In Egypt many autistic children and their families face an uphill struggle to be accepted in society and to get the support they need. Embrace’s partner BLESS is working to change that, offering not only specialist treatment and support for the families, but campaigning for better awareness and helping children with autism to integrate into their communities. 

We’d like to introduce you to three children, 4-year-old Jomana, 5-year-old Omar and 11-year-old Nadeen, who all attend BLESS’s support progamme. 

Autism often isn’t picked up by doctors or, if it is, finding good-quality and affordable treatment in Egypt can be difficult. The mothers of Jomana and Nadeen both faced a struggle to get the correct diagnosis and treatment for their daughters before coming to BLESS. Jomana’s mother told us: 

'Jomana started speaking in a very limited way at 3. I couldn’t communicate with her and she was very hyper. The doctor said it was ADHD and recommended communication sessions – but they had no impact. A neurologist gave her medicine, but she refused it. I requested more tests but was refused.  I heard about the BLESS centre from another client. Jomana did tests here and found she has ADHD and autism.’ 

Nadeen’s mother noticed a difference in her daughter very early on: 

‘I noticed she didn’t move as a baby. The doctor gave vitamins. I learned she was autistic at 2 but didn’t get advice on sessions. She just had medicine and physical therapy. There was no change. I educated myself and started to accept my child and got my husband and her sisters to accept her too. I went to other centres but they were not honest. I didn’t feel my child was safe. Every tomorrow was black until I came here. I trust this place, inside the church. God opened the door here to provide what she needs.’ 

Autism affects every child differently so BLESS tailors the support they give to the individual needs of each child and their family, with specialists at the centre offering a range of behavioral, linguistic and sensory sessions. The centre has a specially equipped sensory room and a physical therapy unit and also supports mental health with activities such as art sessions. 

For Jomana, one of the key issues she faced was communication. She only began receiving support from BLESS in September, but already her mother is seeing a difference: 

‘I now feel she can understand and pay attention. The social activities and awareness sessions made a difference for me as a mother. I couldn’t go out with her before. Now we’ve started to communicate. I know six months is nothing, but I am happy to see change. I feel accepted here. I’ve started on the right way.’ 

Omar’s mother said he particularly struggled with touch: 

‘He was sensitive to touch. He’d been treated for three years with no improvement. He wouldn’t go to the hairdresser. Now he accepts it and has started speaking.’  

The specialists at BLESS realized that Nadeen had some dietary needs alongside her autism and helped her mother to adjust her diet: 

‘I see some difference, though it isn’t quick. Nutrition has helped – she always had stomach pain before. Now she eats dairy alternatives and things made with rice flour.’ 

Many with autism end up living isolated lives. Lack of awareness of the condition mean children are often shunned by their communities. The hustle and bustle of Cairo’s busy streets and shops can easily be overwhelming. Fearing for their safety, or fearing the negative reactions of other people, families of children with autism often keep them at home. So, children who might already find social interaction difficult, have few opportunities to become comfortable in social situations. 

BLESS runs camps, trips and social events they can go on with their families. The staff work with the children to find coping strategies to help them through stressful situations and help build up the confidence and understanding of their parents and siblings so families feel able to go out of the house together. Omar’s mother says this has helped enormously: 

‘Camp and trips helped him integrate. He is in nursery and coping better. I would never go anywhere alone with him but now it’s possible.’ 

Life has changed for the better for Jomana, Nadeen and Omar thanks to the support of BLESS. Improving the attitudes and understanding of society will take longer and sadly all three will probably face more hurdles to overcome as they grow up. But the team at BLESS are working to change this, training up volunteers to raise awareness and understanding of autism in communities across Cairo. It will take time but from small mustard seeds grow mighty trees. With faith and dedication things can change. 

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