The International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations welcomes a new member: the Sharjah Center for Learning Difficulties (SCLD) in the United Arab Emirates.
This is our first member in the Arab world, and it is a government center, which makes it a rare kind of partner. Most dyslexia and dyscalculia organizations start as parent initiatives or volunteer groups. The Sharjah Center was created by decree of the Ruler of Sharjah, with its own legal personality and its own budget, to serve people with learning differences of every age and every nationality living in the UAE. That is the kind of institutional backing our field rarely gets.
Who they are
The Sharjah Center for Learning Difficulties was established by Emiri Decree No. 49 of 2016, issued by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. It operates under the supervision of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, whose Director-General, Sheikha Jamila bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, chairs the center. The center is located in the Wasit suburb of Sharjah and is directed by Dr. Hanadi Al Suwaidi.
In their own words, from their membership application:
The Sharjah center for learning difficulties supports individuals with learning difficulties and their families. We provide assessment and diagnosis, counselling, and educational, psychological, and social support. We also work with schools and other educational institutions to raise awareness, build professional capacity, and promote the inclusion and empowerment of individuals with learning difficulties.
The center’s slogan is “We are your advocates to education.” Its stated vision is to be the leading center for advocacy, inclusion, and empowerment of people with learning differences in the UAE and the Arab world. In practice, the center:
- assesses and diagnoses children and adults with learning differences and monitors the progress of enrolled students,
- offers family counseling, career advice, social and psychological support, and a self-advocacy program,
- provides speech and language services, assistive technology, and further specialist support under one roof,
- trains teachers and specialists, advises schools and institutions, and runs school visits and a parents council,
- and has hosted three Learning Difficulties Conferences and two virtual forums, alongside lectures, workshops, and its own publications.
Why it matters for IFDDA
Our members exchange knowledge, methods, and experience across borders. With the Sharjah Center, the federation gains its first member in the Gulf region and the Arabic-speaking world, and a partner that combines diagnosis, support, teacher training, and public awareness in a single publicly funded institution.
Most of what is published about dyslexia and dyscalculia describes learners of English. Arabic has its own script and its own challenges, and a center that assesses and supports Arabic-speaking learners every day brings knowledge to the federation that most of our members do not have. We look forward to learning from it.
You can find the Sharjah Center for Learning Difficulties at scld.ae, and all IFDDA members at ifdda.org.
If you run a non-profit dyslexia or dyscalculia organization and would like to join the federation, membership is free. Apply at ifdda.org.