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EXPAT parents are desperately seeking support to set up a facility for autistic children growing into adulthood.
They say that help is available for young Bahrainis, but nothing is available for families who are working in the kingdom long-term.
Several mums made an appeal this week for guidance and help to provide a place where their teenage children can learn vocational skills that will help them become more independent, actively contribute to society or even provide part-time employment.
Mrs Fadia Qureshi, 40, runs a group called SFS (Special Families Support), which was set up for concerned parents and enables them to meet regularly and discuss issues surrounding their special needs children.
She said: “There are many expat parents whose children are now 18 or close to that age where special needs schools can no longer take them in. They are in dire need of a vocational institute or some small work placement, which can make them feel independent and allow them to become an asset to society.
“I have called various ministries many times but all I get are a few dozen different numbers to call and at the end of it all, I am told ‘it’s only for Bahrainis’.
“There are many expats with special needs children and they do not know where to turn. How do we incorporate our children in the society we are living in, the country our husbands work in! Who do we look to for help and support?”
The appeal comes just before experts from across the region meet in Bahrain to raise awareness about autism during a major conference this week and 24 hours after the global celebration of the fifth annual United Nations World Autism Awareness Day.
For Mrs Qureshi, a housewife and artist, living in Mahooz, the problem is a distant one. Her son, Shayaan, is only six and has a place at the British School of Bahrain where he is well integrated and well loved by pupils and staff alike. He is special because he was born with no arms and his courageous story has been highlighted in GulfWeekly.
However, her friends Noor Jehan, 58, from Hoora, and Ruqia Zulfiqar, 38, from A’ali, are fearful of the future.
Mrs Jehan’s son Hisham, 19, has minor autism, a level of autism spectrum disorder which affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them.
Mrs Jehan said: “There are a lot of jobs out there that autistic individuals could do if only somebody would train them. Unfortunately, nobody wants to.
“I have been told by different institutes that they can’t waste time with these children because they need someone to sit with them and offer constant attention.
“As a parent this is not a problem for me. I would gladly sit through further education or vocational classes with my child. But then another excuse will develop – I’m sorry your child will disturb the other class members. So then what? I will not be here forever. What will happen to my child? Where will he go? We just want to empower these young adults with skills that will support them in their future.”
Hisham was diagnosed at the age of three and since then Mrs Jehan and her husband Abdul Qadir, 58, who works at GPIC, have both devotedly helped him while also bringing up their daughter Somaira, 22, now studying at university and son, Hashem, 16, a pupil at St Christopher’s School.
At 11, Hisham was a-stay-at-home son, which his mother described as a very difficult and painful experience.
“I gave up everything to give him all the attention he needed. He was my life,” she said.
“My luck changed when I came across Sneha, a non-profit centre for special needs children created by the Indian Ladies Association.
“His time spent there was a blessing for us but at 18 it was all over. Now he just sits at home and is slowly missing the spark of interaction with others.
“He used to be more organised than many other children. He is a great boy and I just want the best for him. I don’t want to see my son fade away.”
Mrs Zulfiqar’s son Ahsan, 16, will soon have to leave his special school which caters for children with autism as well as other conditions. She and her husband Ahmed, 45, a manager at General Electric, have three other children, Maria, 14, Sanovia, eight, who both attend the British School of Bahrain and a three-month-old baby, Abdul Muwed.
She said: “My son goes to the Children’s Academy Bahrain in Janabiya and is doing well with his studies. But Mrs Jehan’s questions led me to wonder, what will he do when he is 18 or 19? Where will he go?
“I just want to give him concrete abilities to start his own independent life. I want to give him a skill set he can apply. He loves using computers and is really good at following directions.
“I would love for him to go to college but will one take him? I am being realistic and all I want to do is find him something he likes. I will not give up on him and will keep looking.”
Christine Gordon is student director of the RIA Institute which she and her husband Dr Emad Al Attar founded in 1999 to cater to the needs of students with autism.
Seeing the way that their autistic son Othmann was needlessly ostracised at pre-school because of his lack of communication skills, the couple set out to create a place where all
children could be educated and feel safe and loved.
Now Mrs Gordon’s son is 17 and she too has been asking the question, what next? She said: “Othmann turned 17 in January and the thought of his future petrifies me. All the parents I speak to have the same worries and fears.
“That’s what prompted me to think maybe I can open or develop something for older children where they still come into a group situation, not so much like a classroom where they have to sit down and study, a place more geared to giving them life skills.
“There are a few companies on the island that have a corporate responsibility programme where they employ people with disabilities.
“My long-term goal is to encourage the government to adopt this as a policy then private companies have to adhere to it. Whether people like it or not they will have to employ a certain percentage of their workforce with disabilities or special needs.
“The first step is to change the attitude of how people think and to keep talking to the government, telling them that this is an issue and we need support.
“Parents must not give up. Go to companies and ask them if there are any possibilities for your children to intern or get involved.
“It may take time but I think as a responsible parent I have a duty to my family and the place I am living in to make it better for the next generation.”
The Ministry of Social Development runs a Community Rehabilitation Centre that opened in 1980. It provides rehabilitation, educational and vocational services for children and young people who have learning disabilities.
The ministry also provides a number of activities and workshops for Bahrainis too. A representative at the Ministry of Social Development confirmed that currently only Bahrainis with special needs are being offered these programmes and facilities.
Meanwhile, the Untangle Autism conference, organised by the Bahrain Society for Children with Behavioural and Communication Difficulties, will be held today and tomorrow at the Sheraton Hotel to discuss the latest technologies to treat people with the condition.
For more information on the conference call 17730960 or email autism@batelco.com.bh
