Photography course for autism kids

dubai — Children at the Dubai Autism Centre will be learning photography skills to help express themselves as part of a new curriculum at the institution.

The Dubai Autism Centre (DAC) hope to use the photos taken by the children and exhibit them in various places — exhibitions, malls, airports, hotels and schools.

The centre has collaborated with electronic firm Nikon to implement photography into the children’s learning curriculum.

“Many children with autism are unable to express themselves the way the society expects them to nor do we always know how these children see the world around them. Expressing themselves through photography would be a whole new experience to them,” Dr Ajit Moorkoth, the autism programme head at DAC, told Khaleej

Times. “While all of them receive these sessions, those who show a special aptitude to photography will be given special coaching to take them to higher levels.”

Moorkoth added that DAC is developing a “holistic curriculum” for children with autism at the centre. And of the four domains in the curriculum, photography falls as a subdomain under Life and Living Skills.

“We have formulated easy steps for understanding the tech behind the equipment, and this will guide students to make them more familiar with the camera,” said Chitra Shergill, head of operations at Nikon Kids Photo Club. “The camera acts as a shield for them, standing between them and the world, making them more comfortable with expressing themselves.”

The camera acts as a shield for them, making them more comfortable with expressing themselves.” Chitra Shergill, head of operations, Nikon Kids Photo Club