Dubai to host 5th GCC Learning Disability Conference

Dubai, 16 October 2011: Dubai will host the 5th GCC Learning Disability Conference during 26-27 October 2011 under the banner "Social and emotional impact of learning disability across the lifespan." The conference, organized by Dubai-based Ishara Consultants, is being held at JW Marriott Hotel under the patronage of Mr. Humaid Al Quttami, UAE Minister of Education.

The 5th. GCC Conference on Learning disablity is designed to address issues relating to social and emotional cognition in children, adolescents and young adults.

The field of learning disability has been primarily dominated by research that examines instructional strategies to foster academic growth in children and young adults. For decades the focus has been on teaching reading, spelling, writing and mathematics - educators assumed that such an emphasis would enable the learning disabled individual to better integrate with his peers. More recently however the spotlight has shifted to examining the social and emotional world of children and young adults with learning disability.

Social cognition is the study of how people process social information, especially its encoding, storage, retrieval, and application to social situations. Children with learning disabilities have been shown to have lower social status and to be perceived negatively by their nondisabled peers as well as their teachers. Parents' reactions too have been examined, showing that they are often stressed by having a child with a disability. This research has been valuable in documenting certain aspects of the social environment of the child with learning problems, especially some of the roadblocks to their social acceptance, It is equally important to investigate the positive aspects of how children and young adults with learning disabilities perceive their social world - how do they develop positive friendships, and relate to family, friends and other adults. As they grow through their life span, how do they create their social support and is this any different from individuals without a learning disability? For parents and educators this is a critical question. Schools and families are increasingly faced with raising children and young adolescents to be better prepared for the real social world.

The focus of the conference is the growth of the regional community and educational and social trends that will affect every aspect of people's lives in the Gulf region. The event will feature keynote lectures and workshops by world renowned specialists, psychologists, educators and thought leaders. Their analyses and assessments of the current situation are expected to lead to concepts and reflections on vital social issues.

"This conference complements the continued success of Ishara Consultants in the organization of events related to the field of Special Education, with support from the competent authorities, particularly the Ministry of Education. It will address the psychological disorders and difficulties found in today's society," said Maalainaine Salama, Managing Director of Ishara Consultants.

"We are organizing the conference for the fifth consecutive time in pursuit of the opportunity for participants to interact with specialists, and conducting dialogues with them to harness the knowledge and current practices in this area," he said.

A number of techniques, procedures and training programmes designed to meet the learning styles and educational needs of those suffering from learning difficulties are expected to emerge out of the conference as experts in the fields of clinical psychology and neuroscience, government, research, education, companies and parents will discuss and explore ways to address the problems of children who suffered from chronic learning difficulties.

Among the international speakers who will join the event are:

Dr. Arlyn Roffman Ph.D., Developmental Psychology from Boston College, M.Ed. in Learning Disabilities from Lesley University, Professor of Special Education in Lesley University, 29 Everett St., Cambridge, USA. Arlyn will talk about different subjects such as The social and emotional impact of learning disabilities across the lifespan, Life issues as youth with LD move into adulthood, Social skills training for students with LD and Teaching self advocacy and practical skills.

Geet Oberoi, research scholar in effectiveness of remedial intervention in Learning Disabilities, one of the first of its kind research in India, Masters in Psychology, Post Graduate Diploma in Special Education, Founder Orkids Foundation, India. Geet will cover many topics such as The road less travelled, Looking at the bigger picture, Application of multiple intelligences in the classroom and Strategy training for reading comprehension deficits, metacognition and executive functioning deficits.

The conference will be attended by some 400 delegates including principals, administrators, counselors, social workers, teachers, parents, researchers, adult literacy educators, college educators, correctional specialists, curriculum specialists, learning disability specialists, reading specialists, staff developers, speech and language specialists, library and media specialists, technology coordinators, medical and mental health professionals, teachers of special education and general education, education policy advocates and college student support personnel, adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and parents of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Registration to participate in the conference is open via the website: www.isharaonline.com/ld

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For further information:
Mr. Sunny
Media Officer,
Ishara Consultants
Tel: +971 4 2955581
Fax: +971 4 2948486
Email: info@isharaonline.com