Miracle at Senses ... Child, lame since birth, starts to walk

Senses is a residential and day care centre for children with special needs; the only one that boards children with severe disability, and the only one that caters to the needs of those above 18 years of age. 

In fact, it is the only centre in the GCC that provides residential care for children with severe cases of disability, tells Dr Lina Owies, specialist in special education who has worked with different institutes throughout the Middle East. 

When asked how one can define a 'severe case', Dr Owies offers a tour of the facility to drive home the point. 

Senses currently takes care of 88 children, of which 46 reside at the centre. “We have children with physical disabilities; they are located on the ground floor. And on the first floor we have those with mental disabilities,” she explains. 

There are children with mild and severe cases of physical disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, mental disabilities or the Downs Syndrome; some not able to move any part of their body. “Now, that is a severe case,” says Dr Owies. 

Senses Residential and Day Care was founded by Nadia Khalil Al Sayegh in 2005. “She realised that there was a gap in service facilities to children suffering from severe cases of disability,” she says on behalf of the founder. 

Like in other countries, the percentage of disabled children is approximately 8-10 per cent of the total population in the UAE.

Although there are specialised centres that provide day care services to specified groups, there are many children that are accepted by none of them, due to a lack of knowledge on how to deal with these cases, explains Dr Owies. 

“At the time this centre was founded, we received children who were raised in hospital, because their parents had abandoned them and there was no other place they could stay.” 

Apart from abandoned children there are cases where parents do not know how to cope with the disability of their child, or where the child has lost both his parents. However, there are also a lot of devoted and loving parents who do everything to make the best out of the situation, tells Dr Owies. 

“In any case, providing special care to people with disabilities is of utmost importance,” she says, “preferably from the youngest age possible. 

“What we often see is that parents are at first in shock when they discover the disability of their child. This shock is followed by grief, and then ignorance. We sometimes receive children at the age of 10, because it took the parents that long to realise something had to be done.” 

Although a child with disabilities will never be cured, there are certainly ways a child can learn how to live with his or her condition. “We follow a dedicated program for each individual child, based on analysis and a setup of goals,” says Lina. 

“Last week, this young girl managed to walk to the TV, although she has been unable to use her legs since she was born,” says Lina proudly introducing the child. 

“Another child was able to go to school, after following a specialised educational programme in our centre. He learned how to write, read, recognise objects and sort them out; and now he is able to follow his grade’s curriculum. 

“When children are brought in at the age of ten, it is very difficult to develop certain skills. Parents ask us why their child can still not go to school, but the key is really to provide the child with specialized programs from the beginning.” 

However, once childhood is past the need for special case does not disappear, points out Dr Owies. “There is a completely different approach with different goals for the age group above 18, one that should not be neglected.” 

Alarming is that there is no facility in the UAE that provides residential care for the handicapped in that age group. “Once they reach this age, handicapped are bound to leave the center, if they were in any,” says Dr Owies. “That’s why some of our residents are above the age of 18. I could not possible throw them out, they are like my children!” 

Although Senses currently holds a waiting list of 200 applicants, the policy is that all cases are accepted. “We would not be able to do this without the support of Rotary Club,” Dr Owies explains. “The building is a present from municipality, and we receive donations from several parties. But Rotaru Club is providing continuous support, on which we rely.” 

Dr Owies herself is at the centre 24 hours a day. “This is my home, I live here,” she says. “My children are old enough to take care of themselves, and my husband runs a big business in Saudi Arabia. In a couple of years I will retire, but for now I want to give all I have.”

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