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The Challenger Division in Dubai is a baseball league organized and founded by Faiz Moosa. It is a baseball league in Dubai that gives special needs children the opportunity to partake in the beautiful sport of baseball.

“It is important as a parent that we monitor the level of praise that we provide to our children. Praise should be related to specific achievements and skills and be appropriate to what has been achieved,” says Bailey.

“Reaching u gives awareness for parents on facilities for special needs that are available in Dubai. For example, I didn’t know that they had baseball for children with special needs. So now that I know, we’ll get our son to start today.”

It helps if you keep the long term goal in mind. “Once parents start practising good team work and a consistent approach using positive strategies, it can take as little as six to eight weeks for effective change to occur,” says Sequeira.

Unfortunately, Bailey says, certain children are more likely to be approached by predators. “If children do not receive satisfaction with their peer relationships within everyday life, they are more likely to seek connections through virtual resources. Children

Nannette Wicker Essick who is an occupational therapist at the Kids First Medical Center and helps the buddies and the players, said: “The buddies learn so many things from this experience… So it’s been a great effort,” she said.

Time Out speaks to Therese Sequeira, parent educator at KidsFirst medical centre, to find out how to set resolutions for the entire family. How do I help a child make their own resolutions? Setting a new year’s resolution is simply about

It’s not always easy to draw your child away from the screen. Therese Sequeira, a parent educator at KidsFirst Medical Center, Dubai (www.parentingdubai.com) offers these tips: Rotate toys so that children don’t become “blind” to the ones they see

“Children who have experienced persistent emotional abuse tend to emotionally withdraw as they are frightened of what reaction their presence will have on others,” says Amy Bailey, a clinical psychologist at kidsFIRST Medical Center, Dubai

Dr Amy Bailey, Clinical Psychologist at KidsFIRST Medical Centre, said that for all children, the level of supervision and safety precautions needed should be considerate of a child’s developmental level and understanding. “Older children can more

“It is certainly recognised within the psychology professions that breastfeeding your child has positive long-lasting benefits,” says Dr Amy Bailey, clinical psychologist at KidsFIRST Medical Center. “However, beyond the age of two our parenting task

Therese Sequeira, a parent educator at KidsFirst, agrees: “It is essential to reward children for helping out with chores around the home. Generally speaking, when parents reward children, they are encouraging their children’s desirable behaviours 

“As a parent one of the most important things we need to ensure for our children is that they have a sense of safety and security. It is therefore important that we support our children and reassure them when they feel anxious. The manner in which we do

By the end of the first session, I had learnt so much about the way I parent and had recognised traps I had fallen in to, but wasn’t even aware of  (“No, you can’t have another biscuit. No, I said no. No, I just said no. Oh, OK then, but no more.”). 

“Children bully for a variety of different reasons,” explains Dr Amy Bailey, Clinical Psychologist at the kidsFIRST Medical Centre, Dubai. “However, these reasons most commonly stem from the experiences that the child has had. When an infant is born, the

“Parents have access to more information about managing children’s behaviour now,” says Therese Sequeira, parenting educator at KidsFIRST. “There has been a lot of research into the effects of spanking children. In short, hurting children in any

“The buddies gain from this experience as they learn about the amazing abilities these children have, and it changes their perceptions,” says Nannette Wicker, an occupational therapist and executive director at kidsFIRST Medical Center

“It is the consequences of behaviour that either increases or reduces the chance of that behaviour occurring again in the future,” explains Bailey. “Therefore, if your child engages in a negative behaviour and there is no consequence for it, they are likely to

Point out the health effects of smoking. “Lung cancer, emphysema and premature ageing are all consequences of smoking,” says Therese Sequeira, a parent educator at kidsFIRST, Dubai (www.parentingdubai.com). “You should highlight this to your

Nannette Wicker-Essick, executive director of the Kidsfirst Medical Centre that works with 17 schools to provide special-needs programmes, said: “We cannot get to the majority of children because not all parents have that sort of money to pay.”

Don’t: Wait to have the talk. “Children younger than six years are unlikely to put into practise what you teach them regarding stranger danger,” says Amy Bailey, a clinical psychologist at kidsFIRST Medical Center, Dubai (www.kidsfirst.ae). “However, it is

Death, divorce, sex… what do you say when your child puts you on the spot? Dubai-based clinical psychologist Dr Amy Bailey provides appropriate responses to kids’ difficult questions, whatever their age

Amy Bailey is a psychologist at KidsFIRST Medical Centre (kidsfirst.ae), with experience in dealing with children with behavioural and emotional issues. She says, “Arguing with siblings is a normal part of family life. But a child’s interactions with 

The best way to begin is to look at what your child’s current primary school is doing to prepare the children who will be leaving. A lot of primary schools use the final year to talk about moving up to middle school or high school. They usually start letting

“An older child looking at digital baby mementoes with a parent will find it a bonding experience, something that promotes a sense of belonging and emotional attachment,” says Dr Amy Bailey, a clinical psychologist at kidsFIRST Medical Center, Dubai

“Children aren’t necessarily as well coordinated as they used to be because of the whole evolution of technology and the fact kids are not out climbing trees like they once were. Their motor skills are affected by that and then the knock-on-effect is