Education Minister to open GCC Learning Disability Conference

The conference along with various workshops, organized by Dubai-based Ishara Consultants under the banner 'Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice,' will conclude on 29th October.

The Etisalat sponsored event is expected to develop a plan of action to assist educational institutions in the GCC design curricula, and find concrete steps to develop methods of training and effective human resources to address the problem of learning difficulties in general, and children in particular.

The conference focused on the growth of the regional community and educational and social trends that will affect every aspect of people's lives in the Gulf region. The event will feature keynote lectures and workshops by world renowned specialists, psychologists, educators and thought leaders. Their analyses and assessments of the current situation are expected to lead to concepts and reflections on vital social issues.

Studies have shown that several thousands of children are suffering from different types of learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and the problem of attention deficit disorder. According to researches, these types of children who do not achieve good results in their studies rarely get a chance to come out of the disability that they suffer.

"This conference complements the continued success of Ishara Consultants in the organization of events related to the field of Special Education, with support from the competent authorities, particularly the Ministry of Education. It will address the psychological disorders and difficulties found in today's society,"

said Maalainaine Salama, Managing Director of Ishara Consultants.

"We are organizing the conference for the third consecutive time in pursuit of the opportunity for participants to interact with specialists, and conducting dialogues with them to harness the knowledge and current practices in this area," he said.

A number of techniques, procedures and training programmes designed to meet the learning styles and educational needs of those suffering from learning difficulties are expected to emerge out of the conference as experts in the fields of clinical psychology and neuroscience, government, research, education, companies and parents will discuss and explore ways to address the problems of children who suffered from chronic learning difficulties.

Among the international speakers who will join the event are: Dr. Louise Wilson, PhD, Ed Psych, Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Education Department of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, Dr. Susan Rose, PhD, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Special Education Programs in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota, USA, Dr. Gad Elbeheri, PhD, University of Durham, UK, and Dr. Malek Yamani , PhD, USA ( Doctorate in Linguistic, Psychology and Masters degree in Electrical Engineering.

The conference will be attended by some 400 delegates including principals, administrators, counselors, social workers, teachers, parents, researchers, adult literacy educators, college educators, correctional specialists, curriculum specialists, learning disability specialists, reading specialists, staff developers, speech and language specialists, library and media specialists, technology coordinators, medical and mental health professionals, teachers of special education and general education, education policy advocates and college student support personnel, adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and parents of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.