See me, hear me!

See me, hear me!

‘I am a father and I live every day with my son who has autism. Autism is not a mere disease. It is a different way of seeing the world. He understands, he feels, he loves – just in his own way.

The biggest challenge is not their disability, it is how the world views them. It is the lack of support, the lack of understanding. We need to change that. We need schools that accept them, therapists who are trained, environments that support them and, above all, hearts that see their value.

This is my message to all specialists, teachers and leaders: don't leave us parents alone. We fight for our children every day. Please don't make that struggle even harder. My child doesn't need pity, he needs a chance. Perhaps what some call a ‘disability’ is actually a gift — to teach us love, patience and true humanity.. Every child is different, but every child deserves to be seen, understood and loved.’

Words from a father's heart. He voices aloud what many parents with children with invisible disabilities in the Arab world experience. A mother recounts how her dyslexic daughter's self-confidence has plummeted at school in recent years. She does not mention that her daughter has started cutting herself because she was not seen or heard.

Lack of awareness, cultural barriers (shame), late diagnosis, religious obstacles such as the belief that disabilities are a punishment from God, are some of the reasons why conditions such as autism, ADHD and other less visible conditions are not recognised and therefore not properly treated in the Arab world. Parents are not given enough support and feel desperate and ashamed.

See me, hear me! is a series of eight short videos designed to support parents and children, raise awareness and appeal to teachers and policymakers. Some important themes are: early warning signs, invisible disabilities, from shame to pride, navigating the system (help is available!), religious redefinition of the problem (‘every child is loved by God, just as he/she is’).

Will you help us bring light into the lives of children with invisible disabilities and their parents? We still need about €10,000 of the total budget for the production and distribution of the videos.