Abstract
The worldwide movement towards the adoption of inclusive education for all learners in regular mainstream schools is apparent, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is steadily heading towards such adoption. The government of the UAE clearly acknowledges the need to educate learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), also known locally as People of Determination (POD), and has made steady steps especially over the last decade to support inclusive education for such learners. This chapter offers an overview of the current status of educating learners with SEND in the UAE with a specific focus on recent transformations and innovations in inclusive education in the UAE. It then sheds light on three of several initiatives that are considered innovative and “turning points” in the pursuit of effective inclusive education in the UAE. The chapter explores the excitement, the anxiety and the associated challenges that accompany change when reforming education systems, especially when adopting a natural but bold move like inclusive education in a fast developing country.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
ADEC. (2012). Special education policy and procedures handbook. Abu Dhabi, UAE: ADEC.
Alahbabi, A. (2009). K-12 special and general education teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with special needs in general education classes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). International Journal of Special Education, 24(2), 42–54.
Alborno, N., & Gaad, E. (2012). Evaluation of the implementation of a policy for adults with intellectual disabilities in Dubai: A case study. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 9(2), 103–111.
Alborno, N., & Gaad, E. (2014). Index for inclusion: A framework for school review in the UAE. British Journal of Special Education, 41(3), 232–248.
Anati, N. M. (2012). Including students with disability in UAE schools: A descriptive study. International Journal of Special Education, 27, 75–85.
Bradshaw, K. (2009). Teachers’ attitudes and concerns towards integrating students with special needs in regular classrooms: A United Arab Emirates perspective. The Journal of the International Association of Special Education, 10(1), 49–55.
Bruce, T., & Meggitt, C. (2002). Child care and education (3rd ed.). Italy: Hodder and Stoughton.
Dubai Executive Council. (2017). Resolution No. (2) of 2017. Dubai, UAE: Government of Dubai.
Dukmak, S. J. (2013). Regular classroom teachers’ attitudes towards including students with disabilities in the regular classroom in the United Arab Emirates. The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning, 26(1), 26–39.
Emirates Foundation. (2016). Emirates foundation sustainability report. Retrieved July 2, 2018 from https://www.emiratesfoundation.ae/ef/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Sustainability-Report-2016.pdf.
Gaad, E. (2004a). Cross-cultural perspectives on the effect of cultural attitudes towards inclusion for children with intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 8(3), 311–328.
Gaad, E. (2004b). Pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards a career in special education in the United Arab Emirates. College Student Journal, 38(4), 619–632.
Gaad, E. (2011). Inclusive education in the Middle East. New York: Routledge.
Gaad, E. (2013). Assessing the needs of people with disabilities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE. Journal of Education and Vocational Research, 4(10), 331–338.
Gaad, E. (2015). Look who’s coming to school: The Emirati student voice in an intervention based study on inclusion of learners with intellectual disabilities in Emirati mainstream government schools. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 15(2), 130–138.
Gaad, E. (2017). Three birds with one stone: Empower, include and sustain the Emirati community Kayani programme. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Educational Studies, 39(2), 1–13.
Gaad, E., & Khan, L. (2007). Primary teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of students with special educational needs in the private sector: A perspective from Dubai. International Journal of Special Education, 22(2), 95–109.
Gaad, E., & Thabet, R. (2016). Behaviour support for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Education and Learning, 5(1), 133–135.
Gaad, E., & Thabet, R. (2018). Behavior support training for parents of children with down syndrome: Perceptions, feedback, and attitudes. The International Journal of Diverse Identities, 17(3), 1–16.
Government.ae. (2017). People of determination. Retrieved from https://government.ae/en/information-and-services/social-affairs/special-needs.
Hamaidi, D., Homidi, M., & Reyes, L. (2012). International views of inclusive education: A comparative study of early childhood educators’ perceptions in Jordan, United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America. International Journal of Special Education, 27(2), 94–101.
KHDA. (2017). Dubai inclusive education policy framework. Dubai, UAE: KHDA.
Ministry of Social Affairs. (2006). UAE Federal Law 29/2006. UAE: Abu Dhabi.
Mittler, P. (2000). Working towards inclusive education: Social contexts. London: David Fulton.
SEDRA. Vision. Retrieved June 25, 2016 from http://sedra.org.
UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. Paris: UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2015). Incheon Declaration, Education 2030: Towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all. Retrieved September 28, 2018 from https://en.unesco.org/world-education-forum-2015/incheon-declaration.
UNRCPD. (2000). United Nation convention on the rights of persons with disability. www.un.org/disability.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gaad, E. (2019). Educating Learners with Special Needs and Disabilities in the UAE: Reform and Innovation. In: Gallagher, K. (eds) Education in the United Arab Emirates. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7736-5_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7736-5_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-7735-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-7736-5
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)