Coming up at the Family and Child Support Center
Incredible Years Program ® Basic Parent Training
Category: Early Childhood Development
Target: Preschoolers
Audience: Parents of preschoolers
Language: English/Arabic
Price: 300 SAR
Description: Parental training program for parents of preschoolers in the KAUST community. The program offers a play-based intervention, focuses on coaching parents with parenting skills to support their preschoolers’ social, emotional, and behavioral development at home. The program is delivered by Dr. Sana Dubis, Program Development Specialist (FCSC) & Huda Al-Thahir, Clinical Psychologist (IMC).
If you have any specific questions, please reach out directly to the FCSC: fcsc@kaust.edu.sa
Kind regards,
The FCSC Team
Parents as Teachers
Category: Academic Performance
Target: School age students
Audience: Parents of students in mainstream schools
Language: Arabic
Price: 200 SAR
Description: Parental training course for parents of students in the mainstream schools. The course offers parents of students who are struggling at school with essential teaching skills and strategies to help improving their kids' academic achievement at school. It is devised by Dr. Sana Dubis, Learning Development Specialist – Learning Difficulties (FCSC).
Everyday Parenting: ABC’s of Child Rearing Course
Category: Behavior Management
Target: Childhood through young adults
Audience: Parents or Caregivers
Language: English/Arabic
Price: 300 SAR
Description: Parental training program for parents of children and adolescents in the KAUST community. The course provides parents with behavior-change techniques that make their typical day at home easier as they develop the behaviors they would like to see in their child.
It is devised by Dr. Alan Kazdin (Yale University) and facilitated by Dr. Sana Dubis, Learning Development Specialist (FCSC).
Physical Education Program
Category: Sport (Social, behavioral and language development and self-regulation skills)
Target: children and young adults
Audience: kids from 3 – 18 years old
Language: English & Arabic
Description: Physical Education Program for kids aged 3-18 years who in need for additional support in the KAUST community. The program is a group-based intervention, it focuses in improving a child's social, behavior, language, and self-regulation skills. The program is devised by Dr. Sana Dubis, Learning Development Specialist (FCSC) & Mr. Ghazi Abdulla, the founder of Chromosome Gym Center for Kids in need for additional support.
Coming up
The Parent Committee at the FCSC will host an evening on the second Monday of every month to support parents in the community.
All parents of children with any needs are invited to come together and meet with other parents at the FCSC Monthly Coffee Social.
The session will start from 6 pm
This is a great time for parents to meet, share stories, ideas, and experiences, find recommendations for therapy, and feel a sense of belonging in the community.
If you have any specific questions, please reach out directly to the FCSC: fcsc@kaust.edu.sa
Kind regards,
The FCSC Team
“Beach To Beacon” run/walk for autism
Join our event to celebrate Autism Awareness Week which runs from March 27 to April 2. The FCSC parent committee have worked closely with the B2B organizers to put on this special run in celebration of Autism Awareness.
The run will take place on Monday March 27. Registration will be at 5:15 p.m. in the main IRC car park.
It would be great if you and your families would join and support this fun event.
Please wear BLUE in support of Autism.
We look forward to seeing many of you there!
If you have any specific questions, please reach out directly to the FCSC: fcsc@kaust.edu.sa
Kind regards,
The FCSC Team
Parents coffee social
Starting in March, the Parent Committee for the FCSC will host an evening on the second Wednesday of every month to support parents in the community.
Please come and join us with your families for an evening cup of coffee. This is a great time for parents to meet, share stories, ideas and experiences, find recommendations for therapy and feel a sense of belonging in the community.
A “Card Making Activity” will be conducted with the children on the theme "Mother's Day" which is celebrated on the 21st of March in Saudi Arabia. The objective is to have a fun activity where the children will create a handmade card expressing their feelings for their loved ones.
All materials will be provided at the center.
The first parents’ coffee social will take place on Wednesday March 15, 2023, from 6 p.m. at the Family and Child Support Center. Please complete the attached form if you intend on attending FCSC Socials Registration Form
We would love to see you there.
Monthly Family Social
The next monthly family social will be on Saturday March 25, it will be slightly later from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. to support families observing Ramadan. Light snacks and cold drinks will be available privately for children not observing Ramadan.
There will be some light activities for children to do including LEGO building and a music session. We look forward to welcoming you to the Family and Child Support Center soon!! No need to register, just turn up.
If you have any specific questions, please reach out directly to the FCSC: fcsc@kaust.edu.sa
Kind regards,
The FCSC Team
Help Your Child Grow and Thrive – Child Development Talk at Daycare
The FCSC staff will host a parent information session for all parents with children accessing Daycare Services. This session will take place in the Conference Room in ECC2 on Tuesday, March 7 between 12 noon and 1:00 p.m.
In February 2022, the CDC issued a major update to their Developmental Milestones Checklist for children from 2 months to five years of age. This revision clarified language, removed non-universal milestones (e.g. crawling), added new milestones (15 months and 30 months), and shifted the percentage from 50% to 75% achieving an expected milestone. This talk will outline why these changes occurred, how parents can track their own child’s development, and when parents should consider a referral to a pediatrician or child psychologist for further investigation.
KAUST Perspective
There are approximately 150 babies born to KAUST residents every year (Community Life) and this number is expected to increase as the university expands. By extrapolation, KAUST currently has around 150 children under the age of six with some form of developmental disability (e.g. language, autism, behavior, intellectual, literacy, learning etc.), all of whom would benefit from early intervention that explicitly targets their language, behavioral, and social skills. By making parents more aware of typical developmental, delays can be identified quicker, strategies can be put in place to support children, and longer-term difficulties with learning and development can be mitigated.
Details
Where: ECC2 Conference Room
When: Tuesday lunchtime, March 7, 2023
Invitees: All parents with children from 18 months to 4 years
Facilitators: Paul O’Callaghan, Sana Dubis, Helen Wells, Mai Beshady
Time: 12:00-12:30 p.m. (Milestones Talk), 12:30-12:50 p.m. (FCSC Information)
Proposed benefits
- Raise awareness of typical and atypical child development from 18 months to 4 years
- Empower parents to act early to support their children’s learning and behavioral needs
- Create a referral pathway from Daycare to KAUST Health, via the Family and Child Support Center
Please register your attendance via the following link: FCSC information session registration form
If you have any specific questions, please reach out directly to the FCSC: fcsc@kaust.edu.sa
Kind regards,
The FCSC Team
January 19, 2023
February 2023 programs
Monthly Socials
The Family and Child Support Center will host a Monthly Family Social session on the last Saturday of every month. The next family social session will take place on Saturday, Jan 28 at 10:00 a.m. No registration needed. We hope to see you there.
The parent committee at the FCSC have planned for 2 activities for children and young people to try at each monthly social. Lined up in January, we have a music session and a yoga/mindfulness session planned. We have designed these sessions so that children and young people can try both sessions. These sessions will run from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and then 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Nimisha Rajawat is an internationally certified yoga and mindfulness teacher delivering a range of techniques in yoga and mindfulness. She will offer a session that will include a range of skills including mindful meditation, breathing workshops and yoga movement for children and young people.
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Chad Vietti is a musician that specializes in teaching and playing the guitar. He began his teaching career through the nonprofit foundation, Lead Guitar, where he led guitar ensembles and taught individual lessons to primary school children. He has made teaching, playing, and now even building guitars in his workshop at KAUST his life’s passion.
Why Can’t We Just Be Happy Forever Workshop
By: Zahra A. AlNafaily, MFT
The Family and Child Support Center is excited to announce a one-off workshop called “Why Cannot We Just Be Happy - Forever?” devised by Zahra A. AlNafaily. Zahra has an extensive counseling experience working with both local and international clients. She holds a bachelor’s degree of psychology from Portland State University and a master's degree in Marriage and Family counseling from Lewis and Clark University.
Key topics covered:
- Gain deep insights on the impact of misconceptions of happiness within ourselves, relationships, and work.
- Learn concrete steps to live true happiness and have a meaningful and fulfilling life
- How to deal with any inner struggles including thoughts and feelings in an effective and scientific way
- How to be present in the ‘here and now’ to enjoy your moment to the fullest.
- How to explore your values and choose your behaviors based on them.
Program: Why Can’t We Just Be Happy - Forever?
Audience: Interested members in the community
Facilitators: Zahra A. AlNafaily, MFT
Time and Venue: Three hours session on Saturday. February 4, 2023, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in room K117 at the FCSC
Total Cost: 320 SAR per person.
Objectives: Offering people in the community, a positive program that focuses on mental health and wellbeing.
To register your interest in this program, please complete the following form:
Why Can’t We Just Be Happy Forever Workshop registration
Self-care workshop
By: Ayesha Kapadia
The Family and Child Support Center is excited to announce a 3 session Makeup workshop by Ayesha Kapadia, a professional makeup artist.
Two workshops will be offered, one for parents/adults and the other aimed at young people aged between 12 to 18 years old.
The workshop will include basic education around skin care, prep & prime, application of daily makeup techniques, enhancing individual features along with transforming daytime makeup into nighttime glam, followed by a Q&A session.
Women only Workshop
- Program: Self Care Workshop
- Audience: Women only in the KAUST community
- Facilitators: Ayesha Kapadia
- Time and venue: 3 sessions in total delivered once a week over a 3 week program on Mondays, starting February 6, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in room K117 at the Family and Child Support Center
- Places: Maximum of 15 people. People are encouraged to bring their own skincare and make-up products to get the best use out of them. Ayesha will also have products available to try.
- Cost: 105 SAR for the full program
To register your interest, please complete the form
Self-care Workshop for women registration link
Young People’s Workshop
- Program: Self Care Workshop
- Audience: Young people aged 12 – 18 years
- Facilitators: Ayesha Kapadia
- Time and venue: 3 sessions in total delivered once a week over a 3 weeks program on Mondays, starting Feb 6, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. in room K117 at the Family and Child Support Center
- Places: Maximum of 15 young people
- Cost: 105 SAR for the full program
To register your interest, please complete the form
Self-care young people's workshop registration link
If you have any specific questions, please reach out directly to the FCSC: fcsc@kaust.edu.sa
Kind regards,
The FCSC Team
January 9, 2023
January 2023 programs
The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is a social skills training intervention developed at UCLA to support individuals who have social challenges and difficulty with peer interactions and relationships.
The course aims to help children and parents improve their social skills when interacting with different peers and in different social situations. The PEERS® Program emphasizes live practice with continual close guidance from parents and coaches. The program focuses on promoting real-world practice each week and helps parents to provide effective support for developing social skills at home.
Course details
Program: PEERS®
Audience: For parents who would like their children to further develop their social skills. The program is aimed at young people in grade 5 through to grade 9.
Facilitators: Dr. Paul O’Callaghan and Helen Wells
Time and Venue:
- Sessions will start January 24. There will be 1 session per week for children/young people to attend and 1 session per week for parents to attend.
- Sessions for children/young people will take place on a Tuesday between 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
- Sessions for parents will take place on a Tuesday 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. (sessions with parents could take place on Zoom if preferred). The venue for sessions will be room K115 at the FCSC. This program may be split into two 6-week blocks depending on parent preference.
Places and Total Cost: Maximum of 6 families. 1000 SAR per family for total of 12 sessions.
To register your interest in this program, please complete the following PEERS® Registration Form
‘Head Start, Reading Smart’ – Six-Week Home Literacy Parent Training Course
Do you have older kids who have found reading difficult? Is there a family history of reading or language difficulties? Do you feel your child could benefit from early home reading support? If so, come to The Family and Child Support Center (FCSC) for a six-week home literacy course.
This course is designed to coach parents to support reading at home. You will also receive a home kit to use between sessions to support your child’s reading skill development at home.
The sessions are interactive and use videos and role-plays to teach letter-sound knowledge and blending. It is facilitated by parents who have used the program before and is most appropriate for parents of children who do not yet know all their letter sounds or know how to blend.
Note: Places are limited. Please register your interest with this form: Head Start Reading Smart
Course details
Program: Head Start, Reading Smart (based on the Read, Write Inc. Phonics Program)
Audience: Parents of children aged 3+ with a family history of language/reading difficulties
Time/Venue: 6 weekly sessions starting Monday, January 16, 2023, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the FCSC, Family Room
Total cost: 300 SAR per family (includes a parent kit with all the resources needed at home)
Attendance: Ideally both parents attend sessions. Expectation is one parent attends every session
If you have any specific questions, please reach out directly to the FCSC: fcsc@kaust.edu.sa
Kind regards,
The FCSC Team
Attend FCSC Parenting Courses and Family Engagement Sessions
18 October, 2022
The Family and Child Support Center (FCSC) is pleased to announce the launch of two programs designed to support families with additional needs in the community.
November parents and young people’s programs
Two Yoga and Mindfulness Programs devised by Nimisha Rajawat, an internationally certified yoga and mindfulness teacher.
The four-week programs (2 sessions a week) will start on November 21 and will include mindful meditation sessions, breath workshops, sound healing sessions, lectures and yoga movement sessions.
There will be two separate programs:
Adults only program
Young people program (aged between 8 to 18 years old)
For more information and how to book, please use this link.
Reminder - Monthly Socials at the Family and Child Support Center
The Family and Child Support Center host a Monthly Family Social session on the last Saturday of every month. The next family social session will take place on Saturday, November 26 at 10:00 a.m. in ECC3. No registration is needed, we hope to see you there.
Monthly Family Engagement Sessions
FCSC Family Engagement Sessions
Last Saturday of Every Month (starting on October 29)
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
ECC3 Family and Activity rooms – Here’s a map
The FCSC welcomes families with children with additional needs to our monthly engagement sessions. These sessions allow families to come together, support each other, and hear what is available at the Center for the coming month. Please feel free to come with your children.
Parenting Course
The FCSC, in partnership with the KAUST Enrichment for Youth (KEY) Office, is launching a new parenting course.
Parenting research identifies two key dimensions of successful parenting: 1) Warmth, availability, and responsiveness, and 2) High expectations, monitoring and behavior management (Maughan, 2011). The combination of these two skills helps raise children who are both happy and responsible.
The FCSC and the KAUST Enrichment for Youth office are launching a 6-week parenting course based on the principles of Love and Logic®. This course teaches parents the importance of empathetic, and loving support for their children, while also building responsibility and problem-solving skills. This community-wide parent offering invites parents to review their current parenting strategies and consider some new tools and strategies to support their children's social, emotional, and behavioral development at home.
- Program: Based on Love and Logic® Principles
- Audience: Parents of children aged 3-12 years old
- Facilitators: FCSC (Dr Paul O’Callaghan – clinical lead) and Office of the Provost (Samantha Tully – Lead, KAUST Enrichment for Youth (KEY)
- Time and Venue: 6 weekly sessions starting October 24. 6:00 – 7:30 pm in the ECC3 Family and Activity rooms – Here’s a map
- Total Cost: 300 SAR per family (includes light snacks, and resources needed to complete the course)
- Preference: both parents attend sessions. Expectation: one parent attends every session. These sessions are for parents only.
Learning Objectives:
- Program: Based on Love and Logic® Principles
- Parents successfully implement these strategies with their children at home after the course
Please register your interest by completing this form:
