Al-Dhahiriya Municipality Special Education Center
Al-Dhahiriya Municipality Special Education Center is one of the leading community-based educational institutions in the city of Al-Dhahiriya, south of Hebron Governorate. It was established in 2017 in partnership with the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation / Community-Based Rehabilitation Program, forming a key pillar in the social and educational services system in the city and its surrounding areas.
The Center includes three main departments: the Special Education Department, and the Rehabilitation Department, which comprises physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy rooms equipped with the latest devices necessary for case assessment, in addition to a fully equipped sensory room containing advanced equipment for sensory therapy.
The Center receives children with disabilities from the age of three up to fourteen years old, where they receive specialized educational and rehabilitation services according to accredited professional standards based on precise assessments conducted in cooperation with the Arab Society and by a qualified and specialized staff.
The Center also includes a Family and Community Counseling Department, which was established in 2013 and later developed in partnership with the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation. A social counselor is responsible for following up on humanitarian cases and cases of persons with disabilities in the city of Al-Dhahiriya by preparing a comprehensive database and directly referring cases to the Society’s specialized departments through a field team that conducts diagnosis, assessment, and necessary procedures. Children may be referred to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or other appropriate services. The Center also provides assistive devices such as walkers, wheelchairs, bathing and toilet chairs, medical mattresses, and other supportive aids.
The social counselor also works on forming support groups for mothers of children with disabilities and organizing periodic awareness meetings aimed at enhancing their awareness of their children’s rights and strengthening their capacities, in cooperation with institutions concerned with psychological support and community awareness development.
In addition, persons with disabilities over the age of 18 are assessed and referred to economic empowerment programs, either by providing them with small business projects or directing them to specialized centers that match the nature of their disabilities. The Center also coordinates with local and international community institutions to provide support in the field of disability and to launch specialized projects that serve this group and ease the time and effort required from families throughout the treatment process. Among the most notable of these projects are the Al-Dhahiriya Municipality Special Education Center in Al-Mashrou‘ area and the “Board” Project implemented in partnership with the Bethlehem Arab Society and Caritas Jerusalem.
The Center serves children with intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties, speech and communication disorders, physical disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder through educational, pedagogical, and rehabilitation programs that take into account individual differences and the specific needs of each case. Services include special education, speech and language therapy sessions, occupational and physical therapy, psychological counseling, and the development of life and social skills within a supportive environment that strengthens the family’s role in the rehabilitation process and contributes to the educational and social inclusion of children, while improving their quality of life and that of their families
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Al-Dhahiriya Municipality Special Education Center
