Early Intervention Specialist

Company Overview:

Since the establishment of the union of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, education has received the utmost attention of the founding leader, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah have mercy on him, and his founding brothers. They believed that education was the cornerstone of building an enabled community that could keep pace with the advancements. Over the past decades, the wise leadership of the country was keen on building an educational system that matched its counterparts in the advanced nations. It harnessed for this purpose all the required capabilities, to achieve the country's agenda and national vision in this regard. Sincere efforts have also been made to develop education and adopt the best systems that achieve high-quality education outputs, to achieve the future visions and aspirations of the wise leadership.

Since investing in human capital is the main objective, the UAE has been keen on establishing the Ministry of Education and creating the appropriate environment to build pioneering Emirati schools, in terms of standards, form, and content they provide. It also made sure that such schools provided high-quality educational environment and owned the most technically advanced tools to be able to graduate generations that could pursue their university education confidently in higher education institutions to fulfil the requirements of labour market.

The MOE has also provided a smart learning system and high-quality digital platforms, side by side with the continuous development of school curriculums, according to national learning standards, assessment policy that is based on assessing for learning, and highest quality standards that match the best international practices. Various learning tracks, moreover, have been provided to support the capabilities and skills of students and achieve the country's strategy of encouraging the culture of creativity and innovation through providing the students with the skills of the 21st century and motivating them to have new ideas that relate to the reality they live in and foresee the future. This will eventually help in finding radical, sustainable solutions to the major issues, improving competitiveness, and supporting smart government in its attempts to keep pace with global advancements, advance education, and push it to broad horizons of excellence, leadership, and competitiveness.

Department Definition:

The department develops inclusive education policies, standards, and programs for students of determination and learning disabilities, including detection and diagnosis tools, and identifying academic and professional paths, and the needs of students and staff. It also works to ensure the readiness of the educational field by building databases, identifying training programs, activating partnerships, and implementing awareness campaigns. It follows up on the quality of application in educational institutions and linking them to licensing and evaluation standards in accordance with international best practices and institutional quality standards.

 Job Definition:

Preparing programs, policies, researches and studies in the field of early childhood education for children of determination from 4-8 years old. Early intervention services, providing technical support, supervising the government and ensuring that they apply the approved standards in coordination with the concerned authorities.

 Main Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Preparing specialized studies and research in the field of education and training of children with disabilities from the age of (4-8) years in early childhood, and analyzing their results to support the development of services.
• Participate in committees concerned with the preparation and development of policies, legislations and regulations governing early childhood education in accordance with international best practices.
• Supervise early intervention services and programs and follow up on the quality of their implementation in educational institutions and nurseries in coordination with the relevant authorities.
• Prepare awareness plans for inclusive education, early intervention and disability prevention programs, follow up on their implementation and measure their impact.
• Preparing the regulatory frameworks for early intervention services in nurseries and updating them periodically in accordance with the approved standards.
• Prepare periodic reports and statistics, analyze data, and submit recommendations and development proposals.
• Ensuring the provision of supportive services for children with disabilities according to their developmental and educational needs.
• Coordinating with the concerned authorities to implement surveys and specialized courses in the fields of detection, early intervention, and prevention of disability.
• Preparing and implementing counseling programs for families, and developing awareness materials on dealing with and preventing disabilities
• Developing programs and applications that support families in the field of early intervention
• Participating in the relevant initiatives, committees and development work teams Contributing to the achievement of the Department's initiatives and indicators in accordance with the approved plans
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the line manager

Academic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in special education, Early Childhood, Psychology, or a related discipline.
• A diploma or master's degree in early intervention, special education, or early childhood is preferred.
• English language proficiency is preferred.

Work Experience:

• At least (5-6) years  of work experience for expatriates in  the field of early intervention, special education, or early childhood.
• Experience in the preparation and implementation of educational plans or development programs for children in early childhood.
• Experience in early detection, developmental assessment, and preparation of individual plans.
• Experience working with families and providing counseling and training programs.

Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of early childhood developmental theories, characteristics of children with disabilities, and early intervention methods.
• Familiarity with early detection and developmental assessment tools and the preparation of appropriate individual plans.
• Ability to design and implement educational, developmental, and evidence-based prevention programs.
• Knowledge of methods of counseling and training families and enabling them to implement home programs.
• Specialized reporting skills, data analysis, and development indicators.

General Skills     : 

• Effective communication skills and working within a multidisciplinary team.
• Planning, time management, and work organization skills.
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency in the use of electronic systems and modern technologies in the field of work.