Nour M. Al-qassab is a Master's degree candidate in Special Education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and lives in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He will use the grant to promote the establishment of two new ABA chapters in the Arabian Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia and the State of Bahrain. The presence and expansion of ABA chapters in these countries will provide an excellent opportunity for the dissemination of behavior analysis in this region. The biggest impact of the project will be reflected in changing the current and ineffective traditional interventions for autism and other related disabilities to empirically proven ones.
The project will involve several measures that will eventually funnel into the development of the proposed new chapters. This will include conducting ABA workshops in both countries on either a joint or separate basis. In mid 2002, a joint applied behavior analysis workshop is proposed to take place in Bahrain. The workshop will focus on using verbal behavior and improving communication skills for autistic children and related disorders. The project will also support the increase of public awareness of ABA and its applications through articles in local newspapers, family magazines and special education publications. Translation of selective articles into the Arabic language and the creation of an Arabic website about ABA are also proposed. Local newspaper editors who have shown their interest in helping their communities will be contacted for their support, as will faculty members in psychology, business, and education.
Handicap Societies in both countries who will be a good support in publicizing ABA for the interest of children with disabilities, will also be contacted. Many parents of children with disabilities (in particular, autism, learning disabilities and other language related disorders) are motivated to have in-depth training for helping their children. Assembling ABA chapters will serve as an umbrella that will host parents and professionals to work together in improving the existing services for children in the region.
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