DUBAI // The mother of an eight-year-old boy with speech problems says schools in Dubai fail to help pupils with special needs.
The mother says the boy's current school threatened to ask him to leave and insists the family pay for a shadow teacher to help him.
MORE ON DISABILITY
Special needs centre helps young gain independence A special needs centre in Umm Suqeim 3 cares for children with disabilities all year round. Read article
School buses for special needs children in short supply The UAE has only 50 vehicles that can accommodate children with special needs, and each of those has just four such seats. Read article
Expatriates frustrated by the lack of special needs options When it comes to getting an education, expatriate parents face a dearth of options for their special needs children. Read article
The family's difficulties began when another school refused to admit their son after an assessment showed he had severe emotional and social difficulties. His speech problems only became apparent as he was about to join his current school.
He started to receive speech therapy but the parents say the clinic to which they took him was poorly run.
"Our son started going to a new speech therapist who saw him for nearly a year and followed the initial speech evaluation in terms of goals set," the mother says.
"However, I didn't see any major changes except that now he was stammering along with having poor vocabulary and expression."
* Colin Simpson
