Advocacy Plan
The best way to advocate for Qatari students with intellectual disabilities is to use the language of Islam and to recognize that Western voices carry a limited amount of weight in the discussion. In order to bring about a change in stigma and a resultant increase in support for these students, Muslim and non-Muslim people, families and educators, will all need to unite to destigmatize the idea of disability, and debunk the idea that a child who learns differently is not “normal”. Eventually, having Muslim people with disabilities come forth and be open about their disability would be the most powerful way to change public perception about disability. While this is the goal, I do not think that the cultural understanding of disability has space for this to be considered an option yet. First, cultural “scaffolding” must take place. Teachers must be willing to advocate for their students and get them both diagnosed and participating in education that is developmentally appropriate. In particular, Muslim and Arabic-speaking teachers, who straddle the line between Muslim culture and educational culture, are in a wonderful position to begin to incorporate these ideas about disability in a way that could seem less colonializing. Advocating for these students, at this point, would mean providing professional development to those teachers who could them advocate for students to their parents. From my conversations with Muslim and Arabic teachers, it seems to me that they also see disconnect between the students’ needs and the support available to them. Giving those teachers the tools to begin to address that disconnect as only a cultural native can would begin to give those students and their families a foundation of disability awareness that other teachers and care providers could then build upon.
Reference:
Lo Presti, Francios. Des Étudiantes Du Lycée Averroès De Lille, Premier Lycée Privé Musulman De France, Travaillent Le 03 Septembre 2004 Pour Le Deuxième Jour De La Rentrée Scolaire.7 Feb. 2015, www.la-croix.com/Actualite/France/Un-enseignant-du-lycee-musulman-Averroes-demissionne-l-etablissement-porte-plainte-2015-02-07-1277969.
Servant Leadership
As previously identified, a significant strength of this population is strong social ties. These relationships are not only demonstrated in family structures, but also among classmates in school. When I was working in classrooms with Qatari students, I often observed that students were willing to engage in a helping behavior that might draw negative attention from the teacher, such as allowing other students to copy answers, if that behavior would benefit the student with a learning disability. While this does not empower the student they are “helping”, it does demonstrate a strong communal commitment to supporting one another, even when there could be adverse consequences (such as discipline from an authority). As a counselor-in-training as well as a former shadow teacher, I could design and implement programming to teach students to capitalize on this desire to support each other in their classroom community. In doing so, this desire could be harnessed to empower learners and to promote agency for students with a learning or intellectual disability. A peer-tutoring club could provide students with the opportunities to both help and be helped by their peers. Both the givers and recipients of help could benefit from this system, as students who are not learning disabled could benefit from the learning-by-teaching effect (Cohen, Kulik & Kulik, 1982). This club could take the form of an after-school opportunity, or homeroom trainings during which all students are taught principles of tutoring that would foster greater autonomy in the person they are helping. By making this club available to all students, not just those identified as having a learning or intellectual disability, some of the stigma associated with needing additional academic help could be reduced through the normalizing of extra academic support. I believe that if these Qatari students had opportunities to learn skills to promote another students’ learning, then their desire to see each other succeed would be impetus for the students to adopt more of a teaching mindset.
References
Cohen, P. A., Kulik, J. A., & C., C.-L. (1982). Educational outcomes of tutoring: a meta-analysis of findings. American Educational Research Journal, 19(2), 237–248
Ivy Elation Education. (n.d.). [Peer Tutoring Logo]. Retrieved November 15, 2018, from http://www.ivyelation.com/service/peertutoring.html
Strengths-Based Needs
The very same system that provides many Qatari children with disabilities with support also represents the need that these children have. Families and caregivers of children with disabilities in Qatar worry and care about the life outcomes of those children, but stigma that those families hold may also present a barrier to adequate services (Kheir et al, 2012; Hadidi & Al Khateeb, 2015). It will be important to direct the power of caring, and to encourage families to enroll their children in developmentally appropriate education or seek counseling and support from other professionals. Accordingly, families need to be educated on their child’s disability and options available to them in light of that. As Qatari families learn more about the positive outcomes that their child could have through appropriate and evidence-based interventions, the financial and familial support then available to the child could be a powerful force of positive change. The image above is a reminder that Qatari families can often be large and extended, and if the force of love and support of each member was directed at demanding and attaining the best support for their loved-one, then the stigma and lack of resources for those who have a disability in Qatar would present as much less of an obstacle.
References:
(2014, March 24). Social concept – happy Muslim Arabic family on white background.[illustration]. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/social-concept-happy-muslim-arabic-family-on-white-background-gm516446128-89001117
Hadidi, M. S., & Al Khateeb, J. M. (2015). Special education in Arab countries: Current challenges. International Journal of Disability, Development & Education, 62 (5).
Kheir, N. M., Ghoneim, O. M., Sandridge, A. L., Hayder, S. A., Al-Ismail, M. S., & Al-Rawi, F. (December 01, 2012). Concerns and considerations among caregivers of a child with autism in Qatar. Bmc Research Notes, 5 (1), 1-7.
Systemic Challenges
As I am learning more about the needs of people with intellectual and learning disabilities in Qatar, I think of these maps as being representative of some of the systemic challenges that they face. While Qatar is not a large country, there are only eight facilities that claim to provide education to developmentally different children and adolescents. It is important to note that all of the schools are clustered near the capital, Doha, despite the expanding settlement of areas to the West and South of the city. Of these eight schools, none is geared toward learners with moderate to severe disabilities, and only one school seems to provide education in Arabic. Prompted by the viewpoint of Watters’ “The Americanization of Mental Illness” (2010), I have begin to think more about its parallel: the Americanization of disability care. I wonder if the Western practices surrounding diagnosis, treatment, and support of children with developmental differences present a barrier to Qatari families who want support for their children. I wonder if native Arabic speakers, who may be providing translation and interpretation services for these families as they seek to enroll their children in programming, are able to present the families’ options in a culturally appropriate and well-informed way. It would seem to me that Arabic-speaking special education schools would put families more at ease. However, the professional training needed to staff these schools is rarely offered in Arabic-speaking universities, which presents another barrier. As I consider this issue more, it seems that the availability of appropriate education in Arabic, both at the elementary and professional levels, could start to change some of the stigma surrounding disability by integrating Western research and evidence-based practices into the language and culture. It feels particularly unfair to offer these needed services in such a way that would require a person with a disability to learn, or at least understand, a second language, particularly one so mechanically different than their native language. The lack of accessible special education taught in Arabic, while certainly stemming from other cultural factors, seems like a particularly cruel result of stigma; many children could not receive and adequate education even if they or their families wanted to.
Reference:
Watter, E. (2010, January). The Americanization of mental illness. The New York Times Magazine, MM40. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/magazine/10psyche-t.html
Annotated Bibliography
Al-Aoufi, H., Al-Zyoud, N., & Shahminan, N. (2012). Islam and the cultural conceptualisation of disability. International Journal of Adolescence & Youth, 17 (4).
The purpose of this article is to illuminate the view of disability that is presented in the Qur’an and Sunnah and contrast it with some of the cultural norms of countries governed by Islamic principles. Much of the literature referenced served to explain the Arabic text of the Qur’an in a way that English-speaking readers would understand. The main argument of the authors is that the Qur’an sets guidance to how people should treat those who are “disadvantaged,” which would include those who have a disability, according to the original understanding of the text. The authors then argue that the lack of support for people with disabilities in many Muslim countries, which is often accompanied by practices that mental health and education professionals in the West would consider neglectful, are driven by cultural rather than religious influences. This article is helpful in that it draws a clear distinction between religious and cultural beliefs, and also compares three different Muslim countries to contrast their treatment of disabled people. While the authors cite Saudi Arabia, a county that tends to be culturally similar to Qatar, Saudi Arabia differs in its level of acceptance of Western norms. It would have been useful to have a direct comparison to Qatar. It was very useful to read interpretations of the Qur’anic texts dealing with disability, though I do not have a way to independently know if these translations and transliterations are accurate.
Al Khateeb, J. M., Al Hadidi, M. S., & Al Khatib, A. J. (2014). Arab Americans with disabilities and their families: a culturally appropriate approach for counselors. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 42 (4), 232-247.
This article is a position paper that gives a generic overview of Arab American culture, and suggests best practices for providing counseling to Arab Americans with disabilities. The literature referenced in the first part of this paper emphasized the importance of recognizing within group differences, even as practitioners seekcultural competence with the group as a whole. Some of the cited literature seems relevant, but is too dated to be considered for this purpose. The authors argue that counselors must be aware of cultural aspects such as stigma, communication style, family structure and values, religion, language and administrative barriers, and lack of information and awareness when discussing disability and mental health with Arab American clients. The authors note that coming to a counselor is most likely a last resort for many families, and concludes that counselors must be culturally competent and individually sensitive in order to assure that the client receives the support needed. While this study focuses on a population that is not identical to the one I am studying, most Arabs in Qatar will be receiving counseling and special education services from Western expatriates. Because of this, it is important to recognize the cultural differences, and understand the potential barriers.
Ashencaen, C. S., & Williams, R. (2013). Ethical implications for research into inclusive education in Arab societies: Reflections on the politicization of the personalized research experience. International Social Work, 56 (2), 148-161.
This study was undertaken to attempt to fill the gap in knowledge regarding the availability of inclusive education for students with disabilities in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, which includes Qatar, by surveying agencies that provide disability services to children. The authors cited some work regarding educators’ attitudes toward people with learning disabilities, as well as citing research regarding the social implication of having a family member with a disability. This information is highly interesting, though too old to use in my research. The study was completed by sending a survey with questions about “resources, the perceived needs of service users, education and inclusion issues, staffing issues; and family consultation and participation”to all 48 qualifying agencies in the region. Ultimately, only 7.1% of surveys were returned, and that after much follow up with the agencies. The lack of response seems to indicate the level of cultural stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities, which is useful information as I undertake my study. This attitude seems to be in opposition with the fraternal emphasis of Islam. I think the study accurately identified cultural norms that present barriers to educating people with disabilities and observing some of the discrepancies between the de jureand de factooperations of some GCC governments. The typical Arab skepticism toward Westerners was also rightly noted in this article.
Hadidi, M. S., & Al Khateeb, J. M. (2015). Special education in Arab countries: Current challenges. International Journal of Disability, Development & Education, 62 (5).
This article is a review of the current state of disability education and special education in Arab nations, and notes the diversity between Arab countries. Much of the literature cited in this article was for the purpose of chronicling the changing policies and education about people with disabilities in Arab countries. Authors identified a number of barriers in providing adequate services to children with learning disabilities: limited funding, stigma, dehumanizing perceptions, lack of disability and special education data and policy, lack of inclusivity, need for teacher training, shortage of early intervention and transition services, and minimal parental involvement. The authors conclude that, despite some changes in recent decades, significant barriers remain to the education of disabled children in Arab countries. Significant to my research, the authors observed that limited funding is a barrier even in wealthy Arab nations like Qatar. Though explicit in stating that there is great variety between Arab countries, in grouping the Arab world the paper neglected to identify some characteristics that are specific to Qatar, such as the prevalence of education through international schools. I would have liked to see more of an incorporation of attitudes and barriers among wealthy children in these contexts, rather than just focusing on independent (public) schools.
Kheir, N. M., Ghoneim, O. M., Sandridge, A. L., Hayder, S. A., Al-Ismail, M. S., & Al-Rawi, F. (December 01, 2012). Concerns and considerations among caregivers of a child with autism in Qatar. Bmc Research Notes, 5 (1), 1-7.
This study was conducted to determine the concerns of the families of Qatari children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research sited at the beginning of the study indicated that mother’s level of pessimism had profound effects on the unfolding of her child’s autism. In this study, caretakers of a child 3-17 years old who was diagnosed with autism were interviewed regarding habitual behaviors of the child (such as sleeping, time spent using electronic devices, and absenteeism), attitudes of the caretaker, and concerns of the caretaker for the future of the child. Their responses were compared to those of caretakers of children 3-17 year old developing typically. The author concludes that the children with ASD are socializing less because they spend more time indoors, and that the psychological burden on the caregivers is higher than in the control group. This observation of the burden on caregivers and the tendency to allow children with ASD more discretionary free time could be useful as I consider outcomes of Qatari children with disabilities. I am skeptical of the usefulness of comparing how much time children of the two groups spent indoors, as most Qatari people spend most of their time indoors due to harsh weather conditions, such as extreme heat and dust storms. About half of the participants refused to answer any given question, which the authors attributed to the possibility of parental concerns and religious belief in Allah’s sovereignty. I would suggest that this hesitance might also be related to cultural considerations such as general mistrust of non-Qatari people, especially in a matter as sensitive as a parent’s aspirations for their children.