Autism center offers free care, community support in underserved district

BASRA — A new center for children with autism in Basra’s Khor Al-Zubair subdistrict is drawing attention for offering no-cost care and specialized programs in an area with few support options. The Sanabel Al-Khair Center, the first of its kind in the district, provides services for children aged two to 15 through nine dedicated classrooms staffed entirely by trained local women.

“The decision to establish the center in Khor Al-Zubair was based on a real need for such an institution, and to create job opportunities for women from the district,” said director Wijdan Al-Asadi. “All current staff are women from the area, with additional trainees coming from outside the district.”

The center offers speech therapy, sensory integration, behavioral support, and skill development tailored to each child after a full evaluation. Recreational activities are also included to build social and communication skills.

Al-Asadi said the choice of an all-female team reflected the needs of the children currently enrolled but noted that male staff may be added in the future. “Community acceptance of a center like this in the town has been encouraging,” she said. “We’re already seeing noticeable improvements in children’s behavior.”

Executive director Adel Al-Bajari said the center was founded with charitable and humanitarian goals to serve underserved families. “The center’s activities vary between educational and recreational, and female staff are trained through theory and practice under the guidance of specialists in special education and behavioral rehabilitation,” he said.

He emphasized that offering free services has made a difference. “The charitable aspect helped ease the financial burden on families who can’t afford private care. The experience in Khor Al-Zubair has become a positive model, reflected in how the community has responded.”