Amman: In the presence of His Highness Prince Mired bin Raad bin Zeid, Chief Chamberlain, President of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and Chairperson of the Royal Academy for Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities, Al-Masar Child Development Services on Monday launched its first training forum, titled "Al-Masar Forum: From Diversity to Empowerment." The forum brought together Arab experts and specialists in education, therapy, counseling, and child development to exchange expertise and promote professional practices supporting inclusive education.
According to Jordan News Agency, Al-Masar Director General Widad Akrouk stated at the opening that diversity can strengthen learning environments, stressing that inclusive education involves equal access to learning opportunities, participation, and belonging rather than merely placing students in classrooms. She highlighted the importance of translating national laws and policies on inclusive education into practical measures in schools and classrooms. Akrouk explained that successful inclusion should be assessed by students' sense of safety and acceptance, their active participation in learning alongside peers, and their ability to express themselves in ways suited to their abilities.
She noted that inclusive practices begin by identifying students' abilities and strengths before focusing on the challenges they face, listening to their perspectives, and understanding their different forms of expression. Schools, she added, should adapt their environments to accommodate student diversity rather than expecting students to adjust to settings that do not meet their needs.
Akrouk indicated that the forum's sessions focus on practical strategies applicable in schools and classrooms, while also incorporating families' experiences and the challenges they encounter into efforts to develop more inclusive and equitable educational practices. Al-Masar board member Reem Zumot noted that the center, established in 2006, was founded on providing a safe environment that takes account of each child's individual needs and promotes partnership with families.
She explained that Al-Masar initially provided specialized educational and therapeutic services before expanding its programs to include learning support, applied behavior analysis, and in-school assistance. The center later developed the Al-Masar Program and launched the Masari platform to manage educational and therapeutic services and individualized student plans.
Zumot stated that the launch of the Al-Masar Forum, marking the center's 20th anniversary, is intended to provide a platform for exchanging expertise, improving professional practices, and strengthening the capacity of schools and specialists to respond to diverse student needs.
The forum also saw the launch of Masari, an integrated electronic platform for managing educational and therapeutic services for students requiring individualized plans. The platform provides centralized management of student records, including personal data, assessments, individualized plans, and reports, as well as tools for tracking progress and preparing and monitoring individualized education plans. It also includes a secure parent portal providing access to individual plans, progress reports, and performance documentation.
Masari incorporates the Al-Masar Program, developed over 20 years of work in student learning and development. The program includes a bank of more than 1,200 measurable objectives across 22 developmental, academic, functional, and therapeutic areas, allowing goals to be tailored to individual student abilities and needs.
The forum opened with a panel titled "Families' Voices: From Policies to Practices," which examined families' experiences in supporting their children, including challenges related to acceptance, access to education, skills development, and securing inclusive educational opportunities. Participating families identified family support, access to specialized institutions, qualified educational staff, and assistance from Al-Masar as factors that contributed to their children's progress. They also noted that some schools had provided various forms of support despite continuing challenges, stressing that access to inclusive education can be difficult but achievable.
The families also highlighted accommodations provided by the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, including adapting examinations to students' needs. They stressed that supporting students with disabilities requires sustained cooperation among families, schools, and relevant institutions, along with greater awareness and professional training for educational staff.
The forum's sessions were organized around three main themes. The first, "Cooperation and Partnership," addressed effective dialogue with families, strengthening trust and partnership, involving students in developing an inclusive school culture, and improving coordination between classroom teachers and shadow teachers. The second theme, "Planning and Implementation in Inclusive Environments," focused on developing individualized education plans based on assessment results, setting educational priorities, and designing appropriate interventions. It also covered positive behavior support, alternatives to punitive approaches in addressing challenging classroom behavior, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies to reduce barriers to learning.
The third theme, "Understanding and Supporting the Student," examined writing skills among kindergarten and basic education students, factors affecting written performance, sensory-motor challenges, and visual perception. Sessions also addressed language and communication development, the impact of language delays on academic performance and classroom behavior, and strategies for sensory regulation, attention, and behavior.
The sessions aimed to provide practical strategies for educational settings and strengthen educators' ability to understand students' developmental and educational needs and design interventions tailored to individual requirements. The forum is intended to support the development of inclusive education and child services in Jordan and the region through practical approaches applicable in educational settings.