The Ministry of Education is to launch a free hotline to provide special counseling and advice for parents who have children with physical disabilities, said Dr. Abdullah Hejab Al-Qahtani, acting director of education for persons with special needs at the Ministry of Education. The ministry will bear the cost of the calls, Al-Qahtani was quoted as saying in a section of the Arabic press on Tuesday. He said the hotline project has been completed and will be sent to the ministry for final approval. “The first phase of the project will be operated by the Department of Education for Persons with Special Needs and will later be established in all departments of education in the Kingdom.” Specialized teachers Al-Qahtani confirmed that there are enough specialized teachers to meet the needs of people with disabilities. He indicated that there are teachers with special needs with university degrees who now work in schools across the Kingdom. He also stressed that private schools should follow the example of public schools and provide education for students with special needs. “The ministry will provide scholarships for students with special needs to study at local universities and education institutions.” Al-Qahtani added that programs and institutes will be set up next year with required supplies and devices for such students. Programs will provide students with professional skills including carpentry and maintenance of devices. They will also be educated on safely connecting electric devices. Students will also be trained in life and social skills such as tidying up rooms and making coffee and tea, he added. “Once students with special needs successfully complete their programs, they will be required to do practical training at a private sector establishment. At the end of their practical training programs, they may be offered a job at the same establishment.” School transport services Al-Qahtani said his department provides transport for students but often companies fail to provide proper services and safety, or sub-contract the work to other less competent companies. He said there is a sufficient budget for transport. Regarding misdiagnoses, he said this had led to students who do not have disabilities joining programs for students with special needs and vice versa. “Diagnosis can be difficult sometimes, especially when students refuse to sit for special tests to help specialists determine whether they belong to this category or not.” Autistic centers Al-Qahtani said studies have shown that 75 percent of autistic children have mental retardation as well. “We have provided institutes and schools with 50 special programs for these students. Today, we have a sufficient number of graduates who can teach these programs.” Companies have attracted a large number of individuals with special needs to work for them because they found them productive and punctual, he said. It was not true that these companies are hiring these individuals just to meet required Saudization quotas, he added.
