Qatar's hi-tech centre helps prepare children for the world
With its state-of-the-art services and backing from Qatar's ruling family, the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs in Doha is the envy of organisations that struggle to attract funding for children with disabilities.
Established under the authority of Sheikha Mozah bint Nassar Al-Missnad, the centre provides an impressive range of services for about 460 children with physical and intellectual disabilities in one of the wealthiest Gulf states.
At an annual cost of 221 million rials (HK$474 million), the centre's 550 staff operate two school units for children aged six to 16 with mild to severe disabilities, an early intervention unit for those aged three to six, an autism unit, a vocational training unit for students over 16 and a genetics research centre. The services are provided free for Qataris.
With a ratio of three teachers to five students, there is an emphasis on individualised care. Each child is given their own treatment plan and wheelchairs are specifically designed for each child.
The centre provides speech, music and art therapy, psychology, hydrotherapy, evaluation and diagnosis, and a family support centre.
There are six multi-sensory environment rooms with coloured lights, tubes of water and sound equipment that are used to help children learn to focus using their different senses. Another room, set up like a house, is used to help children learn everyday tasks.
The physiotherapy unit includes a hydrotherapy pool where water depth can be changed by remote control.
Fatima Sisan, head of occupational therapy, said all of the children who attended the centre received physical therapy, from students with autism to those with severe physical disabilities. Most students had occupational therapy once or twice a week.
Mrs Sisan said teaching the children how to play was an important part of the treatment process.
'We use all the toys. The kids think they are playing but actually we are helping them improve stability, fine motor skills and posture. They gain self-confidence, learn to trust other people, trust in us and in themselves,' she said.
There is much demand for the centre's services, with between 250 and 300 children on the waiting list. However, by next year the waiting list should be reduced to 70, deputy director Sameera Al-Qassimi said.
Children are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To help reach more children the centre has opened out-patient and evening services.
Mrs Qassimi said the challenge was finding more qualified staff to help expand its programmes. She said while there was still a stigma attached to disability in Qatar, there had been much improvement in recent years.
'If we compare what we have today to the situation five to 10 years ago, we can say that the social representation of children has really changed. Families are more aware of the problems now and more aware of the needs.
'Society is more and more accepting these children. In the past if we used to take those children out, everyone would stare at them.'
Now, she said, people were more likely to show affection to children with disabilities.
