The right education is important
Rebecca Corley, who started All4DownSyndrome support group 14 years ago, said groups allow new parents of special needs to access the right kind of information, instead of the Internet that sometimes gives inaccurate answers that don’t match each case.
The group has helped connect families to right entities for help, hosted talks and conferences with world experts to keep families up to date and organised volunteering sporting events to hone children’s skills.
“We are there to tell families that having a special needs child isn’t the end of the world, it’s only a change in plans,” said Corley, whose group supported over 100 families across the years.
Corley, who has a teenage daughter with Down Syndrome, said the UAE has come a long way in providing more early intervention centres that did not exceed three centres back then. Today, 29 Down Syndrome students are integrated in mainstream schools, with two children reaching secondary level.
The challenge, she noted, isn’t only the gap between students but also the quality of supporting system. “Hiring a shadow teacher can cost up to Dh8,000 a month on top of school fees,” she said.
The advancement of early intervention has brought in well-qualified experts, which made rehabilitation centre overpriced. Corley added that insurance companies are reserved about giving services to special needs children, which adds a burden to families.
But with challenges facing families of special needs, Corley said UAE’s different facilities, like Mawaheb art studio, have been offering support, with many opportunities expected in the future across the country.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com