TIRANA, April 22/ATA/ The Medical Committee, part of the Academy of Sciences of Albania, held a roundtable on autism in Albania.
The topic of this roundtable was “The Autism Spectrum and Current Problems Related to It in Albania”.
Chairman of the Committee, acad. Genc Sulçebe, emphasized the significance of this growing problem and the need for a multidisciplinary and coordinated treatment.
The initiative for this event was proposed by prof. Albana Fico, who emphasized the significance of early intervention and coordination of work between different specialists for the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
During this meeting, there was emphasized the lack of standardized protocols for diagnosis and treatment; the need for equipment with modern assessment instruments such as ADOS; and the need to develop specialized rehabilitation protocols in various fields: speech therapy, psychomotor therapy, special education, group therapy and occupational therapy.
In Albania, there may be over 6,000 to 14,000 children suffering of autism, while the state system identifies only about 2,500 cases. Families spend about 40 million euros per year outside the public system on therapy and support services, while many mothers quit job to take care for children.
Expenditures for therapy and support teachers reach an average of 10,000 euros per family per year.
The Academy of Sciences announced through an online post that it will continue to promote science and professional debate on topics with high health and social impact. /j.p/p.s./
