Philanthropist builds autism center in Zakho. (Photo: submitted to 964media)
Donor-funded
Philanthropist builds autism center in Zakho to ease financial burden
ZAKHO — A local philanthropist has been constructing an autism center in Zakho, Duhok, for more than six months, with plans to transfer the facility to the local administration upon completion to support children with autism.
Zakho currently has three private autism centers but no government-run facility, prompting families of autistic children to hope that the new center will reduce their financial strain.
“A public autism center will reduce our expenses. I spend more than half of my salary on private centers,” Amin Ahmed, a father of two autistic children, told 964media. “I appreciate the philanthropist’s efforts.”
Engineer Asim Shekho, the project supervisor, said the center has two floors. “The project cost exceeds 550 million dinars ($365,695). In a few days, it will be handed over to the Zakho administration,” he told 964media.
Abdulrazzaq Mohammed, Zakho’s director of social care, noted that final interior modifications and additional play areas for children are still pending. “It will be completed soon and made available to the public,” he told 964media.
Approximately 200 children with autism are registered within the Zakho autonomous administration.
A government-run autism center, which opened in mid-January in Kifri district, Garmian, is seen as a model that could alleviate financial pressures for families unable to afford private care.
In April 2024, the Kurdistan Autism Society reported an increase in autism diagnoses across the region, with 327 new cases recorded in 2023, bringing the total to 3,667. Erbil remains the region’s leading governorate in terms of reported cases.