What are students of determination?
'Students of determination' is the UAE's official term for students with disabilities and special educational needs. It comes from 'people of determination', the name the UAE adopted for persons with disabilities. In schools, it covers students with physical, sensory, intellectual, learning, communication, emotional and behavioural needs who require support to access learning.
What this means in practice
The term is used across UAE government services, education regulators and schools. Dubai's KHDA and Abu Dhabi's ADEK both use it in their inclusion policies, and you will see it in school admission forms, job advertisements for learning support staff and individual education plans.
Who may be described as a student of determination
- Students with autism, ADHD or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
- Students with intellectual disability or Down syndrome.
- Students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision.
- Students with physical disabilities or medical conditions affecting learning.
- Students with speech, language and communication needs.
What schools are expected to do
Under the Dubai and Abu Dhabi inclusion policies, private schools are expected to admit students of determination, identify their needs, plan individual support, adapt teaching and work with families. Abu Dhabi also provides some therapy services through specialist centres, and its inclusion policy calls for inclusion teams in every school.
Related terms you will meet
Additional learning needs, SEND (from the UK system), inclusion champion, inclusion lead, learning support assistant, inclusion assistant and individual education plan. Our other Middle East answers explain each.
Practical next steps
- Learn the terms your school uses.
- Read your regulator's inclusion policy.
- Find out who leads inclusion in your school.
- Use respectful, person-first or preferred language with families.
What to keep in mind
Terminology changes over time. Use the terms your school and regulator use, and ask families how they prefer their child to be described.
Common follow-up questions
Is 'students of determination' used outside the UAE?
It is mainly a UAE term; other Gulf countries use terms such as students with disabilities or special needs.
Does a student need a diagnosis to be a student of determination?
Schools identify needs through screening and assessment; formal diagnosis helps but support should not wait for it.
Sources
- ADEK: Inclusive education for every child
- Khaleej Times (2017): Parents hail KHDA's inclusive policy for students of determination
- Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework (UNESCO Planipolis copy)
Sources inform the explanation; examples are educational illustrations, not individual clinical advice. How these answers are prepared.