LSA vs shadow teacher: is there really a difference in the UAE?

Parents often ask us to explain the difference between an LSA and a shadow teacher, expecting two distinct roles. In the UAE, the honest answer is: usually none.

Where the terms come from

"Learning Support Assistant" is the term used more broadly in British-curriculum contexts and in formal SEN documentation. "Shadow teacher" is the phrase that's become common in everyday use across Dubai and Abu Dhabi schools, regardless of curriculum. Functionally, both describe the same one-to-one, in-classroom role.

Does the label affect quality?

No — what matters is training, briefing and supervision, not the job title on a contract. When comparing providers, ask about clinical supervision structure and how the specialist is briefed on your child's plan, rather than which term they use.

What we call it

We use both terms interchangeably depending on what a family or school is used to, but every placement — whatever it's called — is supervised by our clinical team the same way.