Vice president for scientific affairs of the international organization Autism Speaks Andy Shih will pay a visit to Moldova, at the invitation of First Lady Margareta Timofti, to assess the situation of the children with autism and to set the priorities of a training program for parents and carers and for medical personnel with a view to improving the quality of life and the social inclusion of persons with developmental and behavioral disorders, IPN reports.

Margareta Timofti had a meeting with representatives of Autism Speaks within the International Meeting for Autism Research that was held in New York on September 25. In the meeting it was agreed that joint projects for the benefit of autistic children and their families will be implemented in Moldova.

Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior typical usually of children under three. According to the World Health Organization, the number of autistic children worldwide is on the rise. The Ministry of Health of Moldova said that 180 children with autism were recorded in the country in 2013. Of them, 147 were from Chisinau.