Ministry holds sign language basic course for children
The Ministry of Community Development (MOCD) organised a sign language basic course for children between 4-12 years old, in which more than 60 boys and girls from all over the emirates participated in a gesture aimed at teaching children the basics of sign language and communication techniques with the hearing disabilities categories.
The course was characterised by the interaction of young children who showed a remarkable enthusiasm to learn their names and some daily sentences in sign language, as part of the education and awareness courses for all the community
The training course included entertainment and awareness activities that stimulate the positive spirit of younger generations and consolidate the empowerment of the people of determination
members especially parents, children and school students during summer time to participate in such interactivities.
Held at the ministry’s premises in Dubai, the training course included entertainment and awareness activities that stimulate the positive spirit of younger generations in the presence of their parents to achieve community integration and consolidate the empowerment of the people of determination as part of the national policy for empowerment the people of determination, and at the same time enhance awareness programmes and sustainable development in supporting integration and empowerment efforts.
The “Sign Language Basics” Course for children, was presented by Abeer Al Shehhi, Sign Language Expert in the Ministry and Ayman Al Maqbali, a people of determination member from the “hearing disability category”, who gave an introduction to children and their parents about sign symbols that can be successfully used when communicating with the hearing disability categories. The course also included a series of drawing and colouring activities and the distribution of the magazine “Be My Friend” to all the participating children.
Recently, the Ministry of Community Development, MOCD, organised an awareness training programme in Umm Al Qaiwain Autism Centre as part of its activities in the Autism Awareness Month (April 2019).
Targeting social specialists and psychiatrists in the People of Determination centres, the training programme focused on the role of the brothers and sisters of autistic children to increase the skills of their siblings and psychological and social effects of having an autistic child in the family.
Wafa Hamad Bin Sulaiman, Director of Welfare and Rehabilitation Department for People of Determination at the Ministry, stated that the role of the family towards autistic children is not limited to parents only but must include all family members especially brothers and sisters of the same age group who share many interests and activities.
She added that the role of social specialists and psychiatrists in the People of Determination centres will enable families to actively participate in their siblings lives, eliminate any negative impact, and increase interaction with autistic children through awareness, training, and entertainment programmes.
The Ministry provides rehabilitation services for people with autism disorders in Umm Al Quwain Autism Centre to serve the emirates of Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, and Sharjah and autism sections in Dubai, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah.
Hessa Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, MOCD, said that World Autism Awareness Day 2018, WAAD, represents an excellent opportunity for all the public federal and local bodies and private entities working in this area to integrate their efforts with the ultimate objective of providing beter services for people with autism, particularly women and girls.
“We need to pay more atention to women and girls who have autism because of the peculiar social and cultural circumstances in which they are living,” Buhumaid said.
The Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, is observing the WAAD this year with the theme, “Empowering Women and Girls with Autism” to focus on the importance of empowering women and girls with autism and involving them and their representative organisations in policy and decision making to address these challenges within the context of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD.
The minister also called for “improving the practices in place for integrating this social segment in the community and their surrounding environment through training, rehabilitation and other social activities aimed at improving their prospects.”
MOCD, out of its keenness on providing its services to all those who need it, has so far issued around 17,000 social support cards for people with determination across the country, 1,942 of which are for people with autism disorder, 375 of whom are women and girls, she said. “Although the number of women and girls with autism is relatively less than men and boys, we make sure to provide services that cater for the needs of both of them through our healthcare and rehabilitation facilities and early intervention centres for people with determination located across the Emirates,” the Minister explained.