JEDDAH — A mother with a child suffering from dyslexia, a learning disability in reading and writing, said her 16-year-old daughter is not getting any support from her school. The mother, who requested anonymity, said her awareness of learning disabilities is what enabled her to recognize the condition of her daughter when she was five. “Many parents go into a state of denial when they hear their child has a learning disability. I was fortunate to have the support from my daughter's school regarding her condition, but the support has stopped after primary school.” Al-Hamrah Girls School is one of the few institutions with a license to have a special education department. The need for such a department arose when several girls with learning disabilities enrolled in the school. The support given to the children varies from offering customized educational plans to having a resources room operated by special education specialists. “Over a year ago, many schools had special education programs. But they were rejected by the Ministry of Education," said Ruba Azza, head manager of Little Hands Center for supplementary education of children with special needs. “Learning disabilities are not of one kind, my daughter has one type of dyslexia. She sees the words as they would appear on a mirror, backwards” said the mother. She has consulted a specialist who helped her daughter by recommending additional after-school classes at home. Rana Jameel Taibah, special education supervisor in the Ministry of Social Affairs, said one of the main reasons for the poor services is the shortage of specialized testing and evaluation facilities. “An ideal environment for children with learning disabilities is to involve them in public education and giving special attention in certain subjects. Children with learning disabilities are not less intelligent,” the official said. Currently, the special education department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is cooperating with specific schools to offer supportive programs for children with learning disabilities within the regular educational curriculum. Although this is a positive step, a lack of professional diagnosis and consultation renders the service ineffective. “We find many students subjected to a special education program when they do not belong to it. Teachers in these schools are labeling children with poor academic performance as children with learning disabilities. “That is inaccurate as poor academic performance is a result of many other factors such as emotional distress or psychological instability. It has nothing to do with learning disabilities,” Taibah said. The ministries concerned should employ specialists in this field. They should be assisted by research support teams, said Taibah. Prince Salman Center for Disability Research is one of the few centers in the Kingdom where researches related to learning disabilities is carried out. The mother of the 16-year-old girl said there is a lack of awareness among parents regarding this issue. “The important thing is to know how to deal with your child. Many parents prevent their children from learning because they are in denial about the condition of their child.” It takes time for the family to recognize that their child has a learning disability. Many parents refuse to think their child suffers from any deficiencies and go into a state of denial about their child's condition. “When the family finally accepts the condition of the child, the parents have no guidelines as to what to do next. All of this is taking years off the child's learning opportunities. Earlier the programs of analysis and recognition is introduced to the child's brain the more receptive the child is to them," Taibah said. The Ministry of Education should oblige private schools to open a department for children with learning disabilities. There are no accurate statistics regarding the percentage of children with learning disabilities, but it is globally known that five to10 percent of the population suffers from learning disabilities. This would mean that a quarter to half a million Saudi citizens suffer from learning disabilities, Taibah said. “If Allah wills, I would prefer to have my daughter continue her studies abroad. There, they are more aware of her dyslexia and have higher resources and capabilities. Children with learning disabilities are not failures. Why crush their ambitions when they can prove to be an exceptional asset to society,” said the mother.
