TEHRAN – Iran will provide online autism screening programs in the current calendar year 1396 which started on March 20, 2018), an official at the Welfare Organization said on Thursday.

The aim of the plan is to foster the diagnosis of the disease in children and provide subsequent rehabilitating services, Afrouz Saffari-far said, according to Fars.

Among 110,000 children which have been screened till date, 620 cases of autism have been diagnosed, she added.

Touching on other rehabilitation services provided for autistics, she went on to say that the Welfare Organization will establish special centers to train autistics above 14 years to take a job.

Recent estimations show that one percent of Iranian children are suffering from autism spectrum, she highlighted, adding that the global rate of this disorder is nearly 1.5 percent.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is defined as a wide range of conditions characterized by challenges with speech and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors and social skills. ASD is a “spectrum condition” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.

Lack of or delay in spoken language, lack of spontaneous or make-believe play, lack of interest in peer relationships, and persistent fixation on parts of objects are among other signs of this disorder.

MAH/PA