With the support of the Sanad Mohammed bin Salman programme, the Autism Families Association is preparing to launch the Princess Samira Al-Faisal Al-Farhan Al-Saud Autism Youth Rehabilitation and Employment Programme (Behaviour and Empowerment), which will be held in Riyadh for 15 young people with autism spectrum disorder and will last for a full year starting from mid-2024 to 2025.

At the hands of experts and specialists in the field of autism rehabilitation, the programme will offer a series of developmental tracks to develop the necessary basic skills and work on addressing and resolving behavioural and sensory issues that may hinder the employment opportunities of autistic youth, in addition to development programmes based on measuring the individual abilities and professional inclinations of the beneficiaries.

The empowerment programme aims to improve the quality of life of autistic youth and engage in the labour market in line with their aspirations and hopes by acquiring the necessary cognitive skills, improving practical performance and upgrading levels of competence and ability, especially the development of self-skills, independence and cognitive skills that enable them to integrate into society in the best possible way.

 For her part, HRH Princess Samira Al Faisal Al Farhan Al Saud said: ‘We work with the family and the beneficiary since the beginning of the discovery of autism spectrum disorder and continue the journey of rehabilitation, development and development with them at their various stages of life. Based on our keenness and interest in empowering our sons and daughters with autism and their families, we design our various rehabilitation programmes through which we aim to improve their quality of life, which concerns all of us. We hope to launch the (Behaviour and Empowerment) programme, which serves 15 champions and initiators with autism to engage in the labour market and achieve their expected goals and ambitions in an empowered, ambitious and motivated society. We ask God to facilitate and thank the service providers from the experts, trainers and specialists ... and all success to our heroes of autistic youth and we promise them more help, support and empowerment, God willing and facilitated ’

The Autism Families Association launched the Prince Faisal bin Bandar Health and Physical Rehabilitation Programme for Autistic Youth last August.