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<\/a>The purpose of the book is to encourage kids from this new generation to share their perceptions about limitations or special needs of any kind, the writer said. \u201cI feel that we\u2019re all part of society and we need to integrate, to be part of people\u2019s lives in one way or another, and to show this new generation that helping out and offering support is worthwhile. That special needs kids on the other end will get that care and support. All it takes is to see them in a different light, to believe in them, and to give them the opportunity to develop all their skills so they can blossom.\u201d<\/p>\n
From a very young age, Hoeppler realized and was bothered by prejudice against people with special needs. When the time came to go to college, she chose Special Education, and then she started working with special needs children. Now, she holds master\u2019s and doctorate degrees in the field. \u201cPeople with special needs have skills, and given the opportunity to develop those skills, they can be outstanding,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
While she was in college, a friend had a daughter with Down Syndrome. \u201cVit\u00f3ria is now above 20. Me, her mother, and another mother established a Down Syndrome Association in Santa Maria (RS). The idea was to support the families with information for the parents and activities for the kids,\u201d she said<\/p>\n
After completing her doctorate degree, she moved to Canada and then the United States. In 2017, Hoeppler relocated to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. After working as a private teacher for a 11-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, she realized there was a gap in the traditional school system.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realized that actual inclusion wasn\u2019t happening at the school that my student went to. The teachers had never explained the other kids what Down Syndrome was, the characteristics, the behavior\u2026 So I checked out the work being done at other schools and I realized that it was really limited. They didn\u2019t have the right people available to give the answers. There was a gap, there was a problem there.\u201d<\/p>\n
So she sat down with the child\u2019s family and explained that people with Down Syndrome need a busy social life. They need repetition and a different kind of schooling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe came to the conclusion that this child wasn\u2019t getting proper teaching, proper academic work to meet their needs at that point. He was in class with younger children than him, and his learning level was lagging way behind in that environment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In 2018, with support from that student\u2019s family, Hoeppler established the Dubai Down Syndrome Centre, a full-time school for kids with Down Syndrome and part-time for children with other special needs.<\/p>\n
Hoeppler created and developed the entire curriculum. The Centre offers activities from 9 am to 6 pm for children and adolescents aged 5 to 18, including physical therapy, speech therapy, art, reading, writing, music and physical education. \u201cIt is a very comprehensive curriculum for their development. They require highly visual teaching with lots of repetition, and the Centre offers just that, with new technologies and different approaches.\u201d<\/p>\n
From 2 am to 5 pm, the Centre welcomes other special needs kids for activities including speech therapy, physical therapy, reading and writing.<\/p>\n
The Centre had to go into temporary closure in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. \u201cWe are planning to reopen in January 2021. People with Down Syndrome have a high rate of respiratory problems, so they need extra protection from Covid-19.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea to write the book came from Hoeppler\u2019s work at the Centre and delivering lectures on Down Syndrome at places such as schools, companies and embassies. \u201cI noticed that the kids would ask lots of questions and that there was an information gap, so I decided to write the book so I could help this new generation, so they can learn about the syndrome, and so that these kids can interact with each other more.\u201d<\/p>\n
An Arabic edition is due out in January, and there are plans for translations into Turkish, Portuguese and Spanish. The book can be ordered on Amazon or from the author\u2019s email: ladimarito@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Proceeds from the book\u2019s sales will go to a project by Hoeppler to raise awareness among mothers and families expecting babies with Down Syndrome. She will create a comprehensive guide containing information and testimonial footage, with material available in different languages.<\/p>\n Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/strong><\/p>\n