RIYADH, 12 May 2008 — Sami Al-Otaibi, who is eight, was born suffering from cerebral thrombosis, which caused him to become physically and mentally disabled. Recently he joined a program designed and supervised by a team of specialists at Sultan Humanitarian City, which gave him the chance to lead a normal life and attend school.
The program — which included physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and vocational therapy — focused on enhancing Al-Otaibi’s physical and mental abilities.
The program also provided support to Al-Otaibi’s family to help him overcome the difficulties he may face in his daily life.
Although there are no special needs programs available in any of the schools where Al-Otaibi lives, officials at the Sultan Humanitarian City coordinated with the Department of Education in the Afif area, where a special class was established to provide the eight-year-old and other special needs children education.
“This achievement is the result of joint efforts to help Sami to get a better education when he moves into mainstream society,” said Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Shamikh, CEO of Sultan Humanitarian City. He added that this step reflects the importance of cooperation between educational institutions to spread awareness in society regarding the needs of this section of people.
