Community based special education programme – building bridges and tearing down walls

Founded in 2000 by the Palestine Red Crescent Society in partnership with the Norwegian Red Cross, the Community Based Special Education program has been opening doors for Palestinian children with mental and physical disabilities for over a decade. Later in 2009, the Swedish Red Cross joined the Norwegian Red Cross in supporting this programme.

As part of the Rehabilitation and Ability Development Department, the Community Based Special Education program works with individuals affected by mental disability in their homes, focusing on the development of motor skills, self care, academic skills, sensory perception, and social interaction.

Beyond working with the individuals participating in the program, Community Based Special Education also works to educate family members on the intricacies of life with a special needs child. Through promoting understanding of the nature of mental retardation the program is able to work to improve the quality of life not only for the child, but also for the family as a whole. The Community Based Special Education program provides a proactive approach to coping with mental disability on both an individual and societal level.

After identifying target locations in the Occupied Territory social specialists are assigned to specific cases and families. Working predominantly with children under the age of 18 specialists work to diagnose each individual and develop a plan specific to the needs and abilities of the child. Following the initial diagnosis, a six month period of intervention begins with social specialists and teams of volunteers in the home two to three days per week working with the child and family.

PRCS specialists understand the very personal nature of mental disability and work on a custom framework for each individual child. Specialists focus on skills and abilities that are attainable for the individual depending on their level of disability while simultaneously working with family members so they can continue the work of the specialists after the six months of intervention has ended. Following the initial intervention period specialists return for regular follow up visits in an effort to integrate the family into a primary developmental role for their child.

Work as part of the Community Based Special Education program can take many forms. Over 260 activities have been developed focusing on self care and personal hygiene, fine motor skills through games and writing, gross motor skills such as running or climbing, academic development, expressional and cognitive languages, and social interaction. In 2010, PRCS rehabilitation specialists conducted over 3200 home visits with the over 235 children participating in the program from 33 specific areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Community Based Special Education employs 21 rehabilitation specialists in the Occupied Territory and over 20 volunteers who work to implement program activities with parents and children.

Another area crucial to the work of the Community Based Special Education program is the potential to reintegrate Palestinian children affected by mental disability back into their communities and societies. The rehabilitation staff in the Community Based Special Education program organized over 37 unique activities and events in 2010 in which almost 2200 children (both disabled and not disabled) participated, along with the participation of over 340 mothers.

Beyond the organization of activities and events, work is done to move the children into the Palestinian kindergarten and primary education system and to play an active role in their community. This transition allows for the active participation of the child in his/her peer group while promoting social interaction and understanding outside of the home. The transition has been aided by the creation of 22 “Friends of the Disabled” committees that over 100 children were able to participate in. These Friendship committees have worked to facilitate integration in school and in the community by becoming a source of support for disabled children. Committees work to help children to perform daily tasks such as crossing the street, going to the grocery store, or attending religious services. The participation of these Friendship Committees also builds a bridge between the often misunderstood world of mental disability and the greater society. Committee members become advocates in school and the community for the rights of disabled individuals and spread information about the nature of disability.

Beyond the work in the home and community, other activities and celebrations are organized by the Red Crescent Society and its employees or volunteers to promote interaction between the children that are a part of the Community Based Special Education program. A major event as part of the Community Based Special Education program is the series of annual Summer Camps. In 2010 the Community Based Special Education program organized 10 camps in areas all over the West Bank that saw the participation of almost 1400 children and over 400 staff and volunteers.

An example of the importance and success of the Community Based Special Education program can be seen in the case of 16yr old U’Said from the village of Beita near Nablus. U’Said suffers from mental disability and prior to working with PRCS staff and volunteers he would have been considered an outsider in his family and community. Through the six months of work with PRCS staff he has advanced and gained the skills necessary to obtain employment at the Yanabia bottled water factory near Beita and has been working in the plant for over a year now. He earns his own wage and contributes on a very meaningful level to his families well being.

The head of the municipality in Beita, Mr. Fayez Hamayel, has said that the situation for U’Said has improved greatly after being a part of the program. U’Said has been able to become more active in his family and in the community of Beita despite his disability. He went on to say that if he had been asked upon assuming his position how many individuals in his municipality suffered from some form of disability he would have said simply four or five, but after doing an assessment of individuals in Beita they have identified over 140 people living with disability. The municipality has taken a very proactive approach to making sure these individuals are an active part of the community, and over 30% of the employees for the municipality are working with some form of disability.

Through the success of the Community Based Special Education program in the Occupied Territory a pilot version of Community Based Special Education is being developed and will be implemented in the Sabra/Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon. The skills and experience developed by the PRCS team is providing the opportunity to reach Palestinian children in the Diaspora suffering the effects of mental disability to improve their situation and that of their families and community.