Dubai parents learn how to help their children with special needs

Fatima Al Matroosh is one of 53 parents to graduate from the 12-week behavioral programme.

Ta’alouf parent training graduate, Fatima Al Matrooshi, and her daughter Aisha Al Shamsi, 7, after Al Jalila Foundation’s graduation ceremony in Dubai. Mrs Al Matrooshi has a son who is autustic. SaraShow more

Dubai // When her autistic son repeatedly banged his head against the wall, screaming and crying, Fatima Al Matrooshi just could not understand why.

So when the opportunity came up to sign up for the Al Jalila Foundation’s Ta’alouf programme for parents of children with special needs, she was among the first to enrol.

On Monday, Mrs Al Matrooshi became one of 53 parents to graduate from the 12-week behavioural training programme. The inaugural graduates were recognised at a ceremony held at the Mohammed bin Rashid Academic Medical Centre.

“It has opened our eyes,” Mrs Al Matrooshi said of Ta’alouf.

Since participating in the course, Mrs Al Matrooshi said she learnt to be more observant of her 14-year-old son and pay closer attention to the environmental factors that may precipitate an outburst. She now keeps an eye out for potential triggers that could set him off.

“I learnt more about behaviour,” said Mrs Al Matrooshi, of Dubai. “The child, sometimes you don’t understand him and you don’t know why he is crying, why he is banging his head, why he is screaming. You have to look. They call it A, B, C. The B is the behaviour, good or bad. A is before the behaviour, what happened? Maybe the weather was hot, maybe the boy wanted something but nobody listened to him, he was ignored.

“This way you have to see the action of the child and see what was before. This is what we learn. And after that, if I did not change the behaviour or I did not give him what he wants, I see what will happen next. If he is more agitated.

“I have to try lots of things until I know what is he thinking. Then after that, before the behaviours, I know the signs.”

The programme has helped bring her closer to her son, Rashid.

“Now I observe him more, try to play with him more than before. I feel more comfortable with my son,” she said. “If you want your son to behave well, if you want your son to feel more relaxed, attend this class.”

The second course, set to begin next month, will have room for 100 students, twice the number of parents in the first session. Classes will be offered in English and Arabic every Saturday from 9am to 3pm.

The programme is funded by the Al Jalila Foundation and is free. However, all parents must first pass an entrance interview.

“It’s very important that these parents, first of all, know how they can raise their own children, how they can build their self esteem, how they can build their self confidence,” said Dr Abdulkareem Al Olama, the chief executive of Al Jalila Foundation.

“If you are able to change the way they think, then these children, instead of becoming disabled, will be productive members of society.”

Ta’alouf means harmony in Arabic, and Dr Al Olama said: “We wanted the whole community to live in harmony with that child. We wanted people to take the child away from the disabilities books and look to him as a normal person who has the strength and has abilities that he can live with.”

Fatima Nasser, 33, who graduated from the course along with her husband, Hatim Moyad, 36, said the lessons they learned extended to their own relationship. Their six-year-old daughter Moza Hatim is autistic.

“Before, if Moza needed something, I’d say no but he would do it for her. He would not follow my decision. But, now we discuss things,” said Mrs Nasser, of Sharjah.

The course has also helped them become more organised in trying to anticipate their daughter’s needs, and it introduced them to community and government resources they never knew existed.

“I am happy in this programme and I want other parents also to comes, to learn more. Because this will change our life,” said Mrs Nasser.