The voice of the children of silence

WHAT do you do when your autistic son is excluded from 'normal' nursery school at the age of just three years?

Some might give up and accept that their child would just have to live with being 'different'. But not Christine Gordon.

Along with her husband Dr Emad El-Attar, she decided to set up her own educational facility for children with learning difficulties.

Now almost 10 years later, the RIA Centre in Adliya has between 70 and 90 youngsters, and not so youngsters, on its books with a small, but dedicated, staff and a whole legion of volunteers.

And there is a new project on the horizon, to set up a residential unit so parents and families of special needs youngsters can have a much needed short break.

A professional singer since 1980, British national Christine, 49, worked internationally for many years particularly in Egypt where she performed for royalty, ambassadors and even the Egyptian President.

She met her Egyptian husband, a chemist and fellow professional musician, and together they came to Bahrain in the early 90s to set up a song and dance entertainment show at the Diplomat Radisson SAS and run the hotel's nightclub.

She said: "In those days it was THE place to go and we had some brilliant times there and got to know lots of local musicians."

With older daughter Gilan, now 18, at home, Christine worked right through her second pregnancy with son Othman, now 12, but she felt from an early stage that something was wrong.

She said: "Call it mother's intuition, or whatever you will, but I just had a feeling that he was going to be autistic.

"Once he was born I just pushed it to the back of my mind and forgot about it but I did start to realise that his development and behaviour weren't going the way they should.

"Then your head is telling you something's wrong but your heart will not accept this awful truth."

She gave up the Diplomat engagement and when it was time for Othman to go to nursery her fears were confirmed when the owner of a play school requested the little boy be taken out of her classes.

Christine said: "I came home and Emad asked how Othman had got on at school. I told him 'he's been thrown out' and that was it.

"Straight away he said 'we'll start our own school'."

The RIA Centre is, in fact, not an official school. It is a registered nursery, working to both the Arabic and British nursery curriculums, fully integrated for children of all abilities and nationalities, and a learning centre offering rehabilitation for older children who, for whatever reason, do not fit into mainstream schools.

All the pupils and staff join in music and movement each morning and there are three mixed ability classes of 12 youngsters each running alongside the nursery provision.

The children take part in all sorts of activities from basic school-type lessons to creating a giant dove in the grounds for World Peace Day and at Christmas there is a show in which everyone is involved.

Christine said: "We have all sorts of children here. From kids with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), who find a regular classroom setting virtually impossible to deal with, to others with autistic spectrum disorders and other disabilities such as Downs Syndrome."

Ages range from two up to Maya who is in her 30s and has been coming to the centre for five years, during which time she has developed from being a slightly difficult, quiet soul to a valued helper who is great with the younger children.

The aim with many of the children is to get them to a stage where they are able to go back into mainstream education.

And the centre, under the guidance of principal Christine Hassan, who has been on board right from the beginning, has had some remarkable successes sending youngsters, previously deemed too difficult and disruptive for 'normal' school, back to finish their education.

And it's all done without any government funding.

Christine continued: "It's a non-profit organisation but I've only recently accepted that it has to be run as a business so there are, in theory, payment criteria. But, in practice, we wouldn't turn a child away and we are fortunate enough to have some of the pupils sponsored.

"We get help from the American Women's Association and some of the other charitable societies and we've been adopted by St Christopher's School and the American base, which often sends personnel to come and carry out maintenance.

"The Awali Fellowship is also involved and the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel & Spa but, to be honest, at the end of the day I'm always robbing Peter to pay Paul and I really need to get some of the big businesses interested as there is always more we can do."

And for the moment that 'more' is taking the form of a residential facility which will allow pupils to stay overnight with able carers so that their parents and siblings can have a short break or to help cope if there is illness or other difficulties at home.

Christine has already found the premises but she is reluctant to say any more until things are finalised and additional financing would certainly help.

Meanwhile, this thoroughly dedicated, and very busy mum, who also has a three-year-old daughter Mary, will tell you singing is still important - just not as important as it once was.

At the centre, she is co-ordinator, which can mean anything from fundraising to driving duties, but three nights a week she is back on stage singing her heart out with the Bahrain Jazz Quartet at Mezzaluna on Fridays and Upstairs Downstairs on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

She said: "I love performing, love being up there, that's my nightlife these days.

"But you have to remember that when you come off stage you've still got to go home and get the washing done.

"I feel blessed and incredibly lucky to have had Mary, she has given me a new lease of life. My older daughter is now at university in England and loving it, I'm so proud of her and glad that she's now having the chance to have a good time for herself as she was always very good at helping with her brother.

"And yes, I have an autistic son but he doesn't half make me laugh and that's what it's all about, enjoying the children you have been given."

FACT-FILE

Signs of autism may appear during infancy and the disorder is usually diagnosed by the age of three.

Sometimes the child's development appears normal until about two-years-old and then regresses rapidly. Symptoms of autism occur in various combinations, from mild to severe. Infants with the disorder often display abnormal reactions to sensory stimuli.

Touches may be experienced as painful, smells may be overwhelmingly unpleasant, and ordinary daily noises may be painful. Loud noises such as a motorcycle going by, or a vacuum cleaner being turned on and bright lights may cause inconsolable crying.

Young children with autism usually have impaired language development. They often have difficulty expressing needs - using gestures instead of words - and may laugh, cry, or show distress for unknown reasons.

With early and intensive treatment, however, most children improve their ability to relate to others, communicate and help themselves.