Childhood Disability among Students Population in Dubai, School-based Screening Strategy, Dubai, UAE, 2016

Background: Disability is a health problem of public health concern.Screening procedures are an important part of the assessment process to identify children and youth who have disabilities.However, such procedures must be used with care as they provide only a preliminary sign that a child has a disability.Objectives: This study is aiming at screening of childhood disability, physical, mental, developmental and others, among students population at school facilities in Dubai.Methodology: The screening was carried out at private schools facilities in Dubai for the period 2015-2016.All students population at private school facilities in Dubai (170) at both (Diera side and Bur Dubai Side) were included.Schools were screened for identification of disability.About 266000 students were approached through conducting comprehensive routine annual medical examinations by school physicians, revising students Medical records, and utilizing diagnostic reports provided by specialist doctors and hospitals.Results: The study revealed that about 3.2% of total student's population in private schools in Dubai are suffering from some kind of disability (4.77% of total Emirati, and 2.99% of total expatriates).Learning disabilities was among the highest prevalent cause of disability followed by visual impairment and hyperactivity: 1.7%., 0.38% and 0.36 respectively; Regarding physical disability, 0.13 % of the total students population at private schools in Dubai were having some kind of it, and again it is more prevalent among UAE nationals (0.19%) compared to other expatriate nationalities (0.12%).Conclusion: Functional and structural impairments and disabilities among Dubai school population at private schools facilities showed alarming prevalence.This raises many questions in terms of applying further tools for further identification as well as the need for early interventions and early rehabilitation services for better correction.It is recommended to apply well structured and competently operated national screening program at earlier ages for addressing both identification and intervention/ rehabilitation issues