The Kurdistan Autism Association will soon open two new autism centers in Harir and Rizgari. These centers aim to provide specialized training for children with autism and valuable guidance for their parents. The announcement came on Tuesday from Kamal Jabari, the Association’s president.
Mr. Jabari explained that the centers will help children develop essential skills through structured programs. At the same time, parents will receive direct support to better understand their children’s needs. He emphasized that empowering parents is key to ensuring effective home training.
The choice of Harir in the Shaqlawa district and Rizgari in the Garmian area reflects the urgent demand for such services. According to Mr. Jabari, these towns lack adequate autism facilities, making them top priorities for expansion.
Furthermore, he stressed that the centers must go beyond physical infrastructure. He urged authorities to ensure that each center has qualified experts who can deliver high-quality care. Without skilled staff, he warned, the impact of these facilities would be limited.
This initiative is part of a broader plan to establish autism centers across all towns in Kurdistan. Currently, unofficial data suggests that about 3,900 children in the region live with autism.
The Kurdistan Regional Government has already taken steps to support these families. It has opened several autism-focused facilities and introduced maternity leave for mothers who are public employees and have children with autism. The government also sent a full list of children with autism to Baghdad to register them for monthly support. However, the federal registration process remains unfinished.