Jeddah – The Ministry
of Social Affairs has announced that it will bear the entire cost of caring for children with autism and Down syndrome at domestic care centers.
The Ministry has received SR250 million from the Finance Ministry to pay towards the rehabilitative costs for those children who have not gone overseas to receive treatment. An unnamed source in the Saudi Gazette is quoted as saying:
“The ministry will bear the full cost of the rehabilitation of autistic and Down children in the day centers that are licensed.”
The Finance Ministry is prepared to allocate more funding for the care of autistic children if it is needed. In addition, the Ministry of Education will be paying the cost of tuition for autistic children who are receiving education in private schools.
Khaled Al-Thibaiti, spokesman of the Social Affairs Ministry said that 2, 655 special cars have been given to eligible disabled children.
“We supply our children with special needs with a total of 5,400 special cars to use in their transport,”
This trend is ongoing as King Abdullah, custodian of two holy mosques, gave the Ministry SR1.5 billion, two years ago to purchase the same special cars to aid in the transportation of special needs children.
The original article by Saad Al-Qabousi on the Saudi Gazette website can be read here