The Dubai Community Development Authority (CDA) reported that the number of cases currently registered at the Dubai Center for the Development of Child Development, which deals with early intervention for the treatment of children of concern, amounts to 48 cases, of which 50% are mental disabilities and 4 cases are evaluated and diagnosed monthly Before the center, and transferred to one of the treatment centers accredited by the Commission.
"There is no waiting list for the cases of children to be treated," said Dr. Hussein Al-Christ, a development and social welfare expert at the Dubai Community Development Authority. "The Commission follows a method of dealing with cases that ensures that treatment is initiated without delay, If the center does not have the possibility to receive them because of the lack of time for the therapists. "
Consulting Service
He added that the center is studying these cases through its counseling and evaluation service, which in turn prepares a diagnostic report on the situation and turns it into the appropriate center for treatment according to the type of disability and its family status and considering all the factors surrounding its conditions of life.
He added that the center's philosophy is based on an early intervention system from a social perspective that is part of a larger system that is responsible for it. It consists of different elements that include the family, the environment, the neighborhood, the region, the school, and all the components that constitute the larger society in which the child is a small part.
Hussain referred to a set of pillars that constitute the strategy adopted by the center in treating children, which includes the need to treat it in its natural environment, in the sense that the child is evaluated and intervened to treat him in his place and his family and social environment, rather than bringing him to the center. For example, a child needs to be trained to climb the stairs, so he is trained to climb the stairs in his house and not on the stairs inside the center.
Family participation
He stressed that among the pillars of family participation in the development of treatment plan, and identify priorities and objectives in that plan from its point of view, as well as family education strategies to deal with the child, and ensure their commitment to implement those strategies.
He pointed out that the provision of treatment programs for children depends on the degree of awareness and responsiveness of the family, and the extent of interaction with the team of therapists in the implementation of treatment programs, so that the family part of the therapeutic process from the first moment.
He pointed out that treatment in the child's natural environment does not mean pressure on the family, which does not allow the circumstances of the home team at home, adding that in that case the child undergo treatment sessions at the center, but at any opportunity available to the team to be found in the natural environment of the child, At home, at sea, in the garden, at school, or anywhere else.
The processor team
Hussain referred to what is known as the "transient specialties" applied by the treating team in dealing with cases, through which all the treatment services provided to the child through different disciplines are integrated into one package, provided by one processor trained to provide these services, Of four therapists to provide treatment three or four times a week to the family home.
For example, if a child needs physical therapy, behavioral adjustment therapy and a third specialty, a team from a group of specialties would have to go home three or four times a week, which is a burden on the family, and some households may not Therefore, the technique of "transient specialties" is based on the identification of a master processor for the child, and is treated in other specialties, after being trained by specialists. He added that one of the pillars of the Center's philosophy is that the treatment sessions and the application of its techniques should be transformed into a lifestyle and a daily routine in which the child lives in all the details of his life activities so that he will not miss any educational and training opportunity.
He stressed that the child must be in continuous and uninterrupted treatment, leaving the center or the end of treatment session at home.
Family duties
"It is important not to ask for tasks from the family that do not have the capacity to implement them, in the sense of not increasing the psychological and physical burden on the mother, for example," said Rameem Ahmed Obeidat, By asking them to teach the child the skill of counting in a certain session.
She added that it is best to direct them to learning to count during the normal routine of life, so that it helps to free time to deal with programmed behaviors, but applied through the skills of daily life.
Treatment plan
"Any child in the center is treated according to a plan, which has been developed and defined according to information about his condition, which was collected during two major evaluation sessions," said Abdul Moneim Daoud, a senior physical therapist at Dubai Child Development Center. Center and second at home, in addition to data contained in other diagnostic reports approved by the competent authorities ».
He pointed to the training and education of the children of the child starting with parents and grandparents, as well as brothers, including the younger brother, each according to his role, and in relation to the child, and according to age and capacity, adding that the training is also assisted at home, even if their role is limited to feeding the child only.
The performance of each member of the family is assessed to measure their learning and commitment to the application of the treatment techniques they have been trained in. In each session they are asked about the difficulties encountered in implementing treatment strategies.