Children write for autism week awareness

AMMAN — “My Name is Ibrahim” is a story written by two children, Khalid Rababah and Ibrahim Sublaban, based on the actual life of children with autism. اضافة اعلان

To help raise awareness, Our Lady of Peace Center asked Khalid and Ibrahim — who are diagnosed with autism themselves — to collaborate and create a story to be published and distributed this week to schools across the Kingdom.

Father Shauqi Patrian, the center’s manager, noticed Ibrahim’s writing ability and Khalid’s talent for drawing, and helped them work together to compose the first story in Jordan written by children with autism.

The Catholic University in Italy covered all the printing expenses.

Ibrahim Sublaban, 11 years old, was diagnosed with autism when he was three. To cope with his symptoms, he adopted writing as a helpful communication tool.

Whereas, Khalid, 11 years old, and was diagnosed at a very early stage in his life. Painting is a hobby of his, he said, because “It helps me express my thoughts and opinions easily.”

Both of Khalid and Ibrahim are currently enrolled at normal private schools in Amman.

Hanan Deeb, the center’s teacher, said that: “This story aims to raise awareness in society and schools, and to shed light on the creativity of these children.” 

Our Lady of Peace Center is a charity oriented center that was established in 2004, to provide people with autism the opportunity to live in a healthy and loving environment.

The center also has five branches in the Kingdom that welcomes around 2,000 autistic and disabled people annually.

Adnan Abu Leghed, a father of a 30-years-old severely autistic son, encouraged the government to take more responsibility when dealing with those who suffer from autism.

“Don’t give me a fish, but teach me how to fish”, said Adnan, to emphasize the importance of providing parents with the appropriate knowledge to help them take care of their children.

He added: “We have too little centers to deal with autistic persons. In addition, these centers … neglect severe cases, because these take much time and effort.”