AKUH Calls for Comprehensive, Community-Wide Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorder Support

The Aga Khan University Hospital brought together developmental paediatricians, speech and language therapists, and child psychiatrists to address a growing concern: children with autism spectrum disorder in Pakistan are being identified late, and families are navigating the journey largely without adequate guidance or support. A media roundtable, held under the theme Rethinking Autism Spectrum Disorder Support, opened with a question that framed the entire discussion: therapies are important, but are they enough on their own? “The biggest challenge we face is not just late diagnosis. It is the silence around it,” said Professor Shahnaz Ibrahim, Professor and Section Head of Paediatric Neurology at Aga Khan University Hospital. “Families come to us not knowing what autism spectrum disorder is, not knowing what support exists, and in many cases having been told to wait and see. That window of time is precious, and we cannot afford to lose it.”