Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Nov 15;1(2):e11402.
doi: 10.2196/11402.

Telehealth Services for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rural Areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Overview and Recommendations

Shahad Alkhalifah #  1 , Hesham Aldhalaan  1
Affiliations

Telehealth Services for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rural Areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Overview and Recommendations

Shahad Alkhalifah et al. JMIR Pediatr Parent. .

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are the most-prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders. However, each child diagnosed with ASD presents with a unique range of behavioral and communication problems and issues with social skills. Many studies have highlighted the importance of early interventions for children with ASD to improve their skills and provide their families with the necessary support. However, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the earliest that a child with ASD in the major cities receives an intervention is at the age of 4 years, owing to limited services and a lack of awareness of the importance and benefits of early interventions. Families who live in rural areas of KSA arguably have a greater need for these services, as they have to travel to cities such as Riyadh for help. The use of telehealth services may be effective for ASD intervention among children living in rural areas, since such services use technology to provide consultations, interventions, diagnosis, training, and education. Research indicates that telehealth services are as valuable as traditional face-to-face treatment, allow families to obtain support from their homes, and help them improve their quality of life. This review will discuss the application of telehealth services to support families in rural areas of KSA who are dealing with issues of ASD, considering the cultural and religious contexts. In addition, it will examine ways in which technology can be employed to suit KSA's culture and needs.

Keywords: Saudi Arabia; autism spectrum disorders; intervention; telehealth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Alotaibi F, Dimitriadi Y, Kemp A. Perceptions of teachers using social stories for children with autism at special schools in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Education and Practice. 2016;7(11):85–97.
    1. Alnemary FM, Aldhalaan HM, Simon-Cereijido G, Alnemary FM. Services for children with autism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Autism. 2017 Dec;21(5):592–602. doi: 10.1177/1362361316664868. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Vismara LA, McCormick C, Young GS, Nadhan A, Monlux K. Preliminary findings of a telehealth approach to parent training in autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2013 Dec;43(12):2953–69. doi: 10.1007/s10803-013-1841-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Eid AM, Aljaser SM, AlSaud AN, Asfahani SM, Alhaqbani OA, Mohtasib RS, Aldhalaan HM, Fryling M. Training Parents in Saudi Arabia to Implement Discrete Trial Teaching with their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behav Anal Pract. 2017 Dec 10;10(4):402–406. doi: 10.1007/s40617-016-0167-3. http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/29214136 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Polit D, Beck C. Essentials of Nursing Research. Methods, Appraisal and Utilization. 6th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006. p. 0781749727.

LinkOut - more resources