September 15, 2023
WoEgypt

Dr. Dahlia Soliman opened “Impact Center” the first vocational center for young people with autism to integrate them into society. The center is located in Maadi, Cairo. The center provides free workshops to young people with autism to train them on various skills, to provide them with job opportunities and helps them integrate into society.

The workshops include graphic design, video editing, computer programming, pottery, leather making and digital printing. The center also acts as in a social and sports club where young people with autism can meet and play table tennis, basketball and yoga.

Young people interested to join are required to choose only one workshop. The free training course runs for 4 months. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis for a limited number of students. For reservations and inquiries, please call: 01006635199.

Dahlia Soliman is also founder and president of The Egyptian Autistic Society. She is an education psychologist and an advocate for the rights of people with autism in Egypt since 1997. She established the Egyptian Autistic Society (EAS) in 1999 and she is its president. She received her B.A in Psychology and Sociology from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and an MSc in Special Ed/Autism from the University of Birmingham.

Soliman’s sole interest is the welfare of children and adults with autism, welcoming any case that seeks her professional advice. Together with her competent team of trainers at the Autistic Society, she has built a unique organization in the field of special needs.

EAS was the first centre of its kind in Egypt to focus entirely on autistic children, and remains so until today. Over the years, the institute has offered training in autism to pediatricians, nurses, as well as schoolteachers and primary health care providers. It also organizes awareness campaigns to improve people’s understanding of the disorder, as well as to clear any misconceptions.

Through her persistent lobbying efforts, she continuously mainstreams children into regular schools and even has one student who made it to university in Egypt and several others abroad. Link to Autistic Society page at the end of the post.

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