Traitement de l’autisme de l’enfant et de l’adolescent: Mise en place d’un programme à Alger (2005/2008)./The treatment of children and adolescents autism: Establishing a program in Algers (2005/2008

Author: Taleb, M. O.

Source:
Neuropsychiatrie de l'Enfance et de l'Adolescence, Vol 58(3), Apr 2010, 159-167
Abstract Choosing a therapeutic method for autistic children, and its application in a developing country like Algeria where the means at the disposal of the children adolescents mental health care are limited, impose several constraints in terms of infrastructure and human resources, the course of these children is chaotique and beset with difficulties, the access to health care is scarce or unavailable,qualified staff at premium. This makes the training of new staff uncertain. For a population of 36 million inhabitants, we possess three child psychiatry organisms with a total capacity of 150 places arranged in day hospital add to that ten medical centers with 20 child psychiatrists trained in the field, thanks to WHO aids, who work in precarious conditions. At this stage of developement of child psychiatry in our country, autistic disorders are the main reason for consultation and hospitalization, the diagnoses comes late when the child has already fallen behind his education or couldn’t access school, this is the frequent reason for health care request. Six hundred children across the country have been followed up door-to-door for a decade.For practical and theoretical reasons, combining exchange therapy and development with Schopler program is a good strategy by its simplicity and effectiveness, the training of autistic children mothers in Schopler program allowed important cognitive improvements of their child.