DUBAI: On April 2, 2020, marks World Autism Awareness Day – an internationally-recognized time to highlight the increasing prevalence of Autism around the world. The occasion encourages governments throughout the world to raise awareness about the disorder. The annual event has already taken great strides in improving the awareness, and therefore the access to treatments and the lives of people living with the condition. Sadly, the championing efforts of organizations in the UAE might well be eclipsed by the COVID-19 epidemic at it sweeps across the country.
Fortunately, there is a growing community of medical practitioners who are becoming increasingly specialized in this field of healthcare and working harder than ever to balance the scales. One such facility, the Hayati Health Center—established primarily for children and young adults with developmental disorders and Autism—has stepped up with increased access to their Center’s practitioners through online webcam-therapy.
A critical factor of success for any clinical psychological or developmental therapy is consistency. Patients on the Autism spectrum who will have their access to treatment limited by lockdown protocols will soon feel a pinch exacerbated by the already challenging conditions of self-isolation. It’s not just a problem of limiting progress. Without regular, scheduled treatments, it is very easy for a patient to regress to pre-existing behaviors.
Hayati Autism specialists will be available for online consultations using video-call to enable the continuity of their therapy schedules until the easing of travel restrictions. To get parents comfortable using this facility, the Center is offering complimentary 45-minute online ABA, psychology, or speech & language sessions to interested families. Tel: 054 993 65 68 / 04 570 58 04 or email: [email protected] for more information.
The inspiration to help in times of crisis was all it took to embrace technology that’s always been available, just never been tested.
Said Clinical Director, Dr. Andrea Tosatto, “We have always been able to adapt to change and survive. But, it’s up to communities to help each other adapt together. That’s why I hope our patients will see our efforts and adopt this new platform for therapy so that we can continue our successes.”
While Hayati Health Center’s patients are primarily children and adolescents living with Autism—the Center also caters to the mental health needs of parents. Moreover, in light of the COVID-19 societal crisis, an in-house clinical psychologist will also be available online to address the needs of anyone suffering from mental distress and is currently also offering free adult psychological counseling sessions for UAE residents. Services offered include therapy and advice for: Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, Stress Treatment, Emotional Disorders, Adjustment issues / Coping with isolation, Coping with grief, Fear of pandemic, One-on-one individual counselling, Family Therapy, and Online Counseling.
Visit their website HayatiHealth.com for contact details
Interestingly Hayati Health Center is no stranger to technology. Their specialist approach to treating children with developmental areas of need is augmented by agroundbreakingdigital app – the Hayati Health App. Hayati therapists use the innovative platform to test, diagnose and manage every step of a child’s therapy, while Hayati parents can use it for transparent access to every piece of information regarding their child’s progress in real-time.
For more information about the Center, or to book your free session, visit HayatiHealth.com for contact details or Email: [email protected].
