Ouiam Charkani El Hassani tells the story of an inspiring young man and her message to others is ‘Ahsan made it and so can you’!
It’s estimated that one in 68 children are now diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum disorder, and yet, this diagnosis remains as misunderstood as ever. It’s called the Autism Spectrum because autism actually covers a wide scope of complex disorders in brain development. Included are Asperger’s Syndrome, ‘classic’ autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, among others.
While Bahrain is one of the most child-friendly countries; for youngsters with special needs, it’s a whole different story. We simply do not live in a society that is generally accommodating, or even accepting of, those who are not ‘neurotypical’.
However, success stories do exist. Such as that of Ahsan, the kid who defied autism, and proved to himself and to society that kids with special needs can be independent, productive and efficient members of the community.
Ahsan is 22 years old, his parents discovered that he was autistic when he was just three, and that’s when their challenging journey began. Ruqia Zulfiqar and Zulfiqar Ahmed had to brace themselves for what was to come: physically, mentally and financially.
While they did what they could, from researching every aspect of the condition, to finding special schools and organisations that could help their son, reality hit hard when Ahsan was 15. The special school he attended declared an age limit, and he could no longer continue there.
His parents hired two life coaches, Anandi Sailesh and Kay King, who worked with him in daily one-to-one sessions. And, over seven years of hard work and persistence, Ahsan has shown significant improvement.
At just 18, with the help of one of his coaches, he wrote a cookbook and managed to sell it at various bookstores. He finished not one computer programming course, but two! He is a talented caricaturist (thanks to his art teacher), and, with the help of his extraordinary mother, he has managed to get a few internships and a job opportunity!
Ahsan was offered an internship, and a potential career, by the global fast food chain McDonalds. Abdulla Adel Fakhro, Director of Fakhro Restaurants Co, and GM Ahmad Jaser explained that the company is keen to offer opportunities to those with special needs. They currently employ 14 other people with disabilities, who all took part in intensive programmes and specially tailored training, to help them get accustomed to the outside world and to the workplace.
And Ahsan’s work is meticulous with zero mistakes, according to his supervisor.
If you have a child with special needs and would like to explore opportunities for them, make sure to register with the Ministry of Labour and Bahrain Down Syndrome Society, as they try to offer training and internship opportunities. It’s also a good idea to contact companies either in person (visit their HR department) or via email.
The struggle for families of special needs kids is far from a walk in the park. It’s a never-ending journey and they need every bit of support they can get, so let’s help and do our share to make this world a better place for everyone. Let’s spread the word that, if given an opportunity, people with special needs can prove how talented and capable they are.
Chanelmama
