King Salman approves national autism survey

King Salman has approved a Saudi policy to conduct the National Autism Spectrum Disorder survey.

Secretary-General of the Saudi Health Council Dr. Nahar bin Mazki Al-Azmi said that King Salman’s approval of the decisions proposed by the Saudi Health Council demonstrated the Kingdom’s interest in the health sector and harnessing of capabilities to improve the level and quality of health services.

He added that the policy for the national ASD survey comes within the framework of organizing and legislating services dedicated to people with developmental and behavioral disorders in the Kingdom, in coordination with the health sector and relevant authorities. The policy aims to implement organized procedures for the early detection of ASD in primary health care and to find ways to increase care through the national survey and health education.

Al-Azmi said that the decision obligates the health sectors that provide services for children to gradually implement the policy by the end of 2022 and that all diagnoses of ASD will be registered in a Saudi Health Council national register.