Special Needs Dubai UAE

[shawarma]

Special Needs schools in the UAE

UAE special needs schools
Special needs Abu Dhabi
Special needs Dubai

Special Needs schools in Abu Dhabi (some information from ADCCI)

• Abu Dhabi Autism Center (ADAC*) (or ADCA?) - an older establishment than the NECC Abu Dhabi?
• Abu Dhabi Center For Language And Speech Disorders - tel +971-2-6656222, fax +971-2-6655226, PO Box 5962, email adc.speech1@gmail.com, Emiratis only?
• Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation & Care Center for People with Special Needs (ADRCCPSN*), tel +971-2-5824334, fax +971-2-5822366, PO Box 57150, Emiratis only?
• Abu Dhabi Special Needs Club (ADSNC*), tel +971-2-5827665, fax +971-2-5827664, PO Box 74997, Emiratis only?
• Al Khaleej Autism Center / Al Khaleej Center for Austim / Gulf Special Care Centre / The Special Care Center, tel +971-2-6652004, fax +971-2-6652005, PO Box 59815 (correct name not confirmed), Emiratis only?
• Blind Printing Press*, tel +971-2-5827715, fax +971-2-5827713, PO Box 35444 (one assumes this is not a school or educational facility)
• Emirates Autism Centre, tel +971-2-6427557, fax +971-2-6427558, PO Box 37497, email autism52@gmail.com, Emiratis only?
• Minors Affairs Care Abu Dhabi (MACAD*), tel +971-2-6459500, fax +971-2-6456326, PO Box 5853, Emiratis only?
• Prince Center Rehabilitation Of Speech, tel +971-2-6415533, fax +971-2-6415534, PO Box 51523, email pmc_uae@emirates.net.ae, web pcmc.ae (not available?)
• Stars Special Abilities, tel +971-2-4462049, fax +971-2-4462048, PO Box 127322
• The Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi? The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA has an autism treatment, education, and research center. Will that be extended to their new facility in Abu Dhabi being built in conjunction with Mubadala Healthcare (scheduled to open in 2011)?
• The Future Centre, Abu Dhabi
  The New England Center for Children (NECC) signed an agreement in June 2007 with the Health Authority Abu Dhabi to establish the New England Abu Dhabi autism school for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) children, Emiratis only?
• The Handicapped Abilities Development Centre, tel +971-2-6417996, fax +971-2-6417994, PO Box 109086, email a.d.centre@hotmail.com
• The Special Care Centre (SCC), Abu Dhabi - same as the Al Khaleej Autism Centre?
• Zayed Agricultural Rehabilitation Center for Special Needs*, tel +971-2-5835538, fax +971-2-5835358, PO Box 28806, Emiratis only?
• Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care, Special Needs & Minor Affairs (ZHOHCSNMA?) - tel +971-2-6441177, fax +971-2-6447771, email gsoffice@zayedhicare.ae, web zayedhicare.ae (in Arabic only), PO Box 35444, location Al Salam Street, behind Dubai Islamic Bank. Looks after institutes marked with an asterisk (*), and are all assumed to be for Emirati citizens only.

Special Needs schools in Al Ain

• Minors Affairs Care Al Ain*, tel +971-3-7629090, fax +971-3-7629091, PO Box 16224, Emiratis only?
• Al Ain Rehabilitation & Care Center for People with Special Needs*, tel +971-3-7820044, fax +971-3-7820086, PO Box 20113, Emiratis only?
• Al Ain Special Needs Club*, tel +971-3-7820990, fax +971-3-7810770, PO Box 1057, Emiratis only?
• Dar Zayed Comprehensive Welfare Al Ain*, tel +971-3-7679067, fax +971-3-7673072, PO Box 71805, Emiratis only?

Special Needs schools in Dubai

Al Noor Center for Children with Special Needs
Dubai Autism Center
Dubai Center for Special Needs - information
Emirates English Speaking Centre - part of Emirates English Speaking School but closed March 2009, half the special needs students moved to the Elite English School, the other half to other special needs schools in Dubai.

Special Needs schools in other Emirates

Sharjah Autism Centre

Special Needs schools in other towns in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

• Al Sila Rehabilitation & Care Center for People with Special Needs* - tel +971-3-8721873, fax +971-3-8721513, PO Box 76758, Emiratis only?
• Al Quoa Rehabilitation & Care Center for People with Special Needs* - tel +971-3-7356342, fax +971-3-7356995, PO Box 21755, Emiratis only?
• Giyathi Rehabilitation & Care Center for People with Special Needs (Gayathi / Ghayathi)*, tel +971-3-8741290, fax +971-3-8741268, PO Box 77715, Emiratis only?
• Zayed City Rehabilitation & Care Center for People with Special Needs*, tel +971-3-8846081, fax +971-3-8847473, PO Box 58407, Emiratis only?

Mainstream schools that might accept special needs students

Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi International Private School
Al Yasmina School - might accept special needs students?
Aldar Academies - they might be setting up dedicated special needs units
American International School in Abu Dhabi

Dubai
Horizon School - mainstreams SN children?

General information and help - special needs

Takamul - a special needs initiative, launched September 2006, to help integrate people with mental and physical disablilities into mainstream schools and society. Not clear if it is aimed at UAE nationals only or for all UAE residents.
uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/genesis_autism/ Yahoo discussion group for Genesis - a Dubai based support group for parents, family, teachers, etc of special needs children, especially autistic.
Gulf Autism Day is observed each year on 04 April.

Post last updated 15 January 2009

[shawarma]

There was a report in the Gulf News today (09 February 2008) with some information about special needs children in the UAE, and a couple of interesting statements about special needs children having the right to attend public (government) or private schools ...

By UAE law children with disability have equal rights and opportunities like any other normal child. Public and private schools here may not turn away a child on the basis of his or her disability.

So why is it that many or most private schools do not accept students with special needs?

There was another shorter article in the print edition of the Gulf News but it doesn't appear to be available online. It said there are more than 30 private and governmental centres for special needs people in the UAE. Here's a list of names mentioned in both articles:

• ABA Centre for Special Needs, Ras Al Khaimah
• Al Amal Kindergarten for the Deaf, Sharjah
• Al Amal School for the Deaf, Sharjah
• Al Noor Centre for Children with Special Needs in Dubai
• Autism Centre Sharjah
• Centre for Language and Speech Impaired, Abu Dhabi, both Arabic and English speaking students accepted?
• Dubai Autism Centre
• Dubai Centre for People with Special Needs, for children under 3 years old
• Fujairah Centre for People with Special Needs, also for children under 3 years old.
• Ras Al Khaimah Centre for People with Special Needs, also for children under 3 years old
• Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, Arabic speaking students only, school for mentally challenged children

If anyone has more information about any of the above list (tel number, website, fees, accepts Arabic and/or other nationalities, etc), please reply here, and I'll update the Dubai schools pages (has about 8 Special Needs institutes listed already - click on the "qualifications" column to sort them) for future reference. Thanks .

The most useful bits of information from the main article are:

Mentally challenged children of varying levels of disabilities who are between 3 years and 16 years can be enrolled in public or private Training Centre for Children with Special Needs. Such centres enrol children of all nationalities. At any of the special needs centres one must submit medical report and passport copy with valid visa.

The main centre in the country is the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services which is a school for the mentally challenged and it provides services to more than 2,000 children. The city takes care of its wards from birth till the age of 25 years, and follows a no-rejection policy. Pupils of all nationalities are accepted. Students must speak Arabic and undergo an evaluation process in order to determine the programmes needed for their rehabilitation. However, children with extreme cases of epilepsy are not allowed.

Al Noor Centre for Children with Special Needs in Dubai run under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Social Affairs also takes care of children with special needs. The centre helps special needs children from their early years to adulthood. In Abu Dhabi there is the Centre for Language and Speech Impaired which helps students overcome impairment in speech and use of language both in Arabic and English.

[faymshaw]

I have a child that has been diagnosed with ADHD and ODD and is currently on medication. I'm finding it very hard finding a school that he can fit into. All I get is complaints all the time from the teachers as they are not able to handle his hyperactivity or his lack of attention. The main problem stems from teachers in this country not being educated in such things so my child is always picked out as being the bad apple. I live in Ajman and need to know of a school that will be able to give him the attention and care that he needs as I feel he is losing out as he is a very intelligent child. I am from the UK but my husband is local so if there are only goverment schools that deal with this issue that is not a problem for me. Please if there is anywhere you could recommend I would be greatful as im tearing my hair out.

[shawarma]

Hi, sorry to hear you're not having much luck .

If you're husband is Emirati, maybe you could make use of the Takamul initiative. Sorry I don't know anymore than what I saw in their press release some time ago. Otherwise try either Al Noor Center or Dubai Center for Special Needs. Even if those institutes are not where you want to go, they may be able to suggest somewhere closer to you. See first couple of posts for links to contact details etc . You could also visit expatwoman.com and expatgossip.com - they are busy forums with lots of discussions about schools and children etc.

[7anoon]

hello shawarma (ooops i think i wrote ur name wrong...sry)
i read your post and i am really interested in this topic
i even registered in this forum when i read this topic
and the in formation i got from it is useful

but i would like to know.....do you have any idea about how much those children pay? whether they accept only locals or foreigners as well???
i hope i can contact u for further information if possible......
thanks

[shawarma]

Hello 7anoon and welcome to the Dubai forums .

Here's a list of Dubai special needs groups, schools and institutes, or schools that might accept special needs children. There's also a column which lists the fees (if available). I think most of the ones in that list accept expats / foreigners. All of them should accept Emiratis (I don't know of any school that doesn't ... and I assume they wouldn't be allowed to refuse entry to students because of nationality anyway). The schools that I'm fairly sure accept foreign students and seem to be well known include:

Al Noor Special Needs Center (moved to a new location in Al Barsha, I think last year)
British Institute for Learning Development - I don't know much about this one
Emirates English Speaking Center - might be mostly Indian students since I think the sister school runs an Indian curriculum. Update: EESS closed March 2009. Some students moved to The Elite English School.
SNF Special Needs Center - I don't know much about this one

[7anoon]

thank you shawarma

[Wahadneh]

I am a father of an autistic daughter (5years old)
I am looking for a center in Alain for my daughter but seems all are for UAE nationals

Any place where i can do therapy for my daughter