Kids with special needs have no place to go

Scores of children with special needs are staring at a bleak future as educational and training opportunities are drying up in Abu Dhabi.

15-year-old Sanyukta is one among them. The Special Care Centre, Abu Dhabi that she was attending since she was three, shut down last week.

"It was shocking to receive a letter from school stating the centre will permanently close due to certain difficulties. It is really unfortunate to hear this bad news," KSN Gupta, father of the autistic child told Khaleej Times.

"As a parent, I was very happy when Special Care Centre arranged a special tour last year for parents to show the new school premises and appraised facilities."

Gupta said that all parents were eagerly waiting for school shifting. "The closure of this school may shut the doors of education for many students as there are not enough schools in Abu Dhabi to accommodate children with special abilities," added Gupta, who is working as an engineering section leader at ADMA-OPCO.

"The Special Care Centre in Al Dhafrah was closed due to financial struggles," Mohammed Al Fahim, chairman of the centre's board told Khaleej Times.

Al Fahim said that at the time of closing, the Special Care Centre had 56 students and 100 students on the waiting list, adding that since 2008 the centre has been working towards moving into a purpose-built building in Al Bahia to cater to 400 individuals with disabilities.

The centre in Al Bahia, was funded through the 'Donate A Brick Campaign. "Currently the new premises in Al Bahia has been built. The Special Care Centre needs funds to pay-off the last contractor fees."

"It's a very sad decision to close our doors, but we are currently working with the families and other schools to see how they can take the current students that we have."

Parents, who are currently left hanging in the air, say they don't have other options. "We don't know when the new centre will open. We are looking for other schools, but there is hardly any in Abu Dhabi," said Gupta.

Many parents complain that finding an affordable special needs school in Abu Dhabi is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Shehnaaz, the mother of a 14-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome said her daughter has never made it to a special needs school. "I have knocked on every door possible. But no one was willing to accept my daughter because she is hyper-active and need constant attention," said Shehnaaz, "Many parents are on a dead end. They are left with no choice but to keep their children with special needs at home. They are deprived of educational opportunities."

And there is no hope for parents as other centres are also facing financial struggles to keep their doors open in Abu Dhabi. Taleem Centre for Training and Skills Development, which has helped more than 1000 youngsters who were turned away from schools, needs almost Dh1 million to keep its facility running.

Emirates Gulf Autism Center was also shut down this year, leaving approximately 15 centres to cater to individuals with disabilities in the Capital, including Ability Center and the Zayed Higher Organisation.

A majority of the special care schools, run on charity models, are currently full or have long waiting lists. It is estimated that 10 per cent of pupils suffer from learning difficulties.

Source: Khaleej Times