Autism center signs deal with Arab Emirates

[Ian David]

Autism center signs deal with Arab Emirates

By Claire Cummings, Globe Correspondent | June 28, 2007

SOUTHBOROUGH -- A leading autism center in Massachusetts will manage a $100 million, decadelong effort to bring cutting-edge research and treatment of children to the United Arab Emirates, the center announced yesterday. The New England Center for Children signed the deal last week with officials in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to start a program for children with the developmental disorder that affects social and communication skills

The center will send 50 to 60 employees over the next few years -- six are scheduled to go by December -- to start the operation and train 30 to 40 instructors from Abu Dhabi. The Health Authority- Abu Dhabi and the New England Center will join to build the new center and provide housing for New England Center employees in Abu Dhabi.

In five years, Vincent Strully Jr., the center's founder and chief executive, said he hopes to have 100 employees at the New England Center for Children of Abu Dhabi to help 48 students.

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However, Gould added, the program cannot be offered without substantial financial support. The United Arab Emirates, located on the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Oman, is about the size of Maine and is one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

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Some employees said that while they were interested in moving to Abu Dhabi, they had some concerns about living in the Middle East, given the current political and security situation.

"The nature of the media in this country and the naiveté on our part sometimes leads us to some anxiety," said Hannorah Thurman, 25, of Westborough.

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/06/28/autism_center_signs_deal_with_arab_emirates/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+City%2FRegion+News

[Kajsa]

1. This is very interesting.

Maybe I'm not fully awake right now---

is the center training instructors for centers in other areas
as well as the UAE?

I too, would have concerns regarding travel in the ME at this time.

Thanks to King George's insane war,
we are not very well liked there.