As kids, we navigate through childhood with budding curiosity. We explore everything around us, meet different types of people and learn to interact with them socially. We experience different social interactions that help us develop our communication and interpersonal skills. However, this isn’t the case for all children, especially the ones who have neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

For children under the autism spectrum, their experiences are different. They may take time in building social skills that are necessary to form social bonds. While neurotypical children instinctively pick up social skills growing up, children with autism need assistance and proper guidance. 

The lack of social skills is a defining characteristic for individuals with autism...

Unlike popular belief, speech and language problems are not uncommon. In fact, according to the National, seven percent of children in the UAE are experiencing speech and language disorders. This is relatively higher than in the US and the UK where the figures only mount up to three percent in each country.

Fortunately, there are several ways of addressing this problem as well as ensuring that these children receive the best treatment possible. Learning centers across the country offer Speech and Language Therapy to help children in their development. Today, let us talk about speech and language treatment and how it can have a positive (and long term) impact on children. 

What is Speech and Language Therapy?

This therapy focuses mainly on addressing speech problems and helps to overcome c...

Living and working with a child with autism can be overwhelming. This is especially true for parents of ASD children. They carry the responsibility of understanding their kids and assist them to learn things and teach in ways they can learn best. Across different cities, there are several support groups for parents that empower not just each other but the whole autism community as well. 

This April, we celebrate the month of autism awareness, and part of our celebration is promoting acceptance and appreciation to all individuals who have autism – whether young or old. We also want to honor the great and resilient parents who have raised and are raising children with ASD – they truly are superheroes worthy of recognition and praise.

In this month’s special blog, we talk about the ways in w...

Children who have ASD, down syndrome or ADHD have the right to proper education just as much as their neurotypical peers. Although the education they get can be parallel to that of regular students, they need a specialized educational plan that’s tailored to their specific needs, strengths and ability to adapt to their surroundings. 

If you are a parent with a special needs child, you must be already aware of how important personalized education is. Given that each child with special conditions has different needs to be addressed, IEP or Individualized Educational Plans are necessary to help children achieve their full potential and fare best in real-world settings. 

Today, we will be discussing just how important IEPs are and how it benefits your child with special needs. 

What Is An...

Children are born with a natural curiosity for their surroundings. Their minds are busy the whole time. As they grow and navigate their childhood, their senses inspire their curiosity all the more. They become interested in new things and start to be highly inquisitive. They also tend to have a short attention span. They may be interested in one thing that catches their attention and move on to another more captivating object. Children are easily distracted and due to this, it becomes challenging for them to focus and concentrate on one thing. 

When you think of children with special needs, distractions for them are more distinct. Some kids may have high sensitivity to their surroundings while others find it extra challenging to maintain their focus and attention on one thing at a time...

Music can directly impact people, regardless of age. It can influence our mood and facilitate concentration and focus. It is also a great tool to improve productivity and creativity. Several studies have proven the effectiveness of music in enhancing our cognitive abilities. 

Listening therapy also known as APP or Audio-Psycho-Phonology is a systematic therapeutic program that utilizes music specifically curated for an individual. The music brings about positive improvements in an individual’s creativity, auditory processing, motor coordination, executive functioning, communication skills, social interaction, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. 

Let’s take a look at what to expect with listening therapy and its benefits for children with special needs...

Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a complex disorder related to brain development. Although people with ASD may have similar symptoms, they manifest in varying degrees of severity.

Children under ASD are unique in their own right. They have their own sets of strengths and challenges. In such cases, autism centers can assist parents in providing the appropriate treatment to alleviate their challenges and improve their quality of life. 

Although we have come a long way from raising awareness and acknowledging ASD, there are still hurdles to overcome and people to educate, especially in breaking the stigma surrounding children with ASD. Let’s take a look at some of the best practices to break the stigma against ASD one step at a time.

Encourage Discourse

An effective way to break the st...

Now that SEN or Special Educational Needs children are being integrated into mainstream schools, it is only imperative to consider the demand to have educators that specialize in teaching special needs children. Special needs educators play a crucial role in ensuring that SEN students receive a high quality of learning much like their neurotypical peers. 

Let’s examine the different ways how training SEN teachers is proving crucial in creating meaningful opportunities for SEN children to develop life skills and help them realize their full potential. 

1. Teaching Educators To Guide Students With Special Needs To Achieve Their Goals

Training is essential for professionals who want to become SEN educators...

Parents of children under the autism spectrum have one thing in common – it is their desire to provide the highest quality of life for their special children. There are several therapies available to alleviate the different challenges that both parents and children with ASD experience. 

Intensive therapy at the earliest stage of a child’s life (otherwise known as early intervention) has proved to be the most effective in enabling children with ASD to succeed in life. 

A large number of children with ASD receive substantial gains when undergoing Applied Behavioral Analysis or ABA Therapy. Dr. Ivar Lovaas, who pioneered ABA Therapy, once mentioned that 47 percent of ASD children who received intensive ABA therapy blended among their peers with ease...