Highlight Parental training was essential in ensuring the needs of autistic children were met during the pandemic, say heads of special needs centres in the UAE Special needs education emphasises the presence and implementation of a structured routine and proximity to mentor figures to ensure its success. However, the pandemic lockdown created obstacles that almost threw this process off track. Special needs institutions have since been exploring means to circumvent the gap and reach out to children and parents. As one of the most established brands in providing support to autistic children, The Doris Duan-Young Autism Center has been reaching out to parents in this hour of need, says the brand’s Clinical Director, Inas Ktaech.