Pioneering UK child development programme brought to UAE

Hours in front of the television, tablet or smartphone are contributing to developmental delays, psychologiest have warned, as a UK development programme looks to get started in the UAE.

DUBAI // Modern technology and changes to the way we communicate with toddlers are limiting the development of some children, psychologists say.

Up to the age of five, children are at their optimum age to develop movement, communication and language skills that often determine school success.

But hours in front of the television, tablet or smartphone are contributing to developmental delays, experts said.

A programme piloted in the UK is being introduced to the UAE to help accelerate learning.

Education psychologist Dr Madeleine Portwood said the average improvement in the early years, six-month programme produced a 14-month leap forward in movement skills, personal, social and communication skills.

The Child Development Programme is now being taken up by education trainers Ebdaah in Dubai, who hope to get 10 schools to join a pilot project.

“Rather than fix problems that may arise as children get older, this deals with issues before they get to school,” Dr Portwood said.

Ebdaah’s director of education and training, Andrew Westerman, said staff and parents can be trained to spot developmental problems early.

“Stigma around child psychology is an issue here but the tide is turning. More people are beginning to question the level of their child’s development; that is healthy. We would like to see this grow into a culture for all schools.”