthcare industry and its use of resources to raise the standard and calibre of healthcare provided.
He continued by saying that, in collaboration with the health industry and appropriate authorities, the strategy for the national ASD survey fits within the framework of planning and enacting services for persons in the Kingdom who have developmental and behavioural disorders. The objective of the strategy is to put in place systematic methods for the early detection of ASD in primary healthcare and to identify ways to improve care through a national survey and health education.
According to Al-Azmi, the decision requires the health sectors that offer services to children to gradually adopt the policy by the end of 2022. All diagnoses of ASD will also be recorded in a national register maintained by the Saudi Health Council.