Segregation and Inclusion: A comparative analysis of three different educational settings for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the United Arab Emirates
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Date
2009-09
Authors
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Publisher
The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
With the increase in the number of mainstream schools providing education for
students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), it is important to study the benefits of such settings in comparison to a
segregated setting. The purpose of this study was to carry out a comparative analysis
of three different educational settings for students with ASDs in the UAE, in order to
ascertain the benefits and drawbacks of each setting, and to discuss what can be
learned from each setting to benefit the others. Teachers and staff were interviewed
about their attitudes and experiences regarding the inclusion and segregation of
students with ASDs in the UAE. The settings investigated were: a specialised private
centre in Dubai providing a holistic approach; a specialised private centre in Dubai
providing an ABA approach; and, a private mainstream international school in
Sharjah including students with ASDs. Findings showed that the specialist provisions
available were following international recommendations for educating students with
ASDs. Mainstream settings in the UAE were found to be struggling to include
students with ASDs effectively, with there being much scope for improvement.
Recommendations were made to improve the inclusive services available to students
with ASDs in the UAE.
Description
DISSERTATION WITH DISTINCTION
Keywords
mainstream schools, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), United Arab Emirates (UAE), educational settings, inclusion