Autistic people need practical solutions across all aspects of life 
US President Donald Trump, during his campaign for a second presidential term, pledged to unveil a discovery about Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The announcement came in late September of this year, revealing a drug called Leucovorin, also known as folinic acid. This compound compensates for vitamin B9 deficiency and can penetrate the brain more effectively than regular folic acid. Preliminary research suggests it may help improve verbal communication among children with autism.
Currently, only four small-scale clinical studies have been conducted, the most notable of which was in 2016, involving 48 autistic children. The results indicated improvement among participants who received the medication. Specialists, however, emphasize that autism is a lifelong condition, and a complete cure remains impossible. What can be achieved, they say, is the development of treatments that target and alleviate specific symptoms, as autism stems from both genetic and environmental factors and manifests differently from one individual to another.
Attempts to treat autism are relentless. A similar wave of attention occurred in 2021 about a drug called Balovaptan. This drug acts on a neurotransmitter called oxytocin, which resembles a hormone secreted during maternal breastfeeding and during intimacy between couples. At the time, it was described as improving the social aspect for individuals with autism. However, the clinical study conducted on it in the same year was unsuccessful.
According to ClinicalTrials.gov, an official US government database that lists all registered autism-related clinical studies, currently totaling 2,033, the number of trials evaluating Leucovorin’s efficacy for autism does not exceed nine. These remain experimental and are yet to be medically approved. Following the presidential statements, the US Food and Drug Administration relaxed some of its restrictions on the drug, which is primarily used as a folic acid substitute to aid in cell repair, especially during pregnancy and post-chemotherapy recovery in cancer patients, to restore healthy cells damaged by treatment.
In previous articles, I discussed autism and noted that Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics does not maintain an accurate record of autism cases. I expressed reservations about the locally published figures, believing they do not reflect reality. My observations were driven by a desire for transparency and clarity in this vital public health issue. Responsibility, however, does not lie solely with the statistics authority. It is shared by the ministries of education and health, the Authority for the Care of People with Disabilities, and other relevant bodies. In my view, accurate statistics are essential to understanding the magnitude of the challenge and determining the necessary course of action.
UN figures for this year reveal that there is one case of autism for every 31 children, and this ratio is expected to rise by 2040 to one case for every 16 children.
Dr. Bader bin Saud
Saudi experts have indicated that the number of individuals with autism in Riyadh alone is no less than 20,000 cases. Local studies estimate one autism case per 70 children in the Kingdom, a rate seemingly better than Japan, which holds the highest global figure at 560 cases per 100,000. It is likely that the total number of individuals with ASD across Saudi Arabia currently reaches up to 200,000 of the total population, while the figure in the UK, for instance, is 1.2 million.
Global statistics indicate that about 30 percent of individuals with autism have intellectual disabilities and limited language skills. UN figures for this year reveal that there is one case of autism for every 31 children, and this ratio is expected to rise by 2040 to one case for every 16 children. The greater concern lies in the shortage of institutions capable of providing adequate support — not only in Saudi Arabia but also in many other countries worldwide.
In 2022, the Kingdom approved a national mandatory screening program for Autism Spectrum Disorders using the M-CHAT test. This screening targets children aged 18 to 30 months and is overseen by the Saudi Health Council through the Comprehensive Developmental Disorders Center. The program is compulsory for all healthcare providers in both the public and private sectors, much like vaccination programs.
Children who display early signs of autism are referred for diagnosis, and if confirmed, early intervention begins immediately. Evidence has shown that 75 percent of autistic children who received rehabilitative treatment at the onset of the disorder were able to speak and live lives closer to those of typically developing peers, though they often retain weaknesses in adaptive and social interaction skills. It is worth noting that autism has a long history, with the first recorded description of an affected child dating back to 1799, before its rediscovery in 1943.
More important than all the preceding data is the urgent need to find practical places and solutions for Saudi children and adults with autism across all aspects of life; education, employment, marriage, and various sports. We must ensure their right to a dignified life, provide them with opportunities equal to others in every way, and empower their families to deliver appropriate care.
This includes providing financial and psychological support to families, removing obstacles and difficulties, and facilitating visas and covering the salaries for specialized professionals, as determined by relevant agencies. The care for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder is arduous, especially during childhood, and the majority of their families are in the low-income bracket.
• Dr. Bader bin Saud is a columnist for Al-Riyadh newspaper, a media and knowledge management researcher, an expert and university professor in crowd management and strategic planning, and the former deputy commander of the special forces for Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia. X: @BaderbinSaud.
