Special needs students return from US
Three spent a year away from home
Abu Dhabi: Having spent a year studying away from home, at a leading institution for the hearing-impaired, three special needs students from the UAE have returned to Abu Dhabi.
Sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care (ZHO), the students were provided with the opportunity to study at the American School for the Deaf (ASD), located in Connecticut in the United States. They participated in a foundation course, meant to help their transfer to higher education, and involved them in learning sign language in English, as well as teaching them science and math skills.
"Adec's 10-Year Strategic Plan highlights the importance of providing all students with access to individual learning programmes, especially those with special education needs. We are proud of our students, their accomplishments and their perseverance throughout this past year as they have been studying abroad," Mona Majid, Division Manager of the Guidance and Scholarship Division at ADEC, said.
"We have partnered with the American School for the Deaf because of their holistic communication philosophy which supports diverse communication styles and caters to the needs of individual students. The school administration has been supportive and understanding about the specific needs of our students," she added.
Sector Head of Special Needs of ZHO, Mariam Saif Al Qubaisi, said sponsorship programmes provide special needs students with the best chances possible.
"The partnership between ZHO and ADEC will ensure that our children with special needs have access to the facilities and resources to provide them with the best opportunities in relation to education, training and jobs," she added.
