Friday, Mar 23, 2012
Gulf News
Dubai The head of the UAE Down’s Syndrome Association has called for the ‘inclusion’ of children with the syndrome into regular schools.
“These children do not belong in schools for children with disabilities,” said Sonia Al Hashemi, Chairperson of the Dubai-based organisation.
She was speaking to Gulf News at an event in Dubai Mall on Wednesday to mark the World Down’s Syndrome Day which takes place on March 21 every year. The date represents the three copies of chromosome 21, which is unique to people with Down’s Syndrome.
The chairperson said the event was to make people aware of the syndrome and that these children also have rights, including a right to education and the need for inclusion in their society.
Sonia said she agreed that there were not enough schools for children in the UAE with Down’s Syndrome. “There should be a separate curriculum for these children in the schools,” she said.
At the event, children were treated to free face-painting and were given gifts and balloons with a palm printed on them.
Among the children at the event was Malik Sirhan, a 13-year-old Jordanian.
His mother Weedat said her child was “special’ and his sister said she was proud of him. They both however, said more needs to be done for these children as sending them to school was very expensive. “Double the cost of a regular school,” said Malik’s sister.
An Emirati teacher at the Ajman Rehabilitation Centre said there were not enough schools in the emirates to take in such children. “We do not have enough professional staff,” she said.
The Dubai-based Down’s Syndrome Association looks after 127 children, offering them speech therapy and other services, said Sonia.
The event in the UAE got a high-profile patron when Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has made a passionate appeal to members of the public through his Twitter account to join in the activities.
According to the US-based National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the chance of having a baby with Down’s syndrome increases as a woman gets older. About one in 800 babies are born with Down’s Syndrome globally.
By Mahmood Saberi?Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
