SEN Governess · Dubai & all seven emirates
A SEN governess who carries the plan, not just the day
A trained specialist for your child at home, working to a written plan a clinical lead reviews.
SEN governess, at a glance
Reviewed by Sara Omar Michael, Education and Program Director ·
- What it is
- A trained special-needs specialist working one-to-one with one child, mostly at home, to a written plan.
- Also called
- Special needs governess, SEN nanny, home-based shadow teacher.
- Managed fee
- AED 15,000–30,000/mo, with Special Minds employing and supervising the specialist.
- To open a search
- AED 1,999 for a managed governess search.
- Direct hire
- AED 1,499 to open the search, then one month of the candidate's agreed gross salary.
- Supervision
- Every managed placement is reviewed by a clinical lead who writes and adjusts the plan.
- Where
- All seven emirates, most often Dubai and Abu Dhabi. At home, at school, or both.
- First step
- A conversation, or a standalone assessment for AED 499.
What the job actually is
What is a SEN governess?
A SEN governess is a trained specialist who works one-to-one with a child who has additional needs — most of the day, mostly at home — carrying their learning, routine and behaviour plan rather than only their care.
Also called a special needs governess, SEN nanny, shadow teacher at home. What separates the role from childcare is not the title: there are written goals, and somebody qualified reviews them.
A day, in practice
What she does between breakfast and bedtime.
The learning plan, at home
Homework, reading, handwriting, number work and the targets school has set — run as short, planned sessions rather than an evening battle at the kitchen table.
The routine that holds the day together
Morning, transitions, mealtimes, bedtime. For most children the routine is the intervention, and it works because the same person runs it the same way every day.
Communication and social skills
Building the way your child asks, refuses, waits and plays with siblings — in the situations where those skills actually have to work.
The behaviour plan, consistently
Following the strategies the clinical lead has written, recording what happens, and reporting it back so the plan can change when your child does.
Personal care and independence
Dressing, toileting, feeding and self-care where they are part of the goals — taught towards independence, not done for the child indefinitely.
The bridge to school and therapy
Talking to the school's SENCO and to your child's therapists, so the same strategy runs in the classroom, the clinic and the living room.
Governess, nanny, shadow teacher or tutor
Four roles families are told are the same.
| Role | Training | Works to | Oversight |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEN governess | Trained in special educational needs | Works to a written plan with goals | Supervised by a clinical lead (with us) |
| Shadow teacher / LSA | Trained in special educational needs | Works to the same plan, in the classroom | Supervised, school hours |
| Nanny | Trained in childcare | Care and routine, no learning targets | Answers to the family |
| Private tutor | Trained in a subject | Academic goals only, by the hour | Answers to the family |
Plenty of households have both a nanny and a governess. The question is which one you are asking for.
Two ways to arrange it
We employ her, or you do.
We employ and supervise her
The specialist stays on our books. A clinical lead writes the plan, reviews it, and changes it as your child progresses — and if the placement stops working, we replace her.
AED 15,000–30,000/mo, plus AED 1,999 to start the search
Families who want the plan and the accountability carried for them.
You employ her
We run the search, screen, interview and reference the candidates, and you hire the one you choose onto your own arrangement. One fee, once, and no ongoing relationship with us unless you want one.
AED 1,499 to open the search; the placement fee is one month of the candidate's agreed gross salary
Families who are happy to manage the role themselves.
How a placement happens
Nobody is sent to your home before we understand your child.
- 1
We listen first
A conversation about your child, your household and what the day currently looks like — not a CV sent within the hour.
- 2
We assess
Where the picture is not yet clear, a standalone assessment (AED 499) with our Education and Program Director sets the goals the placement will work to.
- 3
We match
Against the plan and the household — the child's needs, the languages spoken at home, the hours, and what the specialist is and is not prepared to do.
- 4
She is briefed before day one
She reads the plan and speaks to the clinical lead before she meets your child, so the first week is work rather than introductions.
- 5
It is reviewed, and it changes
Progress is recorded against real goals and the plan is adjusted as your child moves. A placement nobody reviews is a placement that quietly stops working.
Who she supports
Matched to your child, not to a category.
At home, in school, or both, across all seven emirates.
Frequently asked
Questions families ask before they hire.
- What is a SEN governess?
- A SEN governess is a trained specialist who works one-to-one with a child who has additional needs — most of the day, mostly at home — carrying their learning, routine and behaviour plan rather than only their care. In the UAE the same role is advertised as a special needs governess, an SEN nanny, or a shadow teacher who works at home. What separates it from childcare is the plan: there are written goals, someone qualified reviews them, and the day is built around them.
- What is the difference between a SEN governess and a nanny?
- A nanny is trained in childcare and keeps your child safe, fed and happy. A SEN governess is trained in special educational needs and works to a written plan with goals — learning, communication, behaviour and independence — that someone clinically qualified reviews. Many families need both, and the two roles work well side by side.
- Is a SEN governess the same as a shadow teacher?
- It is the same training and often the same person, in a different setting. A shadow teacher supports your child in the classroom during school hours; a governess carries the day at home, including the hours around school where most routines are actually won or lost. Some families use one specialist for both, so nothing is lost in translation between school and home.
- How much does a SEN governess cost in Dubai?
- There are two ways to arrange it, and they are priced differently. Managed, where we employ and supervise the specialist, is AED 15,000–30,000/mo, with AED 1,999 to open the search — the range reflects the hours, the complexity of the child's needs and the languages required. Direct hire, where you employ her yourself, is AED 1,499 to open the search and a placement fee of one month of the candidate's agreed gross salary. What the specialist herself earns depends on her experience, the hours and the household, and we will tell you what the market looks like for the role you actually need before you commit to anything. Classroom-hours support is a different service at a different price — see AED 7,000–14,000/mo on our managed LSA page.
- Can she work in school as well as at home?
- Yes, and it is often the strongest arrangement — the same person in the classroom and at home means one set of strategies rather than two. It needs the school's agreement, and we coordinate that with the SENCO directly rather than leaving it to you.
- Do you place live-in governesses?
- We place the specialist; how the role is structured is the family's decision and the specialist's to accept. Special Minds is licensed for recruitment and executive search, and does not act as a sponsor for household staff — where you employ someone directly, the employment arrangement is between you and her. We will be straightforward with you about what we can and cannot do before you pay anything.
- What qualifications do your specialists have?
- They come from special education, psychology, therapy assistance and early-years backgrounds, and many hold or are working towards behaviour-technician certification — our own IBT training runs that pathway. Every one of them gives us a CV and two references we call before anyone is put in front of a family.
- Which languages can she speak?
- Our specialists between them cover English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Tagalog, French and Russian among others. Tell us what is spoken at home and we will match it — for a child with a communication delay it matters more than almost anything else on the brief.
- How quickly can someone start?
- It depends on the brief and on how specific the match has to be. A straightforward one moves in days; a narrow one — a particular language, particular hours, a particular set of skills — takes longer, and we would rather tell you that than send you someone who nearly fits.
- Which emirates do you cover?
- All seven, with our deepest network in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. We are headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah with a Dubai branch in Al Khawaneej.
- What happens if it is not working?
- On the managed service, that is our problem to solve: we review, adjust, and replace the specialist if replacing her is the answer. On a direct hire you own the relationship, but we would still rather hear about it than not — a placement that failed quietly teaches us nothing.
- Do you place governesses for the summer or for travel?
- Yes. Families travelling for the summer often want the routine to survive the trip, and a specialist who already knows your child is the cheapest way to protect a year of progress. Tell us the dates early — summer is the season everyone asks for at once.
- Where can I find a SEN governess in Dubai?
- Special Minds places SEN governesses across Dubai and the rest of the UAE. Placements are either managed, where Special Minds employs and supervises the specialist (AED 15,000–30,000/mo), or direct hire, where the family employs her. You can start with the intake form at specialminds.ae/intake or by WhatsApp on +971 55 110 3294.
- Should I hire a SEN governess through an agency or privately?
- Hiring privately is cheaper up front and leaves the screening, referencing, planning and any replacement to you. An agency is worth its fee when it actually does those things: calls references, briefs the specialist on a written plan, and has someone qualified review the work. Ask any agency who writes the plan and who reviews it; if the answer is nobody, you are paying a finder's fee for a private hire.
- What qualifications should a SEN governess have?
- Look for real one-to-one experience with children who have additional needs, training in special education, psychology or behaviour support, and ideally a behaviour-technician credential such as RBT or IBT. References from families or schools matter more than certificates. A teaching degree is not required, and a childcare qualification alone is not enough.
- Can a SEN governess support a child with autism or ADHD?
- Yes. For autism the work is mostly routine, communication and generalising skills from therapy into daily life. For ADHD it is structure, transitions, homework and emotional regulation. In both cases the governess follows strategies set by a clinician rather than inventing her own.
- How many hours does a SEN governess work?
- It depends on the family. Common arrangements are after-school hours, full days for children not yet in school or on reduced timetables, and school-plus-home, where one specialist supports the child in class and afterwards. The hours are agreed in writing before the placement starts.
- Is a SEN governess available in Abu Dhabi?
- Yes. Special Minds places specialists in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain as well as Dubai, and coordinates with ADEK-regulated schools where the role includes classroom support.
- Does a SEN governess replace therapy?
- No. A governess carries the plan between therapy sessions; she does not design an ABA programme or deliver speech or occupational therapy. Children who need therapy need the therapist, with the governess making sure what is learned in the session is used at home.
- Who supervises a SEN governess?
- On a managed placement with Special Minds, a clinical lead writes the plan, reviews the specialist's records and adjusts the plan as the child progresses. On a direct hire, supervision is the family's responsibility unless they arrange it separately.
Read before you decide
Everything we know about hiring one well.
What is a SEN governess, and does your child need one?
The role behind the job title — what a SEN governess does, how it differs from childcare, and the children it actually suits.
SEN governess, nanny, shadow teacher or tutor: which one do you actually need?
Four roles families are routinely told are the same thing, what each is trained to do, and how to tell which your child needs.
What does a SEN governess cost in Dubai?
What drives the price of one-to-one home support in the UAE, the two ways families arrange it, and what each one actually buys.
How to hire a SEN governess in the UAE: the checklist
References, trials, contracts and the questions that separate a good placement from an expensive one — the process we would use ourselves.
A SEN governess for an autistic child: what good support looks like at home
What one-to-one home support should be doing for an autistic child — routine, communication, sensory load — and what to watch for.
A day in the life of a SEN governess
An hour-by-hour picture of what one-to-one home support actually looks like, and what should be written down by the end of it.
SEN governess: agency or private hire?
What an agency should actually do for its fee, what you take on by hiring privately, and how to tell a real agency from a finder's fee.
What qualifications should a SEN governess have?
The training, credentials and experience that matter for one-to-one home support — and the ones that look good on a CV and tell you little.
15 questions to ask a SEN governess at interview
Questions that reveal method and judgement rather than warmth, with what a good answer sounds like.
Finding a SEN governess in Abu Dhabi
How one-to-one home support works for families in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and what is different from Dubai.
A SEN governess for a child with ADHD
What one-to-one home support does for a child with ADHD: structure, transitions, homework and regulation, and what to expect.
Tell us about your child.
Three short steps, about two minutes. We reply on WhatsApp with what we would do.
- Screened, referenced specialists
- Briefed before day one
- Reviewed by a clinical lead