He is Not Less Than Anyone Else Because He Has Autism

Last updated on: April 28, 2016 at 6:00 pm by Dilshad Ali

He is Not Less Than Anyone Else Because He Has Autism 2016-04-24T22:51:44-04:00 Dilshad Ali

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Ahmed, a Palestinian boy with autism, age nine.

Ali Family Autism Truths #28 – April 28, 2016

Editor’s Note: For the last five days of April, I’m out of town and am getting creative with our Ali Family Autism Truths posts. Today’s and the last two days’ posts are brief interviews my friend Jamie Pacton did with Syrian autistic children and their families, who have been helped by A Global Voice for Autism. Jamie writes about autism for Parents.com. A Global Voice for Autism is a wonderful organization that helps autistic individuals and families in underserved communities, like Jenin (in Israel), Turkey and in Syria.

Our own family’s autism truths are enlightening, difficult, joyous and heartbreaking. But we are blessed with access to support, education, knowledge and advocacy. The same cannot be said for other autistic kids and individuals and their families. So, as we are nearing the end of Autism Awareness/Action/Acceptance Month, I think we all need to learn some Autism Truths from a global perspective.

This interview is about Ahmad, age 9, and was conducted with his mother, Einas. They are from Ramallah in Palestine. Please click here to support this organization and its campaign to help get 160 Syrian autistic refugee children go to school.

Jamie Pacton: Please describe your family. Also, please include when and how you knew your child was autistic…

Einas: My husband and I have four sons, including Ahmed.

JP: Tell me a bit more about your autistic child– age, what does he/she enjoy, what challenges does he or she face?

E: Ahmed is nine years old. When he was six months old I noticed that he wasn’t doing the things that other babies were doing. He didn’t sit, make baby talk sounds or respond to the voices of those around him. He loves to eat pink yogurt, and he loves it when people pay attention to him.

JP: In your culture, how is autism viewed? How has this view affected your family and your child?

E: People always ask me what’s wrong with him. They say, “Is he okay? What is he doing? Why is he doing that?” I don’t care what other people say. But I’ll be honest, I do feel sad that he is not like the other boys.

JP: How has a Global Voice for Autism helped your child and your family?

E: A Global Voice for Autism taught me to understand Ahmed’s needs and how to support him in these needs. They showed me the power of reinforcement and how I can teach him skills to help him be independent. I learned that it is better to reward what he can do then to punish him when he does not do the things I want him to.

JP: What’s one thing you wish the people around you knew about your autistic child?

E: I want other people to know that Ahmed is just like other children. He’s not less than they are just because he has autism, and people should not look down on him or pity him.

A Global Voice for Autism

Autism Awareness Month 2016

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