الأرقام واضحة وصادمة! في الرياض، أظهرت آخر دراسة ميدانية أجريت أن معدل انتشار التوحد بين الأطفال في سن مبكرة بلغ 2.9 في المائة؛ أي ما يعادل طفلاً من بين كل 35 طفلاً... وعلى مستوى المملكة، تتجاوز الحالات المشخّصة 69 ألف طفل، وهي نسبة مرتفعة تضعنا أمام أزمة وطنية لا يجوز التعامل معها بمنطق المبادرات الجزئية أو البرامج المؤقتة.
وحين نقارن واقعنا بما يجري حولنا، تتضح الفجوة أكثر... فدولة الإمارات تمتلك مراكز متقدمة في مدينة أبوظبي، والعين تقدم خدمات تأهيلية وتعليمية متكاملة، والأردن كذلك بدوره يحتضن مراكز معروفة على مستوى المنطقة بالرغم من وضعة الاقتصادي... فأين نحن من القضية؟ فبالرغم من قوتنا الاقتصادية ومكانتنا العالمية، ما زال الأهالي ينتظرون مركزاً متكاملاً بمستوى عالمي يوازي ما اعتدناه في بقية قطاعات الدولة من صحة وتعليم وترفيه ورياضة...
لقد رأيت عن قرب أسراً تفككت بفعل ضغوط التوحّد، وأمهات يعانين بصمت من أطفال ذوي سلوك عنيف داخل البيت، لا يجدن دعماً نفسياً ولا تدريباً عملياً للتعامل مع هذه الحالات المعقدة... هذه ليست حكايات فردية، بل مشهد متكرر في بيوت كثيرة، يترك آثاراً نفسية واجتماعية عميقة.
المبادرات الحالية، مثل برنامج محمد بن سلمان للتوحد الذي أسس مراكز متخصصة في بعض المدن، تبقى خطوة مهمة لكنها محدودة قياساً بحجم الاحتياج... فالمدارس غير مجهزة للدمج الجاد، وعدد الأخصائيين والمعالجين أقل بكثير من المطلوب، والنتيجة أن آلاف الأسر تعيش في دائرة ضيقة مستمرة.
المطلوب اليوم هو قرار برؤية شجاعة يعيد صياغة السياسات التعليمية والصحية والاجتماعية، ويضع إنشاء مراكز عالمية متخصصة بمناطق المملكة في صدارة الأولويات مع قوانين واضحة تضمن حق التعليم والتأهيل والدعم النفسي للأسرة..
كل يوم نتأخر فيه عن إنشاء مراكز عالمية متخصصة يعني مزيداً من الأطفال المهدور حقهم، ومزيداً من الأسر المنهكة... فالإنفاق على هذه الفئة ليس خياراً، بل واجب وطني وأخلاقي...
من لا يضع أضعف أفراده في قلب أولوياته، لن يستطيع أن يزهو بقوته أمام العالم.
وفاء الرشيد
التوحُّد وأرقامه المخيفة تهددنا..
4 أكتوبر 2025 - 23:44
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آخر تحديث 4 أكتوبر 2025 - 23:44
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
The numbers are clear and shocking! In Riyadh, the latest field study conducted showed that the prevalence rate of autism among young children reached 2.9 percent; equivalent to one child in every 35 children... At the national level, the diagnosed cases exceed 69,000 children, which is a high rate that presents us with a national crisis that cannot be addressed with the logic of partial initiatives or temporary programs.
When we compare our reality with what is happening around us, the gap becomes clearer... The United Arab Emirates has advanced centers in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain that provide comprehensive rehabilitation and educational services, and Jordan also hosts well-known centers in the region despite its economic situation... So where do we stand on this issue? Despite our economic strength and global standing, parents are still waiting for a comprehensive center of global standards that matches what we are accustomed to in other sectors of the state such as health, education, entertainment, and sports...
I have seen up close families that have disintegrated due to the pressures of autism, and mothers silently suffering from children with violent behavior at home, who find no psychological support or practical training to deal with these complex cases... These are not individual stories, but a recurring scene in many homes, leaving deep psychological and social impacts.
The current initiatives, such as the Mohammed bin Salman Autism Program which established specialized centers in some cities, remain an important step but are limited compared to the size of the need... Schools are not equipped for serious integration, and the number of specialists and therapists is far less than required, resulting in thousands of families living in a continuous narrow circle.
What is needed today is a decision with a courageous vision that reshapes educational, health, and social policies, placing the establishment of specialized global centers in various regions of the kingdom at the top of the priorities, along with clear laws that guarantee the right to education, rehabilitation, and psychological support for families...
Every day we delay in establishing specialized global centers means more children whose rights are wasted, and more exhausted families... Spending on this group is not an option, but a national and ethical duty...
Those who do not place their weakest members at the heart of their priorities will not be able to boast of their strength before the world.
When we compare our reality with what is happening around us, the gap becomes clearer... The United Arab Emirates has advanced centers in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain that provide comprehensive rehabilitation and educational services, and Jordan also hosts well-known centers in the region despite its economic situation... So where do we stand on this issue? Despite our economic strength and global standing, parents are still waiting for a comprehensive center of global standards that matches what we are accustomed to in other sectors of the state such as health, education, entertainment, and sports...
I have seen up close families that have disintegrated due to the pressures of autism, and mothers silently suffering from children with violent behavior at home, who find no psychological support or practical training to deal with these complex cases... These are not individual stories, but a recurring scene in many homes, leaving deep psychological and social impacts.
The current initiatives, such as the Mohammed bin Salman Autism Program which established specialized centers in some cities, remain an important step but are limited compared to the size of the need... Schools are not equipped for serious integration, and the number of specialists and therapists is far less than required, resulting in thousands of families living in a continuous narrow circle.
What is needed today is a decision with a courageous vision that reshapes educational, health, and social policies, placing the establishment of specialized global centers in various regions of the kingdom at the top of the priorities, along with clear laws that guarantee the right to education, rehabilitation, and psychological support for families...
Every day we delay in establishing specialized global centers means more children whose rights are wasted, and more exhausted families... Spending on this group is not an option, but a national and ethical duty...
Those who do not place their weakest members at the heart of their priorities will not be able to boast of their strength before the world.


