Education Ministry Holds Panel Discussion On Empowering, Integrating People With Down Syndrome Into Society

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) organized a panel discussion on empowering and integrating people with Down Syndrome into society on the occasion of World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) 2024 held under the theme "End the Stereotypes".

An elite group of specialists in the fields of disability discussed the concept of Down Syndrome, its causes, types, rates of its spread globally according to the World health Organization (WHO), its most prominent characteristics, the importance of early intervention when the disease is discovered, the services provided to this category of medical, psychological, and rehabilitation services at Hamad General Hospital and other specialized places, methods of treatment to alleviate complications or any other accompanying diseases and problems, facing the challenges of living with it in reality, and the role of the family and the importance of communication with schools.

Director of the Department of Special Education and Inclusive Education at the MOEHE Fatima Saeed Salem Al Saadi stated to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the importance of these panel discussions is to increase awareness of Down Syndrome and people with disabilities in general.

Al Saadi stressed the responsibility of all institutions and individuals to provide integrated services to people with Down Syndrome so that they become active and independent members of society.

She explained that their goal is to integrate and empower this group and this can only be achieved by providing the correct services from the start such as diagnosis, evaluation, academic services, behavior support and modification, and assistive technology, in addition to their participation in various community activities and events in accordance with their abilities and preparations.

The panel focused on all the services provided to people with Down Syndrome, the importance of supporting them, the role of the guardian as the primary member in providing assistance and enhancing the training and educational skills that the affected child receives, confirming the importance of collective and integrated efforts in this regard.

Al Saadi noted that providing integrated services to the Down Syndrome group would empower and qualify them professionally to become active, empowered and integrated within society, as well as be able to live and manage their lives with confidence and independence.

She explained that the MoEHE has 70 integration schools that provide such services to students with disabilities, including students with Down Syndrome, in addition to the six Al Huda Schools and two kindergartens that are planned to increase based on the needs of the students.

Khaled Saeed Al Shuaibi, head of the voluntary initiative to employ people with disabilities, praised the role of the concerned authorities and institutions in employing people with disabilities of all categories.

Al Shuaibi confirmed the success of the initiative in providing job opportunities even for some of the most severely disabled cases through plans, holding dialogue with companies and other parties, and making agreements to provide job opportunities for all people with disabilities.

An elite group of specialists spoke at the panel, including Deputy Director for Academic Affairs at Al Hedaya School Dr. Ibrahim Sweilem, Pediatric Consultant at the Al Maha Center Dr. Abdulrahim Ramadan, and Dr. Hassan Saadeh, a psychologist at the Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities.

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