Ministry of Social Development and Family, represented by the Department of Community Welfare, in cooperation with the Shafallah Center, the Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs and the Qatar Autism Society, organized a panel discussion on "Communication Tools with Autistic People" on World Autism Day.  It falls on the second of April of each year, in the Social Development Center at Karate channel in the Pearl.

In this discussion panel, the speakers were: Dr. Mousa Abdel Majeed, consultant to the Qatar Autism Society, Dr. Tariq Al-Issawy, consultant to the Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs, and Dr. Hassan Mohamed Jamal Saadeh, a psychologist at the Shafallah Center.

This panel discussion aims to discuss parents’ experiences, raise awareness, and educate them about autism. Also, it shares experiences and information between parents, counsellors, and psychologists, in addition to educating parents about effective communication tools with people with autism. The panel targeted several groups, namely: parents, experts, and psychologists and social workers in the field of people with disabilities.

During this discussion, Dr. Musa Abdel-Meguid talked about many topics, including signs and symptoms of autism, programs that help empower families with autism spectrum disorder, educational and therapeutic rehabilitation for children with autism, tips that help parents in dealing with an "autistic" child.

Dr. Tariq Al-Issawy discussed autism spectrum disorder, symptoms that appear in the early development period, symptoms that appear in the social and professional fields, communication disorders and people with autism, various means of alternative communication for autistic patients, alternative means of compensatory communication, and the communication skills total.

For his part, Dr. Hassan Muhammad Jamal Saadeh provided advice and guidance to parents of autistic children, in addition to answering parents' inquiries about the communication tools. He exchanged experience on how to provide parents with successful practical solutions to the problems they face while dealing with an autistic child.

The panel discussion on autism hosted several parents of children with autism, where they presented and discussed their experiences with psychologists and counsellors, with the aim of exchanging awareness and education about autism.

In this regard, Mrs. Hessa Al-Hamad, the parent of an autistic child, sent a letter expressing her thanks to the Shafallah Center for nominating her to talk about her experience with her autistic child. While delivering her talk, she also thanked the Ministry for this wonderful organization and for bringing together several doctors, psychologists, and social workers on World Autism Day, which aims to spread awareness in the Qatari, Gulf and Arab society.

Mrs. Hessa Al-Hamad talked about her experience and the challenges she faced as a guardian of an autistic child and how she was able to overcome them, thanks to Allah first and then to the state efforts represented by the Ministry of Social Development and Family, the Shafallah Center, the Qatar Autism Society and the Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Munira Al-Khayarin, a parent of an autistic child, sent a letter to the Community Care Department at the Ministry of Social Development and Family, saying: "I hope the Ministry sheds more light on this group to help them in their practical and social life in the future." She added that she is calling for an increase in jobs that accommodate this group in all respects so that they have an effective role in various fields of life, suggesting that this disorder be taught in universities to produce qualified Qatari cadres to serve the autism category.

Mrs. Reem Al-Ajmi, the Acting Director of the Community Care Department, stated: The organization of this panel discussion came to activate the competence of the Community Care Department in implementing national strategies, plans and policies related to persons with disabilities. It also tried to increase the community's awareness of family and social challenges and issues, their effects, and methods of prevention, in addition to organizing Conferences, seminars and workshops to discuss all issues of persons with disabilities.