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Parental training was essential in ensuring the needs of autistic children were met during the pandemic, say heads of special needs centres in the UAE
Special needs education emphasises the presence and implementation of a structured routine and proximity to mentor figures to ensure its success. However, the pandemic lockdown created obstacles that almost threw this process off track. Special needs institutions have since been exploring means to circumvent the gap and reach out to children and parents.
As one of the most established brands in providing support to autistic children, The Doris Duan-Young Autism Center has been reaching out to parents in this hour of need, says the brand’s Clinical Director, Inas Ktaech.
Centre focuses on a training initiative called the Family Take the Lead Programme Alia El Naggar, Founder and Clinical Director, Swedish Specialised Centre for Special Needs Image Credit: Supplied
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In conversation with Alia El Naggar, Founder and Clinical Director, Swedish Specialised Centre for Special Needs
How important is early diagnosis? What are the special therapies or programmes that the centre offers for autistic children?
Early diagnosis is key to successful intervention. It can lessen the severity of the symptoms as the younger the child is, the better he/she will learn. If we diagnose early, we start intervention early and then we have better progress. It’s also easier for parents and caregivers to manage the challenging behaviours of kids when they are younger. We offer Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy (OT) on one-to-one basis. We also offer continuous awareness