Shahad went to her friend Zertasha's house on a weekend to work on a school project; her younger sister, Sundus, was there too. As Zertasha introduced her Shahad smiled and put forward her hand to greet her, Sundus didn't notice and kept shaking her head with eyes closed. Sensing Shahad's awkwardness, Zertasha quietly told her that her sister was autistic. You may have seen a kid like Sundus in your school, building or neighborhood. You avoid them and you don't play with them. Why? And, what is autism? Sara Moosa, a student of special education from Dar-al-Hekma College said that autism is a mystery. It is a neurological condition in which a child's brain is not physically set up to process information the same as an average baby's brain. These kids are just like all of us, but their brain functions a little less than ours. Twelve-year-old Sundus, was born with oxygen deficiency in her brain. Her mother was worried and hence visited every hospital in town to get her baby the best treatment. She was a special child, a child that brought hope against hope. She had difficulty expressing, was unable to walk, and made little or no eye-contact. Abdullah, 6, at first was not responsive to verbal cues, had limited interests and was resistant to change. He joined HOPE center four months back and now has a slightly new look toward life. HOPE is the kingdom's first and only multilingual center for rehabilitation of exceptional kids. Talia Bano, human resource manager at HOPE said that parents admit seeing a change in their child after getting them enrolled. She said that we teach through special activities which prepare them to be independent. “Sara, one of the angels at HOPE never loved to buy anything and didn't take any interest at all, but now she is capable of counting money and selecting items required to make herself an apple pie,” said Bano, stating an example. The center comprises of ICT unit for early intervention and basic skills, arts and vocational classes, sensory room for comprehending the sound and movement, play ground, crafts room, Arabic room, kitchen, library swimming pool for hydro therapy, cafeteria' playground and speech and language class. Taha Nauman was not able to speak properly, but after a few months of entering HOPE, he gradually started speaking proper complete sentences. “Parents don't easily accept that their child is autistic and when they do they fear for their acceptance in the community,” said Moosa. HOPE gives these special children hope to live and conquer the world. Mohmmad Ansari, five, has been in the center for a year now and he was admitted because of his behavior; he was quiet, shy, and didn't socialize. He, too, soon started mingling with other children. We observed that Ummama and Raghad, six and five-years-old respectively were cooking in their little kitchen; working there teaches them fine motor skills. Through hydro- therapy children learn to control tantrums and muscle movement. Children do not outgrow autism, but symptoms lessen over time as the child develops and receives treatment. If you see such a child outside who is shy, doesn't talk, or gets scared easily then don't ignore them. Play with them and help them for they are just little, sweet children like you. Allah has made them that way. Remember each child is special and so never, ever look down at anyone for you may not know that they might have that special quality with which they could get the world on their feet. __
