Meet Dubai mother who embarked on a 'special mission'

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Raising a special needs child is not easy for any parent. It requires a lot of courage to train differently-abled children face the difficulties of life with a smile.

When Safia Bari, Director at Karama-based Special Needs Future Development Centre (SNFDC), who has been living in Dubai for 35 years realised that her first daughter is differently-abled, she initiated a mission from her home.

Bari said: "I used to invite parents who couldn't send their special needs children to school to my home with their bags and tiffin boxes. I also started doing home visits with my friend for voluntary work and organised free summer camps, arranged picnics, movie watching and lots of fun activities for children.

Institutions for special needs children, adults

> Al Noor Centre for Children with Special needs

> Autism Trust Foundation Dubai

> Emirates English Speaking Centre

> Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre

> Downs Syndrome Dubai

> Dyslexia Dubai "In 2005-2006, I came to know that these children were asked to leave the special needs schools at a certain age. It was then, I thought of opening a centre where anyone above 14 years can come and learn. Getting a place was the toughest task then, as people were apprehensive about giving place for special needs children. They have even asked us to use the service lifts.

"Finally, I got the place and opened this centre in 2007 with one room to train special needs adults. Today we have 40 learners here and waiting list is 105. I cannot accommodate all here so planning to move to a bigger place."

Safia Bari moved into tears while sharing her journey from a mother to a director at SNF.

On special needs children studying in mainstream schools, Bari said: "It sounds nice but it should not be done till the whole environment is ready to accept the differently able child as they might end up feeling lonely and depressed. It's important to treat them with special love, care and support otherwise it can lead them to fall in depression also."

Real achievers

They might not be the best communicators but are truly real inspirations. They are achievers in their own 'special' way.

Meet Keenan, slow learner and the tallest in the centre, a hero for many special needs children studied at The Millennium School Dubai. He adores Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan and aspires to become an actor and loves playing cricket.

Amina Naeem was 17 when she joined SNF and because of her muscle issues she could barely walk. Now she is 23 and with help of therapists and training she can walk easily.

Fatima has a physical disorder, argenes disease, and she faces problem in walking but it doesn't stops her to run in the race to become a renowned writer. She wishes to write a book on 'Down Syndrome' in future.

Arnold is a slow learner too but loves painting and spending time at the gym in the centre.

Avantika Sharma, teacher at SNF believes colour changes their mood instantly and they express better with art and painting.

In her two years of experience at the centre, she has seen lot of improvements in them in terms of communicating, learning and participating.

Apart, from vocational trainings in arts, painting, computers and other skill sets centre also aims at taking them out of the secured environment and train them to cross the hurdles of life and become strong.

Meanwhile, Ritu Chaturvedi, Art Teacher at Rashid Centre for Disabled Children expressed the need for a 'Support Group' in Dubai for parents of special needs children as they go through lot of stress and challenges while raising them. According to her, one of the major concerns for these kids is getting job and placements.