Mohamed Dhoore
Journalist and Autistic Children Advocate
By: Mohamed Dhoore
My son, Yaqub, was born on January 17, 2015, at North Middlesex Hospital in London. He arrived as a healthy baby, weighing 3.98 kg and showed no immediate concerns.
However, by the time he reached nine months, I noticed that he was not crawling or standing, and his eye contact was limited. My primary worry was that he might have issues with his legs, so I consulted a doctor for an examination of his feet and legs. Thankfully, the results indicated that everything was normal.
As Yaqub approached his first birthday, I began to realize the disparity between his development and that of my other children, who were already walking and talking. Yaqub, on the other hand, could neither stand nor utter a single word, which raised significant alarm bells for me.
At one and a half years old, I started researching potential issues that could explain his developmental delays. Autism, a term I had not encountered before, quickly became a leading suspicion in my mind.
Yaqub received his official diagnosis at the age of three and a half, even though I had already suspected that he was on the autism spectrum. From that moment onward, I committed myself to supporting my son in every way possible, ensuring he received the help he needed.
After a long and challenging journey, Yaqub finally completed his toilet training by the age of six. Today, he is able to follow instructions and communicate verbally, although there is still room for improvement. He has also learned to express himself through writing.
Throughout this journey, I have come to realize that many parents from Africa, particularly those in East Africa, face difficulties in accepting the reality of autism. They often fail to seek early intervention, which can be crucial for their children’s education and social interactions.
Eleven studies highlighting the voices of 104 parents from a range of cultural backgrounds were critically evaluated and synthesized thematically. Three broad themes emerged: these were ‘knowledge and understanding,’ ‘stigma,’ and ‘barriers to support.’ Parents wanted to be advocates for their children; however, they found it challenging to navigate a system that they often did not understand or found difficult to access, according to a paper researched by Zaha Oumar from University College London in 2022.
Cultural barriers are preventing Black children who are autistic or have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from accessing the help they need, according to Marsha Martin, the founder of a UK campaign for better support. Hundreds of children with special educational needs (SEND) routinely wait for more than a year to get help as local authorities across England struggle to meet unprecedented needs in a dire financial climate.
Best regards, Mohamed Dhoore Journalist and Autistic Children Advocate
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the Horndiplomat editorial policy.
If you want to submit an opinion piece or an analysis, please email it to Opinion@horndiplomat.com. Horndiplomat reserves the right to edit articles before publication. Please include your full name, relevant personal information, and political affiliations.
