I’ve had the privilege of working in state schools, singe- sex school, faith- based schools, a Pupil referral unit and a private school in Dubai so I’ve had varied experiences working with young people with SEND. In this post I'm outlining some of the similarities and differences between the two.

In the UK, I found that it took much longer to get anything done in general, Ed Psych assessments, diagnosis for autism, CAMHS referrals which therefore had a knock on effect on a young person getting their EHCP and the right support in the right educational establishment.

In the UAE, my experience was completely different. The UAE has become more progressive and inclusive and the needs of those with SEND are being catered for better, especially with the Dubai Inclusive Framework (2017) that’s in place. There are no EHCPs, but those with SEND have IEPs which are reviewed termly rather than EHCPs which are reviewed annually. Support is able to be put in place a lot quicker as everything is done privately. Parents don’t have to wait months or a whole academic year for an Ed Psych report as it’s private, the assessment and report are done fairly quickly. 

In the UK, if parents/ carers decide to go down the private route to get their child assessed, they may not have access to the other services provided by the NHS so it can get tricky and frustrating especially when you want answers quickly. 

In the UAE the term used is “people of determination” rather than “SEND”. The country is forward thinking and becoming more inclusive as they progress. It is also important to be culturally aware and sensitive. I believe it is a more straightforward process to get children assessed in the UAE compared to the UK which may reduce the anxiety when waiting for a diagnosis as parents will know what and how to support their child.

Collaboration is key; all stakeholders need to work together in the best interest of the child/ young person. Lines of communication need to be open and stay open to ensure the right support is in place and smooth transitions whether a child is moving to a different year group or school. 

With those in education in the UK feeling overworked and underpaid, limited or a lack of resources and funding and parents/carers waiting long periods of time to get a diagnosis or an EHCP, this shows there is still a lot of work to be done around SEND provision. Although the UAE is progressive, forward thinking and becoming more inclusive, there’s still more progress to be made.