What do 50 Cent, Mike Tyson, Enrique Gil and Julia Montes have in common? They have all recently visited the Dubai Autism Center (DAC), fast becoming one of the premier centers in the Gulf region to offer internationally proficient services in the field of autism.
The DAC welcomed recently two of ABS-CBN TFC’s “ASAP Live In Dubai” stars: Enrique Gil and Julia Montes who came to visit the Center and express their strong support to the autism cause. Both youthfuil Filipino celebrities were part of the hugely successful “ASAP Live in Dubai” back-to-back concerts last January 24 which ABS-CBN TFC co-presented with OSN, the region’s leading pay-TV network and now the exclusive hub of TFC subscribers in the region.
DAC Events & Project Manager Farhan Shahid warmly received the celebrity guests and accompanied them in a tour of the facilities where they spent time with students with autism.
At the end of the visit, Gil and Montes signed on the VIP’s guest book, expressing their admiration for the efforts undertaken by the Center towards children with autism and wishing everyone greater success in their endeavors to help people with the condition.
Farhan Shahid commented: “The visit reflects Enrique and Julia’s concern about individuals with autism… I am impressed by their keenness to understand and find out more about the disorder… They have left a lasting impression on all staff members.”
DAC is a non-profit organization launched in 2001 with the main objective of successfully integrating children with autism into the community through focused efforts in creating social awareness about the condition.
Today, 57 students are provided with a holistic individualized intervention program that includes academics and various therapies: behavioural, speech, occupational, music and play as well as professional medical care. In addition to the intervention program, the Center has an internationally acknowledged assessment and diagnosis unit.
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that lasts throughout a person’s life. It affects the person’s verbal and non-verbal communication abilities as well as imaginative play and social skills. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) transcend social, cultural and geographic boundaries. According to recent studies, 1 out of 88 children is affected by ASD.
For more information, visit http://www.dubaiautismcenter.ae/ (Dubai Autism Center with additional reports from NMFernandez-ABS-CBN Global)
