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Autism Spectrum Disorders in Developing Countries: Lessons from the Arab World

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Comprehensive Guide to Autism

Abstract

The majority of research in the field of autism has been conducted in Western countries with readily available resources. In the developing countries and specifically in the Arab world, the field of child psychiatry is relatively new. Autism was not the subject of interest in the region until the late 1990s. Lack of awareness and culture as well as lack of resources contribute to the unmet needs of autism patients in the region. Tremendous effort is needed to raise the awareness of policy makers towards the need for implementation of services and research plans aiming to bridge the gap between needs and services. This chapter reviews the condition of autism in the developing Middle East Arab countries with special highlights on the prevalence and clinical status of autism. Also, lights will be shed on economic status, care provision, and research status of particular relevance to this developing Arab world.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychiatry (WHO Collaborating Center for Training and Research), Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ain Shams University, Abbasia, Cairo, Egypt

    Ghada R. A. Taha & Hanan Hussein

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  1. Ghada R. A. Taha
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  2. Hanan Hussein
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Correspondence to Ghada R. A. Taha .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, Faculty of Science & Technology, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Nutritional Sciences Division and Genomics Centre, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Faculty of Society and Health, Buckinghamshire New University, Middlesex, United Kingdom

    Colin R. Martin

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Taha, G.R.A., Hussein, H. (2014). Autism Spectrum Disorders in Developing Countries: Lessons from the Arab World. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V., Martin, C. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Autism. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4788-7_98

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4788-7_98

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