Dubai’s Al Noor Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities has extended its support to families by offering distance rehabilitation programmes during the current period of government mandated home learning.
With all schools closed in line with national efforts to ensure the safety of students in the UAE, Al Noor is utilising smart education technologies to ensure the continuity of classes, with the e-learning solutions allowing more than 200 students to carry out their studies from home.
As academic needs for students with disabilities are diverse, Al Noor conducts a yearly assessment to create an individualised education plan (IEP) to meet every student’s needs. Each student’s customised IEP covers various domains in the wider Al Noor curriculum and is designed for them to take steps towards independence and enhance their quality of life. With families self-isolating, Al Noor has created a distance rehabilitation programme that incorporates each student’s individual IEP and is tailored to their needs even while learning remotely.
The programme comprises hard copies of resources, including flashcards, worksheets, therapy programs and home task booklets, which are complemented by electronic resources, including digital presentations and worksheets, multi-subject video lessons and homework assignments on educational websites. Al Noor’s teachers and therapists are also conducting individual and group sessions on the online video platform Zoom.
Al Noor’s distance learning programme also provides advice and guidance for parents on how to use it effectively, with the Centre’s staff holding a dedicated training webinar for parents to optimise the remote learning scheme. In addition to the webinar, Al Noor also shared further resources for the parents, including online links, a list of IEP goal-matched apps to download, as well as video lessons and demonstrations of therapy and intervention techniques which guide parents on methodologies followed at the Centre.
Al Noor has also scheduled a wellness webinar hosted by the Centre’s senior clinical psychologist to provide much-needed emotional support and help guide parents during the stay at home period.
With Al Noor heavily reliant on goodwill support from corporate sponsors and benefactors to operate, the Centre currently provides education and development services to 200 students with physical and cognitive challenges such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Autism.
Al Noor is committed to supporting children of determination and their families, however the Centre needs the community’s help to sustain its services and continue supporting the development of its students. The Al Noor website – www.alnoorspneeds.ae – includes the latest news about the Centre, and information on how supporters can help keep Al Noor’s services going.
