Bahrain integrated 134 autistic students in 24 schools

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has successfully integrated 134 students with Autism spectrum disorder into government schools, of which 56 students managed a complete transition from private classes to regular classes, said Dr Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi, the Minister of Education.

The minister was speaking on the occasion of World Autism Day, which falls on the second of April every year. Bahrain, the minister said, has the right to be proud of its pioneering humanitarian experience in integrating students with special needs in government schools, including those with Autism.

In 2010, Bahrain had only 11 special needs students in three schools. Come 2022, that number has risen to 134, the minister stressed. "Fifty-six of the students had also succeeded in managing a complete transition from private to regular classes for the qualitative leap they achieved academically, behaviorally and socially," the minister said.

"Currently, 21 prima - ry schools and three middle schools in the Kingdom are integrating students with Autism." The ministry, Al Nuaimi said, is actively working to support and develop students at the higher school level.

Al Nuaimi said the ministry is pursuing international standards for providing education to Autistic students. "There are also provisions for individual and group classes."

Yet, another programme aims at providing such students with life skills - eating etiquette being one amongst them, the minister added. The ministry, he said, had also equipped classes with eLearning tools, including smart boards.

The educational programme includes a programme for developing social and linguistic communication using pictures, a programme for promoting positive social behaviours, a time-management programme using picture tables, and a conversational programme aimed at strengthening the linguistic side of students.

Students are also partially and then fully integrated into regular classes, according to their level of development.