Capt. (R) Asif Iqbal Asif, Director General of the Directorate General of Special Education (DGSE), on Tuesday hosted Dr. Irum Rizwan, Chief Autism Consultant at the Centre for Autism Rehabilitation and Training Sindh (C-ARTS) and Head of the Autism Department at the Sindh Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (SIPM&R), to discuss collaborative steps toward establishing an Autism Centre in Islamabad.
The meeting centred on knowledge co-sharing and adoption of international best practices in preparation for the PSDP initiative to establish a Centre of Excellence for Autism in the federal capital. The proposed Autism Centre is envisioned as a flagship service delivery unit of DGSE that will set national standards for care, education and rehabilitation.
Directors and Officer In-Charges of DGSE attended the session as discussions aligned closely with the vision of Secretary Federal Education and Professional Training Nadeem Mahbub, who is guiding a new era of proactive and responsive service delivery in special education, rehabilitation and vocational training with knowledge sharing as a core pillar.
Participants explored collaboration on teacher training and capacity building for autism service delivery, development of tailored modules for autism education and rehabilitation, and the design of technically sound, inclusive infrastructure guided by internationally recognised standards. The conversation emphasised practical steps to prepare educators and facilities for a unified national model.
Dr. Irum Rizwan also highlighted progressive initiatives by the Government of Sindh and acknowledged the role of Tuaha Ahmed Farooqui, Secretary DEPD Sindh, for his contributions to resource mobilisation and expansion of services provincewide.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen interprovincial collaboration and to lay the groundwork for a state of the art autism service model in Islamabad that reflects innovation, inclusivity and national synergy in special education.
