Schools need to be on the frontline to empower autistic populations: Sabeen Bilal, Founder KKH

Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan’s march towards autism inclusivity needs to be powered through the education sector, as was concluded by Kreative Kinder Haus’s conference ‘Breaking Barriers: Inclusive Education for Autistic Learners’ held on account of World Autism Awareness Day 2026.

Kreative Kinder Haus, a school dedicated to facilitating and educating autistic learners, marked World Autism Awareness Day in Pakistan with a renewed commitment to advancing the cause of empowering autistic children and teenagers with the necessary therapies, skills, and training that can help them overcome any physical, behavioral, or cognitive challenges in a society that frequently overlooks its neurodivergent population.

We work with children who are all gifted in their own capacities, and are proud of the young, talented individuals they continue to become, which is testament to our team’s and community’s hard work and belief in this cause, said Sabeen Bilal, Founder of Kreative Kinder Haus, stated during her address. Unfortunately, Pakistan lacks a formal database regarding its neurodivergent population, and with most numbers being mere extrapolations, there is no clue as to how many autistic individuals currently exist in the country, where they lie on the spectrum, or what interventions are being used to make their lives better, she added.

Autism, in itself, is a pretty misunderstood term. While some individuals only have the mildest tendencies that go unnoticed but belong to the ASD spectrum, only those with a higher level of neurodivergence stand out from the masses, making it challenging for the masses to realize how common and expansive the ASD spectrum actually is, said Rida I Zainab, Director Operations at KKH.

ASD has not been on the public radar for a very long period of time, but organizations like KKH are working tirelessly to bring awareness, acceptance, inclusivity, and empowerment to the autistic community by providing creative therapies and treatments, eradicating stigmas, and offering life opportunities to those who are diagnosed on the spectrum.

With a staff of seventy trained professionals and more than 200 students under its care, Kreative Kinder Haus has been offering a variety of educational programs and therapies, dedicated to different age groups ranging from toddlerhood till adolescence and beyond, since 2017.