Schoolchildren in Dubai are being helped to keep stress and anxieties at bay by four-legged classroom assistants.
Well-being dogs Ziggy and Marshall have proved a hit among staff and pupils at Kent College Dubai, where they aid the development of children with special educational needs in one-to-one sessions.
Ziggy, a Shih Tzu-Havanese cross, was first brought to Kent College as a puppy by owner Carmella Jodrell, head of junior school, in January 2020.
Marshall, an 18-month-old Maltese-Bichon Frise cross belonging to school counsellor Laura Channer, joined in March last year.
On-site four days a week, Ziggy and Marshall — both hypoallergenic dogs — also engage with pupils during well-being walks around campus and in supported counselling sessions.
“There is so much heightened emphasis nowadays about mental health and well-being in young people and globally we have seen an increase in the use of therapy or well-being dogs in school,” Kayleigh Hutchison, special educational needs co-ordinator at Kent College Dubai, said.
“For my master’s degree, I had to do a research project. I work a lot with children who are on the autism spectrum, so I decided to focus my research on the effect that dogs have on children — especially those with special needs.
“I used three pupils as a case study and I found that over time, the words they used in each session increased enormously, as well as their eye contact.
“Monitored over a six-week period, each child had two one-on-one, 20-minute sessions a week with Ziggy. All three showed signs of improvement in confidence as a result.”
During observations in the first session, Ms Hutchison said pupil A initiated no conversations with the teacher, used 16 words, and failed to make any eye contact.
During the final observation at the end of the six weeks, pupil A initiated four conversations during the 20-minute session with Ziggy, used 25 words, and gave eye contact on eight occasions.
Similar observations were recorded for the two other pupils taking part.
Ms Hutchison said research has shown that for a child on the autistic spectrum, a dog not only provides therapeutic benefits, but also supports other positive behavioural changes.
“One of the main barriers children with autism have is their social skills,” she said.
“But there is something about a dog that is extremely non-judgemental. You always know what you're going to get with a dog and that creates an element of safety for the child.
“Our dogs listen to instructions and that makes the child feel heard.
“In contrast, you don't always know what you're going to get with a person because they have changing emotions and reactions, which can be overwhelming for an autistic child to manage.”
Unstructured play is where the magic happens
During school hours, Ziggy and Marshall ― who are best friends — interact with pupils throughout the school in short spurts so as to not tire the dogs out.
They participate in unstructured play, speech development and reading development sessions.
Ms Jodrell said unstructured play is where “the magic happens”.
“In a one-on-one context, well-being dogs can be used informally for unstructured interactions where a pupil is simply allowed to sit with the dog and or pet the dog,” she said.
“This helps calm children that may be suffering from stress or anxiety.”
For those who struggle with shyness or annunciation of words, they are taught to give the well-being dog clear instructions, such as “sit” or “lie down".
“When they respond to the instructions, it gives those children that confidence that they have been heard, and as a result, they start to widen their vocabulary in a pressure-free environment,” she said.
The school applied for permission for the dogs to be on campus by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and had to inform all parents of the plan to introduce them into the school setting, with no objections received.
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OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
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Monday September 14
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Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
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Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
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- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
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Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
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- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
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- Duration: Can linger for days
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Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
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Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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