Ayesha Al Kaabi, seen here with her therapist Rana Kobeissi, is a different girl since she started to attend the New England Centre in Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson / The National
Ayesha Al Kaabi, seen here with her therapist Rana Kobeissi, is a different girl since she started to attend the New England Centre in Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson / The National

Day their eyes shone bright again



Mariam Al Tunaiji always believed that her son had a bright future. Last Wednesday her faith was rewarded. It was the day when her nine-and-a-half-year-old autistic son was admitted to a regular school and was finally able to mingle with children of his own age.

Mrs Al Tunaiji has been fighting for her son Mayed ever since it was discovered he had Autistic Spectrum Disorder. From the start she wanted him to go to a regular kindergarten instead of spending his childhood in an autism centre.

After pleading with the kindergarten’s head teacher several times, she got approval to take up a place – with the condition that he would be accompanied by a nanny. Mrs Al Tunaiji also employed an autism practitioner.

Mayed’s story begins with his uncle noticing dysfunctional behaviour at the age of one and an half.

The boy would hide himself in a corner, cry for no apparent reason, and also had speech issues.

At first his mother refused to accept there was a problem. But soon after, she began to investigate and educate herself on the subject of autism.

“To be honest, I was ignorant about autism,” admits Mrs Al Tunaiji, the mother of five.

To confirm a diagnosis of autism, a series of tests were carried out on Mayed, including an MRI scan and hearing tests.

“I took Mayed to a few autism centres and he underwent a few medical tests,” she says. “All the tests proved that he was fine.”

Next, a doctor suggested that she take him to Kuwait because of the rising incidence of the disorder there. A psychiatrist diagnosed her son with moderate autism. He prescribed several drugs, but she found that they were making Mayed drowsy and tired.

“It was disheartening to see my son suffer. I’d rather die than see him like this. Each psychiatrist recommended another. Where do I go with this innocent soul,” she says, recalling those difficult years.

As it turned out, the answer was on her doorstep, at the New England Centre for Children in Abu Dhabi, through the recommendation of a friend whose own son had been helped with his autism.

According to Dr Dan Gould, chief clinical officer at the centre, the true number of cases of autism in the UAE is not known. “In Abu Dhabi, there are currently an estimated 1,466 Emiratis of an appropriate age for a specialised autism programme,” he says. “By the year 2020 there will be approximately 1,655 children in the capital alone of an appropriate age for a specialised autism programme.”

The prediction for 2013 through 2020 was based on the current population data from the 2012 Statistical Yearbook and an estimated population growth of 3 per cent.

Mrs Al Tunaiji is among those who took an early step to help her son, encouraged by the centre’s reputation. “The centre didn’t diagnose him immediately. It took them around two months to get back to us with their empirical research,” she says.

Unfortunately there was another problem. The centre had no space for her son. But Mrs Al Tunaiji wasn’t about to give up. “I approached Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the sake of my son,” she recalls. “The moment I stood in front of him, tears began to roll.”

“Please help my son get admitted to the New England,” she recalls telling him. “He granted my wish. I am forever indebted.”

The following day she received some good news. At the age of six, Mayed joined the New England Centre. “I was floored by the hospitality and receptiveness of staff at the centre,” she says.

Now Mrs Al Tunaiji attends classes along with her son to improve her knowledge about autism. This is one of the methods the centre uses to help parents communicate better with their children. “Whatever I learn from the New England, I implement it at home,” she says.

One of the techniques she learnt to help her son is the use of positive reinforcement. “If you do this, I will give you that. There is a ‘benefit’ awaiting you if you listen,” she explains.

“His fast recovery is like night and day. My boy is smart and speaks English better than I,” she says. “He loves everything related to space and science.”

Thanks to the early detection of the disorder, Mayed is slowly winning the battle and is now in the 5th Grade at Omair bin Yousef Primary School in Baniyas.

Ten years ago, it would be hard to find even a newspaper article about disability, says Sharifa Yateem, a consultant specialist at the New England Centre. These days, there are even specially reserved parking spaces for the disabled. Awareness is everything, she explains. “With increasing awareness, more people are being correctly diagnosed. Parents, caregivers and communities are becoming more aware of it and are seeking treatment,” she says.

To know what it is really like to raise a child with autism, ask Kafia Al Kaabi. Mrs Al Kaabi has seven children and Ayesha, her nine-year-old daughter, was actually the only one of her children who seemed to have no health problems after birth. “For the first nine months, Ayesha spoke a few words like ‘baba’ and ‘mama’,” she says. “For the next nine months, she stopped talking completely. The light in her eyes went off.”

Like Mayed, she became seclusive and would burst into tears. The family did not know how to handle the situation. Again there were tests, including hearing, that seemed to show nothing was wrong.

“I took her to a speech therapist, she didn’t know how to deal with my child. Ayesha was uncomfortable around her,” recalls Mrs Al Kaabi.

Ayesha was one of the first pupils to enrol in the New England Centre. The mother calls the centre her “Harvard University”.

What Ayesha and other autistic children struggle with most is the opportunity to be treated equally by society on a wider scale.

“If only Arab society knew the daily challenge of parents with special needs,” says Mrs Al Kaabi, who writes frequently on the subject for Al Khaleej newspaper. “If you can’t fully grasp my situation, at least, respect it.”

Ayesha was a difficult case to handle. When the family went out for entertainment, other children couldn’t enjoy their time because of her behaviour. But today, Ayesha is a different person.

With help from the New England Centre, her teacher has made a schedule for Ayesha to go out with the family and enjoy her childhood like any other girl.

“Ayesha loves water and she learnt swimming at her school,” her mother says proudly, adding: “Nine years old, and Ayesha now knows I am her mother. Oh my lord, when I rewind that moment of my life, I am over the Moon.”

aalhameli@thenational.ae

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Normcore explained

Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

Expert input

If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?

“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett

“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche

“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox

“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite

 “I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy

“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra

Janet Yellen's Firsts

  • In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve 
  • In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers 
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Four-day collections of TOH

Day             Indian Rs (Dh)        

Thursday    500.75 million (25.23m)

Friday         280.25m (14.12m)

Saturday     220.75m (11.21m)

Sunday       170.25m (8.58m)

Total            1.19bn (59.15m)

(Figures in millions, approximate)