Mohammed Bin Rashid’s center will be expanded to accommodate 293 students with autism.
Abu Dhabi: An additional 118 Emirati students with autism can now be accommodated at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Special Education (MRC-NECC), following the approval of plans to expand by the Abu Dhabi education director.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Information (Adek) has also renewed, over the next five years, its service contract with the New England Center for Children, which owns the MRC.
The news was received by Emirati families with children registered with the MRC.
As part of the expansion, a non-residential building will be built to accommodate more children, bringing the total number of students enrolled to 293.
. The expansion program [also includes] the development of quality teaching and treatment, ”said Amer Al Hammadi, Adek’s secretary general.
We also thank the families for their continued support and co-operation. With their response, suggestions and efforts, we are confident in giving children the right opportunities and empowering them to build their own lives, ”said the official.
Code of conduct applied
The MRC-NECC was first established in June 2007, although it was originally called NECC-AD. In July 2018, the center was renamed MRC-NECC. The MRC-NECC provides in-depth educational services, using the principles of behavioral analysis, for Emirati children aged 3 to 9 with autism and other related diseases. The center, located in Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Bin Zayed City, uses information collected by the US-based NECC.
Having spent six years working with the center, I can confidently say that this is now our second home. The team is always in touch with us to discuss learning and care programs to support Hamdan, and we are very grateful for the commitment of everyone, not only at the institution, but also at the Advocate Student Office at ADEK, ”said Hamada Al Blooshi, Hamdan’s mother, a child registered with MRC-NECC.
Complete learning support
Adek’s future plans include transferring students from the MRC-NECC Inclusion Program to a new Adek project called the Adek Autism Inclusion Project. These students are currently in mainstream schools and will continue to receive full learning support as they go through the next stages of their educational journey. In practice, this also creates seats in the MRC-NECC for Emiratis that require special services.
We are committed to building Student Student Programs that enhance their learning and produce good results once they leave our care, ”said Rubi Mahmood, director of Adek’s Student of Determination.