TEHRAN – A total of 2,800 students with autism spectrum disorders are studying in 58 special schools across the country, Seyed Javad Hosseini, head of the Special Education Organization, has stated.

The formal education of autistic students began in Iran in 2003, and since then the educational coverage of these patients has increased 25 times, he explained.

Education of autistic children is the most specialized, most difficult, and most expensive type of education, he added, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

WHO estimates that 1 in 160 children has an autism spectrum disorder worldwide. The number of schools for the education of children with autism in Iran will reach 70 by the end of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 21, 2022), he further concluded.

According to the World Health Organization autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) refers to a range of conditions characterized by some degree of impaired social behavior, communication, and language, and a narrow range of interests and activities that are both unique to the individual and carried out repetitively.

Individuals with autism often present other co-occurring conditions, including epilepsy, depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The level of intellectual functioning in individuals with ASDs is extremely variable, extending from profound impairment to superior levels.

Evidence-based psychosocial interventions including behavioral treatment and parent skills training programs can reduce difficulties in communication and social behavior, with a positive impact on wellbeing and quality of life for persons with autism and their caregivers.
WHO estimates that 1 in 160 children has an autism spectrum disorder worldwide.

In January 2019, Mehdi Shadnoosh, head of the transplantation and treatment of diseases department at the Ministry of Health, announced that some 8,000 people have been diagnosed with autism disorder in the country, while the number is estimated to be over 20,000.

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