Dr. Hassan bin Abdullah Fakhro, Chairman of the Bahrain Society for Child Development, emphasized that Bahrain has made impressive progress in supporting hearing-impaired children. He highlighted the Kingdom’s leadership in this area, which began more than 31 years ago. In fact, Bahrain established the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Center for Hearing and Speech Development, marking a major achievement in helping hearing-impaired children.
Furthermore, Dr. Fakhro spoke on the International Day of the Hearing Impaired Child, which falls on April 28. This day aims to raise awareness about hearing impairments and ways to prevent them. Additionally, it highlights the abilities of hearing-impaired children, their training, and how they connect with others. Therefore, the Bahrain Society uses this day to show the progress made in improving the lives of these children.
Since it opened, the Prince Sultan Center has led the way in helping hearing-impaired children. Specifically, Dr. Fakhro explained that the center uses a verbal method for training, which has had excellent results. More than 2,121 students have benefited from this method since the center opened, helping them improve their communication skills.
In 2002, the center opened a kindergarten for hearing-impaired children. The goal was to prepare them for regular schools. As a result, in 2024, six students graduated from this kindergarten. Since the center’s start, more than 1,504 students have successfully joined public schools.
The center continues to help children with hearing loss, language delays, and speech problems. Dr. Fakhro shared that, in total, 360 graduates are now attending universities. This success shows the effectiveness of the center’s programs.
Finally, Dr. Fakhro expressed the Bahrain Society for Child Development’s pride in Bahrain’s achievements in supporting hearing-impaired children. He credited these efforts to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s commitment to children’s rights. Ultimately, this vision has helped place Bahrain as a leader in regional and global efforts to promote child welfare and development.
