Education of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders in Egypt

Abstract

Accessible Summary This paper reviews the present educational needs of children and young people and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in Egypt. Children with ASD are largely unrecognised by the educational provision in Egypt. This paper highlights the need for an improved educational programme for children with ASD who also experience an associated learning disability and learning difficulties. It is crucial to develop teacher support programmes and empower teachers to enable children and young people with ASD develop their fullest potential. Abstract This paper outlines, through a transnational discourse between partners in Egypt and the UK, an overview of the literature on the definition and features of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) with associated learning needs and health conditions as applied to children and young people in Egypt. As a low‐ to middle‐income country, Egypt has a poor and underdeveloped health, education and social service to support children with ASD and very little research has investigated this phenomenon. This paper adds to the discussion through the shared knowledge and practice in the educational curriculum of children with ASD in Egypt.

The Lived Experiences of Mothers of Children with the Autism Spectrum Disorders in Egypt

“…Insufficient attention has been given to special education services and health services for children with ASD in Egypt, resulting in no holistic view of the child's and families' need. This is in line with prior research referring to the lack of access to health-care and special education services generally in the Arab countries and specifically in Egypt (Gobrial et al 2018;Hadidi and Khateeb 2015;Omar 2014;Gobrial 2012;Jenkins et al 2010). Also, this is consistent with the previous literature concerned limited resources, underdeveloped health systems and scarce knowledge of ASD those living in lowto middle-income countries (Blake et al 2017;Tilahun et al 2016;McKenzie and McConkey 2015;Iemmi et al 2016).…”

“…Furthermore, less support was given, mostly by the government, regarding mainstreaming children with ASD within the educational system. This is also consistent with the available data reported on the need for special education that meets the children's needs in Egypt (Gobrial et al 2018;JICAPED 2002). The introduction of this service could dramatically influence the life chances of Egyptian children with ASD.…”

“…In Egypt, caring for a child with ASD can be daunting and overwhelming for mothers, due to the services for children with disabilities in general, and services specifically designed for children with ASD in Egypt, are minimal or even absent. Children with ASD and their families face the likelihood of poor health, social care, mental health service, rehabilitation, lack of special education and access to equal opportunities (Gobrial et al 2018;Omar 2014;Gobrial 2012;Jenkins et al 2010;Okasha 2005). The majority of individuals with ASD in Egypt remain at home uneducated.…”

Socio-economic and demographic factors associated with adaptive behaviour among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in Egypt

“…The dearth of epidemiological data available on ASD in Egypt despite reports of increasing prevalence worldwide is a challenge for health and education provision [9]. Even with the increased importance of early diagnosis and intervention of ASD [10], socioeconomic variables can influence timing of the diagnosis of ASD [11].…”

“…Additionally, some cross-cultural variations were reported in observational studies in some defining behaviours of ASD [10]. Epidemiological studies help in defining the characteristics of children with ASD [12] and gain better understanding of the disorder [13] particularly with the underdeveloped health and social services [9] to inform policy and decision-making [14].…”