Identifying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children’s early years significantly impacts their academic performance and future life. It allows them to receive special support services and the required early intervention. Preschool teachers spend considerable time with their students, which allows them to observe their behaviors in different settings like classrooms and playgrounds. However, teachers need to be knowledgeable of ASD early assessment to detect them. Whereas, all well-known ASD assessment tools are designed for populations from different cultures than the Gulf Cooperation Councils' (GCC) culture. This study emphasizes the importance of preschool age, from 3 to 5, in indicating children's early signs of ASD. This paper aims to indicate the early signs of ASD in preschool children in the UAE as a model for other GCC countries. A qualitative method consisting of interviews with preschool teachers and the ASD children’s parents was conducted to investigate the ASD early symptoms in children. The findings of the study show that there is a direct connection between the opinions expressed by preschool teachers and the parents of children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). These results also highlight the presence of early indications of ASD among preschool-aged children in the United Arab Emirates, such as difficulties in communication, repetitive actions, delayed speech, excessive focus on tablets, trouble paying attention, hyperactivity, sleep problems, and aggressive behavior. The outcomes suggest a strong connection between the feedback from preschool teachers and the parents of children with ASD. The study uncovers initial indications of ASD in preschool-aged children from the United Arab Emirates, such as difficulties in communication, repetitive actions, delayed speech, excessive fascination with tablets, problems with attention, hyperactivity, sleep disturbances, and aggressive behavior.

Children face different potential problems during their development that may concern their parents. The parents usually want to emphasize whether their child is growing normally. An early childhood assessment can help indicate the child's strengths and weaknesses, which helps to answer parents in indicating their child's development. This early assessment is significant in determining the child's need for support and early intervention at an early age. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) shows a high record prevalence in GCC countries ranging from 1.4 to 29 per 10,000 persons, representing a significant health concern. This chapter aims to provide an overview of autism states in the GCC Arab region, focusing on ASD cases, the barriers to early diagnosis, and the screening instruments.

The original online version of this article was revised. Coauthor name "Maria Efstratopoulou" must be added after the first author.

This critical integrative review examines structural and institutional constraints on paternal involvement in early childhood education (ECE), drawing on literature published between 2016 and 2026, identified through database, citation, and official-source searches, and on earlier foundational sources. Structural withdrawal is used as an analytical term for recurrent restrictions on, or uneven allocation of, fathers’ engagement, accessibility, and responsibility; it does not imply a measured decline over time. Ecological systems, social role, and work–family perspectives are used to interpret relationships among employment conditions, school practices, household care arrangements, and caregiving expectations. International findings are distinguished from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) evidence. The synthesis identifies five themes: working time and leave, the gendered division of care, cultural constructions of fatherhood, school communication practices, and Gulf household and residence arrangements. UAE workplace studies describe both organizational support and practical constraints, while Emirati shared-reading reports document educational engagement among participating fathers; together, these findings qualify assumptions of uniform flexibility, stigma, or disengagement. Paid domestic care is treated as one household configuration whose implications depend on task allocation and family resources. The resulting UAE-focused ecological framework proposes three pathways, through usable caregiving time, access to educational information, and the allocation of recurring responsibility, each conditioned by citizenship, residence, occupation, and household resources. Policy implications prioritize access to existing leave and workplace support and locally evaluated school measures. The evidence does not establish national prevalence or causal effects.