Abu Dhabi Autism Center interview Video

INTERVIEW AT AUTISM CENTER, ABU DHABI ,

Interviewer: Abdlrahman Al Hashmi
Interviewee: Mr Khalid

 

 

Abdlrahman: Alslam Alykum,. With us here Mr. Khalid from Autism Center. We would like to ask you a number of questions about Autism and conversational properties. First, what does conversation mean in Autism?

Mr. Khalid: conversation is part of language and communicate to children with autism; whether it is expressive language, receptive language or conversation in general in which the child understands the message he is being told and can deliver the message he needs to us and that would be the meaning of conversation. Also, conversation can be verbal by talking or non-verbal by using gestures, pictures or any way for a child to communicate with.

Abdlrahman: I have another question, what are the programs followed for developing language and communication for students in the center?

Mr. Khalid Here at the center we follow programs that are recognized internationally. The most popular programs is TEACCH Program, LOVAAS Program, and PECS program. The PECS program allows communicating via picture using a notebook that includes pictures of the child’s daily interests and through the notebook the child can communicate by selecting the picture or even create a sentence using a number of pictures like “I would like to use the restroom” or “I would like to eat” and with this I can understand what he wants using pictures.

We also have another program that uses software, which we use to create educational tools for the students like the examples you see on the wall that we created using a program called board maker. This program is similar to Photoshop but is easy and fast to use which suits the teacher or the child’s guardian to work on.

Abdlrahman: The third question is what are the similar problems between children with autism?

Mr. Khalid:  We all can notice that children with autism are not similar to each other. One would have some communication skills while another doesn’t have any, but we can say that they all could have three similar problems. It could be that one child has better skills in these fields than another but they all almost have these similar problems. The first problem is communicating; in which the child cannot deliver the message he wants. The second problem is imagining where he cannot imagine what he hears. The third problem is interacting, wherein he cannot interact with the people around him or the children playing in the playground with him.

Abdlrahman: What is the role of technology in facilitating communication and language for children with autism?

 

Mr. Khalid: In the last few years, technology played a big role in developing tools that helps children with autism. There are a lot of companies that are developing software and tools that help children to communicate in an easy, smooth and fun way with others. An example of these tools is a device that records voice messages that like “Alslam Alykum” to familiarize him with this message and teach him to reply to such message.  We also use this device to help him learn the names of his classmates like “What is our name?” and when he clicks on his picture, he hears his name and start learning all his classmates’ names.

Abdlrahman: Thank you Mr. Khalid.

Mr. Khalid: Thank you and pleasure meeting you.

Survey for Zayed Higher Organization

Sixth day of volunteer

Today, Wednesday 12/November/2014 (8.am to 12.pm). In the sixth day of volunteer we changed our ways in volunteer and, we were not together every person should volunteer alone and, I went to communication class and this my second time I went their and I like this class because, I think its the best class in technical teach and there are a lot of technology to teach in this class. I learned many things in communication class like how we talk to the student and how we treat them in many different things and, I think this job needs a lot of patients. The teaching system in this class are good they have a lot of great technologies like the (board maker) and (go talk). I think this class are one of the best classes that effect in the student because, its help them on how to communicate with other people and, how to say what they want and, what they need.

 

Fifth Day of Voulnteer

Today, Sunday 09/Nov/2014 (8.am to 10.am). In the Fifth day of volunteer. First, we went to communication class and it was about how to make the student communicate with the people. How to say something he need or he want. I was impressed because they have many ways to teach them how to communicate and they have a lot of technology ways like the go talk machine and other machines. In the second class we went to the sport class and it was really fun so, we were playing with them. We saw our teacher in that day so, he came to see us and to know what we do their.

Fourth Day of Voulnteer

Today, Wednesday 5th of Nov 2014 (8.am to 12.pm). In the Forth day of volunteer. First, we went to the art class and, we saw the student drawing and do some games so, we helped them when they had a difficult games. When they felt bored we make them happy by playing with them with some toys and they like the bubbles a lot. Second we went to another class and they had a music lesson so, they were singe and playing with the music tools and it was very joyful and we had a lot of fun their. When I seethis patient and they are learning and we help them I feel like I do something in my life like a achievement and I really like this feeling .

 

 

Third day of voulnteer

Today, Sunday second of Nov 2014 (8.am to 10.am). In the third day of volunteer we didn't went to any classes . we took a lecture about Autism and it was very useful . it talked about what is the Autism and how its come and how it effect in the human and what its do and there are many new information I didn't know about it for example there no any reason for the autism and there is no any medicine for this thing. There are 10,000 people has Autism in the UAE. The best school for Autism it is in Jordan. There are many things that help you to recognize that the person has Autism for example They try to touch the sky or the sun shine , when you speak with them they don't see you and answer you and they don't feel any pain .