A student at the Renad Academy.
Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education (PUE) delivers a range of education specialties catering to Qatar’s diverse community, including for children with learning disabilities and for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), says a senior official.
Among these, PUE has created schools and devised curricula with an aim to develop the potential of children with learning difficulties, Buthaina Al Nuaimi, PUE President at Qatar Foundation (QF) told The Peninsula.
“In education, every child matters and every child has the entitlement to an education that develops their potential as fully as possible. All children are different and some need more support to develop their potential than others,” she said.
As part of this drive, QF established Renad Academy, a school dedicated to children who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate ASD. Renad Academy’s early intervention services support families and inspire acceptance, trust and success, reflecting QF’s on-going commitment to helping all students reach their full potential.
“Renad Academy is the youngest member of our family of schools and one that has been taken to heart by the community both inside QF and beyond. Central to its concept is a partnership between home and school through which all the people in a child’s life learn and grow as well. Our programs at Awsaj Academy cater for children with a broad range of additional needs that can’t readily be supported in our mainstream schools,” said Al Nuaimi.
Explaining about the diversified offerings by PUE she said, “The Learning Center, TLC, is a service that operates across the whole family of schools providing specialist assessment and support services, often working through staff embedded in the schools. Qatar Leadership Academy (QLA), another one of our specialized schools, is a residential school for boys and promotes personal growth in our students by engaging them in an environment that promotes excellence in academics, leadership, athletics and character to prepare the leaders of tomorrow.
The Academic Bridge Program, a one- or two-year pre-university program, was established for high school graduates to further develop language skills, improve numeracy and hone subject knowledge, to better equip students for admission to and success in degree programs at our QF partner universities and other English-language world-class universities worldwide.”
Further, as part of the global initiative to raise awareness about autism, QF is promoting and supporting Autism Awareness Month throughout all of April. Indeed, the very concept of World Autism Awareness Day was first proposed by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of QF, to the United Nations in 2007, and was adopted without a vote by the UN General Assembly.
“We are committed to using the entire month of April to promote autism awareness among wider community, and have planned a range of activities. These include the screening a ‘sensory friendly film’ at the QF Recreation Center theater, allowing those with autism to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment; we have also organized day out at KidzMondo, where young children will get the opportunity to role-play in a miniature city,” said Al Nuaimi.
The month-long campaign begun with an event held under the umbrella of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), at Al Shaqab equestrian center in Education City, which featured a range of educational and interactive activities. It also brought together various QF centers to meet with members of the public, exhibit their work, and answer questions about autism.
QF also has another range of initiatives to help children with autism and their families. The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a global healthcare community and initiative of QF, has a longstanding commitment to raising awareness around mental health issues and to developing evidence-based research that address policy challenges in areas such as dementia and autism. WISH recently signed a Memorandum of Understating (MoU) with the Mental Health Friends Association ‘Weyak’ to establish a cooperative framework to promote mental health in Qatar.
“Also the MoPH is currently leading a joint research project with Renad Academy, Doha International Family Institute, the WISH, World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) and Sidra Medical and Research Center to provide learning opportunities, and to improve understanding of autism in Qatar. Such projects pave the way for future partnerships, which help children with ASD to reach their full potential,” said Al Nuaimi.
