The two-day conference, held under the patronage of Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, at Sharjah Education Academy, attracted major attendees Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Head of Sharjah Districts Affairs Department.
This year, the conference will highlight four main topics: assessment and diagnosis, scientific and technological research, support and empowerment, and educational interventions. The scientific program consists of 20 presentations by experts from all over the world and covers innovative methods for diagnosing and supporting students with learning disabilities, accompanied by four workshops on specific topics. The meeting's focus in exchanging expertise locally, Arabically, and internationally, aiming at widening teacher training curriculum and improving services for learners with learning difficulties, is the essence of this meeting.
It has partnered with Sharjah Education Academy and Princess Tharwat College in Jordan. The entire event has been sponsored by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while media sponsorship has been availed from Sharjah Broadcasting Authority. Silver sponsorships have also been secured from Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, Centro Sharjah Hotel, and Air Arabia for the events.
During his opening speech, Director Sharjah Centre for Learning Disabilities, Hanadi Al Suwaidi, welcomed the guest of honor, dignitaries, and government officials. One spectacle visual presentation was the 'Invisible Challenges', which spoke of special life obstacles children face in life for having learning disabilities.
The conference agenda outlined, in one of its key addresses, the signing of a basic agreement between the Sharjah Center for Learning Disabilities and a research team from Egypt led by Dr. Samira Bakr. The partnership lies in the development of a specifically focused assessment tool for children at the age of 3 years and 11 months who are considered at risk of learning disabilities.
Said Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, chairperson of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services: "This falls in line with our strategic objective to enable a rights-based approach to learning for those populations in society. It aligns with the leadership's objective of delivering the best-in-class education and support services for all citizens under the UAE Vision 2071".
Dr. Hanadi Al Suwaidi said, "These are very critical issues in their lives: assessment, integrating new technology in special education, support systems, and programs for teaching". There were a lot of workshops as well as discussions on the new developments and challenges related to this field.
The day consisted of two discussion panels. The first panel talked on the psychological and educational assessment. Five scientific papers on frameworks for people with learning disabilities were presented. In the second panel, the scientific and technological breakthroughs including digital storytelling in improving disabled students' speaking during the learning process in general and the potential application of AI in reading disorder diagnosis were issues raised. A workshop was also done to orient the parents with relevant competencies on psychological and educational assistance.
The conference creates novel solutions with the challenges of learning disabilities, and boosts local and international cooperation to introduce new systems and tools. This event tries to seek to enhance the quality of educational and therapeutic services such that this community can have brighter futures on education.
