TEHRAN — An offline autism screening test is now available for downloading from Iran’s Welfare Organization website, ISNA news agency reported.

The questionnaire is comprising of 10 questions for parents with children aged 2 to 5 to diagnose children who are suffering from the autism spectrum disorder, an official with Iran’s Welfare Organization has said.

Maryam Pourseyyed explained that in case a child shows three of the symptoms, he/she might be suffering from autism and need to refer to the centers [also listed in Iran’s Welfare Organization website] to undergo treatments [if necessary].

Meanwhile, the Welfare Organization deputy director Hossein Nahvinejad said that some one percent of people in the country are suffering from autism and currently some 2,100 patients are receiving behavioral treatments in 60 centers nationwide.

Except for physical therapy other treatments such as work therapy and speech therapy autism patients need are not covered by insurance companies and are pretty expensive, Nahvinejad regretted.

Parents can refer to the website www.behzisti.ir to make sure if their children are showing any of the signs and symptoms autism.

Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.

A child suffering from autism appears disinterested or unaware of other people or what’s going on around them, doesn’t know how to connect with others, play, or make friends, prefers not to be touched, held, or cuddled, speaks in an abnormal tone of voice, or with an odd rhythm or pitch (e.g. ends every sentence as if asking a question), repeats the same words or phrases over and over, often without communicative intent, responds to a question by repeating it, rather than answering it, avoids eye contact, has unusual attachments to toys or strange objects such as keys, light switches, or rubber bands, etc.

MQ/MG