ECA launches sessions for parents of autistic children
ZHO, ECA and ADEK came together to deliver this 2nd event of a new series
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), in partnership with the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO) and Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Special Education (MRC-NECC) launched a series of interactive knowledge sharing events and training sessions to support families and children with autism.
ZHO provided significant expertise and professionals experienced in autism to co-design a new parent training with on-site childcare provided. The event was delivered together with professionals from ECA, ADEK, MRC-NECC and over 30 community volunteers.
The interactive knowledge sharing event “Understanding Autism – the Family Journey” took place on May 1st and provided 78 parents, nannies and other family members with practical tips and information about autism and how to organize family life around it. Simultaneous translation from Arabic to English was provided to ensure everybody could participate in the session regardless of their preferred language.
At the end of last year an introductory session on “Understanding Autism” received highly positive feedback from parents and requests for events on additional topics. The collaborative event was co-organised by ECA, ZHO, ADEK and MRC-NECC who provided experts to develop the training and professionals for the on-site interactive workshops. In order to make the events as inclusive as possible, childcare was provided by trained professionals on-site.
Parents and other caregivers got a chance to speak to professionals on any questions or concerns related to autism and took home useful advice on how to incorporate some of the activities and behaviour discussed in the workshops in everyday life.
As part of the wider efforts to scale up parent training and capacity building in the community, the involved organisations are planning to develop additional training and knowledgesharing opportunities. Topics range from “The Unplanned Journey” to “Communication is Key” and “Managing the Unexpected”, and will be rolled out within the multi-partner, intersectoral effort to establish an Integrated Early Childhood Intervention System in Abu Dhabi.
There are also future plans to make the training series available online via parent websites and plaforms such as ECA’S Parent Portal to reach a wider audience of Abu Dhabi families who may not get a chance to atend the event series in-person.
This initiative is part of the Government’s efforts to improve the quality of life of Abu Dhabi’s children and families and provide the required services and training for families with young children. It is embedded in the Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination 2020-2024 and the ongoing development of an Integrated Early Childhood Intervention System in Abu Dhabi.
Recently, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) announced the start of their in-person Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Programme and the first Demo Day on 16 March, 2023, which will include start-up pitches, keynotes from thought leaders, and networking sessions.
The Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Programme is in Cohort 03 of the Anjal Z initiative and was launched on 16th January, 2023. Over the past weeks, the programme has offered virtual mentorship and localisation to six growthstage start-ups, eligible for funding, along with 14 early-stage start-ups. The aforementioned six start-ups met for the first time on Monday, 20th February, 2023, in Abu Dhabi for the in-person phase of the programme.
The ECA is an Abu Dhabi-based government entity supporting holistic early childhood development. The goal of Anjal Z is to support and empower global start-ups at their growth stage of development. The initiative helps disruptive businesses put their research to use and tackle early childhood development challenges across Abu Dhabi and the UAE through a partnerships-driven, customised, and experience-based fellowship programme.
Following the success of Cohorts 01 and 02, Cohort 03, in partnership with Techstars, offers mentorship and resources to help early childhood education entrepreneurs grow their businesses and localise their solutions to impact the children and families in Abu Dhabi positively.