29 September - 1 October 2026
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The Arena, Riyadh | Saudi Arabia.
Samaira Hedna
Quality Director - Abdul Latif Al Fozan Autism Center
Samira Hedna, MSc, is a Director of Quality and International Accreditation with extensive experience in autism in School Psychology and is currently a doctoral researcher, with academic interests focused on quality assurance, inclusive education, and the development of integrated autism systems.
She has led large-scale institutional quality frameworks aligned with international accreditation standards, translating requirements into practical, sustainable operational models. Her work integrates accurate diagnosis, evidence-based education, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, and supportive learning environments within a unified quality governance framework.
Her professional practice is informed by international best-practice standards, including frameworks developed by the National Autistic Society (UK), with a focus on applying standards ethically and operationally to drive consistency, safeguarding, and sustainable outcomes in autism education.
Samira’s expertise spans quality leadership, individualized education planning, staff competency development, learning environment design, and data-driven monitoring of learner outcomes. She is particularly interested in advancing accreditation beyond compliance to achieve systemic excellence and long-term impact.
Speaker Sessions
GESS Talks Live
1525
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Building Integrated Support Systems for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within Inclusive Learning Environments
Session Summary:
This session presents an advanced case study on the transition from compliance to excellence in autism education through the systematic implementation of international autism and inclusive education standards. It explores how autism services can be aligned across the full continuum of support, including evidence-informed assessment and diagnosis, individualised educational and therapeutic programming, professional development, family partnership, and continuous progress monitoring using measurable quality indicators.
The session highlights the educational environment as a key structural and pedagogical driver of quality, examining how architectural design, spatial planning, TEACCH principles, furniture selection, and functional colour systems contribute to regulation, predictability, and effective learning for autistic learners. It also demonstrates how international environmental and quality requirements can be translated into operational systems that support sustainable, high-quality autism services.
This case study offers practical insights for education leaders, quality managers, and inclusion specialists seeking internationally aligned models for comprehensive autism support.
Speakers
Samaira Hedna
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Quality Director - Abdul Latif Al Fozan Autism Center
Categories
Special Education Needs (SEN)
Wellbeing and Mental Health
// GESS EDUCATION INSIGHTS
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