SHARJAH - H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, attended on Saturday, the launch of the third edition of the Learning Difficulties Forum organised by the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties in partnership with the Sharjah Private Education Authority and the Sharjah Education Academy.
The ceremony began with the national anthem of the UAE, followed by a speech delivered by Dr. Hanadi Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties, who appreciated the support of the Ruler of Sharjah, his care and interest in the issues of people with learning difficulties, and his generous initiative to establish the centre specialised for this segment of the society, and his continuous support aimed at advocating, including and empowering people with learning difficulties.
Dr. Hanadi Al Suwaidi recounted her story with her son, who suffered from learning difficulties during his studies, the challenges he faced in school, and the methods she followed as a guardian of a child who suffers from difficulties in writing and hyperactivity, noting that he completed his studies until he later graduated from the military college with the rank of officer.
The Director of the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties explained that organising this forum reflects the Centre’s keenness to make the utmost efforts to support this segment of society by working to promote the adoption of the best international strategies and practices in supporting and empowering the category of people with learning difficulties, and launching initiatives and programmes aimed at developing institutional community awareness of this category, and providing modern systems and innovative ways to support people with learning difficulties and their families.
The Ruler of Sharjah and the audience watched a film about the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties and the most prominent achievements it has achieved, in addition to reviewing the innovative programmes and activities it provides and statistics for services and training for those specialised in learning and caring this segment of society, supporting educational institutions, training cadres working in the field of education, and raising awareness of learning difficulties and enabling distinguished people with learning difficulties to reach the highest levels of success.
During the event, two students affiliated with the centre presented their experience with the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties, shedding the light on the role of the programmes and events the centre provides in contributing to the development of their skills and abilities.
During the forum, Dr. Amal Ahmed Al Sayer, founder and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Kuwaiti Association for Learning Differences, thanked all those in charge of this forum and convey the experience she had with her son, “Hamad", who suffered from distraction, hyperactivity, and difficulty writing, and was subjected to rejection and expulsion from several schools due to the lack of specialists to adopt this condition, until the Kuwaiti Association for Learning Differences launched in 2007.
Dr. Amal Al Sayer explained that there is great connection between the Kuwaiti Society and the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties in work and specialisations, and the guardian’s encouragement of the need to overcome all challenges they face and encourage them to ask help and preserve and empower children, addressing the most prominent numbers and statistics as the global study records that there are between 10 and 20 percent of cases of learning difficulties in every school group, and most of them do not have the opportunity to be diagnosed and treated.
At the end of her speech, Dr. Amal Al Sayer urged governments and organisations to apply the recommendations of event on learning difficulties and submit them to decision-makers to serve those affected, in addition to inaugurating specialisations and academic programmes in various universities to have a generation of teachers capable of providing educational support and dealing with these cases, hoping to apply the Sharjah experience in organising training programmes and courses for teachers, praising the great support from the Ruler of Sharjah and his adoption of the file for developing learning difficulties.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah honoured the partners and supporters of the 3rd edition of Learning Difficulties Forum, taking souvenir photos with the members and employees of the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties, wishing them success in achieving the aspirations and goals that the Centre aims for.
On the sidelines of the forum, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi came to the platform of the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties, and listened to an explanation about some experiments that simulate the reality of people with learning difficulties, in addition to a presentation of the skills booklet, which aims to develop the skill of concentration and cognitive skills.
The 3rd edition of the Learning Difficulties Forum sheds light on hyperactivity and distraction by presenting the most prominent experiments, expertise and scientific research in this field, through 3 main topics: the educational, psychological and social topics, distributed over 9 dialogue sessions in which a number of elite speakers and specialists shared their expertise at the level of the UAE and the Arab world. The forum also aims to focus on the best diagnostic and evaluation practices for students with learning difficulties, activate the role of psychological consultation, highlight the role of the school in supporting them, activate family support programmes for them, and focus on modern ways in the programmes provided for this category.
The launch of the forum was attended by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Head of the Protocol and Hospitality Department; Dr. Muhadditha Al Hashemi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority; Salem Ali Al Muhairi, Chairman of the Sharjah Municipal Council; Ali Al Hosani; Director of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, and a number of speakers and specialists in the field of learning difficulties.