ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 06th Oct, 2021) As part of the latest initiative of the "Bridges of Hope" project, the Zayed Higher Organisation (ZHO) for People of Determination provided three days of specialised training virtually to six participants in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in cooperation with the Crown Prince Foundation, from 20th to 22nd September.
Certified trainers from ZHO provided the training and delivered the course content to equip the trainees with skills necessary to best support parents of people of determination in the Kingdom.
The programme was organised to implement the terms of the joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two entities to empower people of determination and promote their social inclusion. It also aims to create a sustainable society for people of determination, based on the social responsibilities of the entities, ensuring the transfer of knowledge and provision of support from the entities and their specialist employees to the parents and families of people of determination at every opportunity.
The programme included three workshops, the first of which focused on the education and training of individuals with intellectual disabilities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The workshops provided clarification of instructions for dealing with people of determination regarding physical, cognitive, emotional and social characteristics. The training course also detailed the implementation of educational and training programmes for people with intellectual disabilities by family members at home during the pandemic through specialised programmes and ways, whether they are curricula or levels of training.
Zainab Azeem, a senior specialised teacher in the organisation, said that the second workshop focused on chronic disorders in childhood and adolescence. "The workshop presented disorders that children may experience during childhood, continuing into adolescence. Behavioural repetition can lead to habitual behaviour that can be engaged subconsciously by the child. An example of one such habit in children and adults is biting of nails. These habits can develop until they turn obsessive and can harm the child psychologically and physically and remain with the child even into adulthood," she noted.
The third workshop, titled "Teach Me How to Communicate", was presented by specialist teacher Sheikha Salem Al Kaabi. "The workshop dealt with communication skills through images using the PECS programme, which is an effective set of alternative and supportive communication interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as those with developmental disabilities. The PECS communication system does not require complex or expensive materials, and trainees were taught how to prepare age-appropriate content for the PECS user. Trainees were also taught about the different stages of PECS and how to transition from one stage to another successfully," she said.
