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Special Needs Education in the UAE

Special Needs Education in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, UAE - guide and information for children and adults with Autism, ADD, Downs Syndrome, and other mental and physical disabilities and handicaps.

UAE Ministry of Education guidelines for Special Needs in the UAE - 21 May 2010

The UAE Ministry of Education released a "School For All" or "General Rules for the Provision of Special Education Programmes and Services" guide book on 20 May 2010 in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Social Affairs, with information and rules about special needs (SN) education in the UAE.

• UAE Federal Law 29 of 2006 says that no school in the UAE can refuse admission to a child deemed as having learning difficulties or special needs (SN), and schools are expected to provide for these children from Kindergarten to Grade 9.
• Director of Special Education at the MOE is Noura Ibrahim Al Marri.
• All teachers and therapists working with special needs students in the UAE must have a university degree recognised by the UAE MOHESR, and a teaching permit issued by the UAE Ministry of Education (MOE). This includes hearing impairment specialists, intellectual impairment specialists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, specialists for the gifted and talented, speech and language therapists.
• Assistant teachers require a diploma or secondary school certificate specialising in working with students with special education needs, and a teaching permit from the MOE.
• Students and special needs programs need the approval of the MOE, and a Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team will evaluate students and programs.
• Schools make modifications to accommodate children with disabilities, and school principals have to promote their inclusion.
• SN students should be in classes with same-age children and schools must not hold back or fail students with special needs.
• Schools can charge extra fees to parents for any special education services after receiving approval by the MOE, up to a maximum of normal school fees plus 50%.
• Implementation of the rules in UAE private schools is expected to take place during 2010-2011.
• About 400 special needs students are integrated in mainstream UAE schools.
• The UAE MOE plans to spend AED 10 million converting another 18 public (government) schools to facilitate special needs education. The MOE has already converted 10 schools, and plans to improve 110 schools by 2013.

Last update Saturday 22-May-2010. Page development 1H 2T 3D 4L 5C.

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