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‘Art therapy’ rehabilitates autistic Palestinian youth

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Saadi J. Dhaher, General Manager of Al Ain Private Centre for Care and Rehabilitation, said that the foundation follows original methods of rehabilitation such as treatment by arts and hobbies.

Abu Shaheen was suffering from autism since childhood. His parents noticed that the child was indifferent to surroundings, was happy playing alone and showed little interest in toys. They also noticed that there was no laughter in him, seemed deaf and never showed any reaction to the surroundings.

“The centre organises many programmes including sport activities such as swimming and athletics, besides entertainment programmes to create group activity and help promote a good level of self-respect,” said Dhaher.

Abu Shaheen shows cleverness and advanced talents in pottery arts.

Dhaher said that art and music therapy helped people with autism of all ages and aptitudes to converse, interrelate and develop. Art therapy can build up autistics’ consciousness of the self and of others, offer emotional hold-up, increase self-assurance and develop harmony and control.

He highlighted that autism is a developing disability, which surfaces in the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder, which affects the functioning of the brain, autism and related behaviour, are reported to occur in one among 500 persons.

The centre has 18 autistic patients, and it helps them with several activities including quiz competitions and get-togethers with families at the group activity level.

In order to encourage the autistic and other disabled to involve themselves in various group activities as a part of social treatment, the centre organises trips for the children to visit trade centres and shops through the rehabilitation programme. The purpose is to train them in the commercial activities or shopping, to discover ways of dealing with others and the value of currency and its major units.

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