UAE

New centre for the autistic opens in Dubai

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Opened by founder and best-selling author Doris Duan-Young, the centre has been set up to provide early intervention, speech and behavioural therapy, and vocational training for adults and children with autism.

Doris Duan-Young Autism Centre, a million-dollar plus facility that can accommodate up to 100 adults and children opened its door at the Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) on Wednesday.

With this opening, Doris Duan-Young, a sister company to Behavioural Support Services, launched its first facility in the region.

Opened by founder and best-selling author Doris Duan-Young, the centre has been set up to provide early intervention, speech and behavioural therapy, and vocational training for adults and children with autism.

Having successfully helped over 25,000 families to cope with autism through her centre in Orlando in the United States, Duan-Young researched facilities for developmental disabilities in the Middle East and found the region was in need of such a centre.

The centre provides sensory rooms, theatre for imaginative play, a quiet room and space for group and single therapy accommodating up to 100 adults and children. “We strive to lessen the challenges of autism and developmental disabilities and developmental delays. We tailor our services to provide an enriched environment complete with educational, cultural and recreational activities that promote growth, independence and social interaction,” she said.

DHCC is also supporting United Nations’ World Autism Awareness Day that fell on April 2 and Autism Awareness Month in April.

According to the Child Early Intervention Medical Centre (CEIMC), also based in DHCC, 70 per cent of its students (90 in total) are partially or fully in mainstream schools and nurseries. Of the 70 per cent, 50 are in mainstream schools and 20 in nurseries and learning centres. The CEIMC provides behavioural therapy, social therapy, communication and academics to support inclusion of children with developmental delays in mainstream schools and nurseries. It accepts children as young as 18 months.

Dr Hibah Shata, Managing Director of CEIMC said: “Inclusive education is about the child’s right to participate and the school’s duty to accept the child. We believe inclusion is not about the use of special schools or classrooms to separate students with disabilities from students without disabilities.”

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