Autism Trust Foundation, a global outreach body, plans to launch a unique initiative to support autism centres.

A major aim of the foundation is to extend support to autistic children by supporting autism centres to have advanced facilities in addition to facilitating finances to meet their operational expenses and expansion programmes.

An autism centre in Dubai has been selected as the first beneficiary of a unique charity-linked investment initiative that the Autism Trust Foundation will be launching in the first week of June.

Involving a couple of prominent organisations based in the UAE, the investment-linked project is expected to facilitate funds flowing in for supporting the Autism centre.

An estimated 40 million people suffer from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is estimated to be affecting one in 150 children globally, up from 1 in 10,000 about 20 years ago.

Ali Albwardy, the honorable chairman of the Autism Trust Foundation board of directors, said: “Good causes should be helped by the society to make the socially-relevant initiatives sustain. What sets us apart from other organisations is our priority for facilitating funds to autism centers for making them sustainable in the long run. We are going to take up unique initiatives that are going to help autism centers in the UAE and other parts of the world in a phased manner.”

Autism Trust Foundation is also planning to explore ways of cooperation and networking with autism centres in the GCC states.

Fahed Bin Al Shaikh, deputy chairman and CEO of Autism Trust Foundation, said: “ The Autism centres we plan to support will receive our financial support to help meet the expenses as well as taking up expansion programmes including acquisition of technologically-advanced equipment to enhance support for the people suffering from autism.

The organisation plans to run local help groups across the UAE to provide the much-needed opportunity to family members of autistic children to meet at regular intervals to discuss the treatment regimes and get expert advice and support.

Shaikha Al Mutawa, deputy CEO of Autism Trust Foundation, said: “Efforts are needed to be focused on changing perceptions about autism and raise the awareness levels about the disability through campaigns, facilitating financial support through funds generation programmes and support services.”  - TradeArabia News Service