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Autistic youngsters Mohammad Saeed Al-Hulaibi and Sanad Al Waari recently won top honours in a talent contest, showcasing their skills as well as raising awareness about the spectrum disorder.
The Hawar International School students participated in the first edition of the Autism Got Talent Contest, organised by REACH Behaviour and Development Centre, under the name of REACH Hidden Talent Competition, to shed light on gifted individuals in the autism community.
The participants were asked to submit videos or art pieces showcasing their gifts.
Mohammad, 16, who played the piano came first in the music category while 10-year-old Sanad’s artwork won him first place in the art category.
“It was a great feeling to see my son winning this prize,” said Mohammad’s father, Saeed, a physiotherapist at Salmaniya Medical Complex, from A’ali. “He was so happy. Like other children, Mohammad likes to be rewarded, but the most important thing he likes is the appreciation.
“This win proved to Mohammad and to others that nothing is impossible. We would like this message to reach every family that has an autistic child, they should believe in their children and that there is hope.”
Autism Spectrum Disorder features a broad range of conditions characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication. It is called a spectrum disorder because each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges.
Mohammad was diagnosed as being on the spectrum at the age of two after Saeed and his wife, Eman Shaker, a retired physiotherapist, noticed that he was not communicating like other children of his age.
They also noticed that Mohammad was attracted to sounds.
“He was especially attracted to sounds that have patterns such as the sound of a car signal and some types of music,” added Saeed, the father-of-five who heard about the contest through the Bahrain Autistic Society. “We discovered that he was gifted when he was five. He had a small keyboard as a toy and he used to play with it. One day, when he was in his room, we heard famous Arabic singer Fairuz’s Give me the flute (Atni Alnay wa ghani). At first, we thought it was a pre-recorded song in his keyboard. We didn’t realise that he was playing it! He learned to play without a teacher and all he does is practice for hours.”
Mohammad aims to study music at university and become a professional musician. Aside from him receiving a certificate and trophy, he won one month of lessons sponsored by the Bahrain Music Institute.
Meanwhile, Sanad’s artwork will be displayed on The Art Space Gallery’s platform online and at the Four Season Hotel Bahrain Bay.
“We are very proud and happy for him,” said his banker father Mohammed and mum Lama, from Riffa. “Sanad was also so happy that he held the certificate and trophy all day and slept next to the awards.”
Sanad was diagnosed at the age of four after his parents noticed late development in communication and speech among his nursery classmates. He started drawing from a young age with pencils, whiteboards and markers and then began incorporating colours and painting tools.
“I think Sanad likes drawing because it’s a way to express himself,” added Mohammed, a father-of-two.
“It’s like a mirror to reflect his feelings and favourite things. We saw a post about the contest on Instagram and he was excited to participate. I think this opportunity for Sanad will encourage him to enhance other skills that he might be good at.”
Sanad is now looking to take up more art classes and try his hand at other art styles in a bid to participate in other competitions and exhibitions.
