Ulrich 1

Michelle L. Ulrich

Sharyn Hunter

English Composition 1201

5 March 2017

Childhood Disabilities Across the World

Children have playdates at parks, can interact with strangers, play/work parallel with their peers

and not realize that there are barriers existing amongst them, so why do they exist? When children

provide an Inclusive vision for themselves, why cant communities help pave the future in this, since it is

so much healthier on the child and their family. Parents observe feverishly as their child plays along or

next to another and they are ready with a handful of excuses and correction placed upon their child; as

to not allow their child to be singled out or looked at differently. As society has it, the hidden unnatural

barriers that are created without knowledge or understanding the hurdles for those with disabilities and

how this affects them. Families from another country or a different culture already have such struggles

with language and communication; which is confusing or intimidating. Childhood Disabilities in Qatar are

far worse than in the US due to the lack of education, medical resources, and the presence of stigmas

among the community. Integrating children within the communities amongst one another as social

construct (Bogdan & Taylor, 1989, 3), and the barriers could be unseen and untouched so that a

community has the true meaning of integration in education, medical treatment that is available, and

hopefully the stigmas would eventually disappear. The belief of childhood disabilities in a foreign

countries have all access to the proper resources needed; for schooling, medical treatment, access to

most necessities that a child and their family would hope for. As a parent, there is no need to have such

anxiety about the disability that you may be working through with your child.
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The status quo of these points, schooling for a child with disabilities is not always available for

specific reasons be it; family beliefs, or accessibility. Mainstreaming/inclusion is vital for the child, to

learn at their pace, at their environment, and setting them up for success. No additional cost to this.

There are teachers, that can teach, child will learn. Children understand the world they live in better

when they are provided with activities at a level of learning within their environment without isolating

them. The drawback to this, is a long process that the school, staff, families, and communities have to

accept. Schooling, training, expenses, to get teachers up to speed, as well as parents to accept and

admit their child has a disability and own it, new way of learning for all involved. Providing appropriate

training and schooling that target the child in need and the teachers who provide this way of teaching.

Special Needs children want and need to be apart of an inclusive classroom environment. Example: A

child diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) was isolated from his peers for a short duration,

due to his intense onset of fierce biting towards himself and others. There were other physical actions he

displayed, so he was not able to have direct contact with the other children, for the safety of all. His

schedule allowed for intense One on One work stations to help both parties to recognize his frustrations

and how to model corrected responses. Picture schedules, sign language, mimicking his language and

following through with his verbal cues and hand gestures. After about five weeks of this One on One

schedule, he started to display emotions of sadness, happiness, and almost content being around his

classmates. He was emerging towards the group setting during exploration time and Adaptive Physical

Education, keeping a very close range of movement with him, he acclimated himself back into his

environment. With this observation, it just goes to show you that they do have a higher mentality, then

lead to believe. Kelsey is an Intervention Specialist, Special Education teacher for Beavercreek City

Schools and has a wide variety of diagnoses among the children in her classroom. Kelsey is amazing to
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watch and listen to, while she is teaching her classroom with special needs children and typical

developing peers. The techniques she uses for each child and how to pinpoint the systematic ways she

can help each one of them. There is a team of Special Education teachers, therapist, school Psychologist

and Special Education coordinator who work together on each case that is presented to the school.

This has had tremendous success for several children in each one of our classrooms. There are several

districts that provide this kind of environment and teaching for children in Special Education and it has

proven effective for them. Schooling for children with disabilities in a foreign country have a lot of

obstacles, with several misconceived notions that these children have the access to the proper education

plan IEP (Individual Education Plan) that they require. The teachers that are teaching Special Needs

children are not all properly educated, trained, and may not have chosen to be in this field. The

government needs to set strict guidelines and testing opportunities for children with disabilities and help

better educate everyone involved in this process. The successfulness of this, build on this, it should be

widespread across the world to help less fortunate areas and not have to recreate the wheel.

Cultural consanguineous marriages (Inter Family Marriages) how and why this is accepted and

still in existence . The State of Qatar has one of the highest rates in the world of infants born with

disabilities, some 73 out of 1,000 live births; this is primarily due to a close gene pool and the traditions

of intra tribal marriage, predominantly with first cousins (Mishra). Deciphering Disabilities and Myths

that occur because of this, so Improving public awareness of disability issues and to maintain human

rights for those with disabilities (United Nations, December 5, 2006; Shafallah, April 26, 2007).

Describing the Qatari beliefs about disabilities within their family genetics and the high level of

percentage with denial that their child has a disability due to the consanguineous marriages, this custom

among their culture will cause disabilities and health related problems to their unborn child. Doctors are
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afraid to place a diagnosis with a child for fear of their practice dissipating because they usually are not

native to the area and or they misdiagnose or the whole process is delayed. The families declined

services because to some, the acceptance of services is a sign that disability has been accepted

(personal communication, F. Darwish, March 7, 2007), so the child is forced to adapt to learn in the

environment around them and not creating the successful means for the diagnosis; which is possible. The

status quo in the family makeup, has changed some perceptions due to the high percentage of disabilities

in their family/culture.

spectrumnews.org

The knowledgeable resources pertaining to this severe perception of these disabilities, children are

suffering from, are not available due too, there is little published literature on disability in Qatar and the

Middle East at large. The barriers and stigmas within the specific social construct of groups such as

communities and their breakdown not to allow them to form (Abbs) (Bogdan & Taylor, 1989, 4).

Their beliefs and traditions are acts that people dont understand and wont accept, so change needs to

happen because more families need to accept and receive the assistance they are warranted for their

child. Allowing perceptions of the accessibility to resources within the community for their children and

was used to obtain mothers ideas about how improvements could be made to remove social and

physical barriers that hinder access to the community by their children (Abbs). The Young child survival

and development with the following panel of experts and advocates (Serrano) were meeting to

promote and protect children with disabilities of a large span. They have in place regulations for the
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children that are diagnosed, and working together with Pedro Serrano, Acting Head of the European

Union Delegation to the UN, who speaks out in New York, USA for these rights.

upworthy.com

Through the development of these discussions and panels they were able to bring out the wide range of

other rights that disabled children have and dont realize the hurdles they face every day and every task

they set forth to accomplish. The out right disrespect with the way they are treated as if insignificant or

peripheral.(dictionary) The view society has, is disheartening, for the rights they should have with

socialization, community based, inclusion with education and allow for participation, and not have to be

punished with such discrimination as they do. (Serrano)

The UN General Assembly, with the upcoming ombudsmen, will have their main focus on the rights of

the child, which constitutes an important step in advancing the rights of children with disabilities.

(Serrano) The European Union has committed to the process of advancement, but all parties have to

recognize the direct impact this has on all children. The panel is put to work on the Strategic guidance

Increased risk of Child Abuse,and Out of the shadows. The Strategic guidance is to help recognize

the rights of Persons with disabilities across the board. The unnecessary hurdles that are place in front of

the children so there is more awareness, proper training, and services to mainstream and allow for them

to be apart of the community.(Cuk) With this in depth awareness, it has been able, unfortunately to bring

out more truth to the secret world or the unspoken world of child abuse among disabled children. Giving

them the rights, concepts, strategies, and how to seek help if and when an abusive incident happens they
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are better aware that it is inappropriate and wrong, so speak up. (Cuk) Out of the Shadows, Corinna

Csky, Child Protection Adviser for Save the Children UK, elaborates on their joint global study on

children with disabilities and sexual abuse and the correlation they have with one another with the data

that supports it.(Csky) It continues to open up doors, but as it does, it seems to place other hurdles for

them to overcome. The information will be able to set up a grand view of; removing the barriers and

improving the awareness and the support that is needed for these children. All parties of the panel are

able to apply their knowledge of the subject and show how with their research and continual upward

motion there will be positive change. Especially for the children and adults with disabilities who become

the forgotten ones, in Qatar, but as well as around the world; especially in the time of need with all the

challenges our world is facing. Persons with disabilities face all sorts of issues throughout their lives

from: education, abuse of all types, discrimination, receiving services through the appropriate

departments, and are facing behaviors on a bulling level (Qureshi). As I stated above, when our world

is facing particular challenges and crises, these are the persons who are the forgotten ones, are

overlooked and are at a much higher risk of this neglect. Children and adults with disabilities must have

a voice and have access to the same opportunities as their peers in both development and humanitarian

context (Dr. Salah). Humanitarians step in to assist in providing aid through programs where everyone

works together in a collaboration being very diligent on not overlooking their needs. They were able to

launch a program at this particular conference called, One Billion Strong (Ali bin Ali) the future holds a

brand new world for children with disabilities if everyone continues to work together as one and sees

the potential all have to offer.

The Miracle Project is a musical production company that, Elaine Hall mother of an Autistic

boy, that works directly with families with Autistic children to learn how to express themselves. Elaine
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Hall wrote, Autism: The Musical to help create this opportunity for five children with this diagnosis and

their parents covering a span of six months of their lives. This documented time frame happened in an

environment that was conducive for autistic children to learn while socializing with other children; which

is very hard for them to come out of their box, and expressing themselves through the discovery of

drama. Over the span of six months, they were documented on stage and in their home life through

tantrums, challenges, and triumphs as they prepared for the show. In 1980, one in 10,000 children

were diagnosed as autistic and today one in 150 (Centers for Disease Control Statistics) the stressors

that come with having a child with disabilities is beyond measures, if they dont sleep, you dont sleep, if

they are having an off day, you have an off day. It is broader than just them, it affects the whole family.

As with all children, not one diagnosis is alike, although very similar, there are slight differences that each

child may display. When you think you have them figured out, that is when they will change the way of

expressing themselves. The daily challenges of caring for a child are endless and affect all aspects of the

child's way of care as well as the parent's mental health and the ability to manage their childs needs.

Understanding more about the challenges parents face will provide direction for research, intervention

development (NCBI, PubMed.gov, 2016).

APPENDIX A

aoscongress.com, kon.org

FAMILY INFLUENC ES O N THE DEVELO PMENT O F A C HILDS BEHAVIO R

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In conclusion, children with disabilities should be provided with the same opportunities in the

environment with schooling, medical treatment and not have to be burden with the stigmas that are

inhibiting them for a successful life. The community needs to be an inclusive environment for appropriate

learning whatever the disability is and allow time of acceptance.

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Work Cited

Abbs, Alyn Kristin. Mothers Perceptions of community Integration Opportunities for

their Children with Disabilities in Qatar. December 2009. Article.

Bogdan, R. & Taylor, S.J. (1989). Relationships with severely disabled people: The social construction

of humanness. Social Problems, 36, 135-147.

"Delegates Gather in New York to Promote and Protect the Rights of Children with Disabilities."

UNICEF. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

"In Qatar, Forum Calls for Better Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Humanitarian Responses."

UNICEF. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

Mishra, R. (30 April, 2007). High birth deformities in Qatar. The Qatar Tribune, (pp. 1, 16).

NCBI. Stress and Parents of Children with Autism: A Review of Literature. PubMed.gov, 2016.

Personal communication. F. Darwish, March 7, 2007

Regan, Tricia, (Director). "Autism The Musical: Home." HBO. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

Sam, Ann. The Use of Coding Methods to Estimate the Social Behavior Directed toward Peers and

Adults of Preschoolers with ASD in TEACCH, LEAP, and Eclectic BAU Classrooms.

Unicef. Children with disabilities. 13 May 2011.

Unicef,https://www.unicef.org/childsurvival/index_58970.html Publication.

Unicef,https://www.unicef.org/emerg/qatar_61454.html Publication.

United Nations, December 5, 2006; Shafallah, April 26, 2007

Woodard, Kelsey. Special Ed. Intervention Specialist . Beavercreek City Schools. Personal Interview.