Iraqi mother of autistic children opens non-profit center | ABS-CBN News

Iraqi mother of two children with autism, Shaimaa Ghassan, took it upon herself to learn how to best support her family and others in a similar position to hers. Having found a challenge in finding an appropriate and affordable center catering to the needs of her now 18-year-old daughter Aya and 13-year-old son Mohamed, Ghassan decided to educate herself. Watching YouTube videos and searching the web for resources, Ghassan eventually got international certification in the domain. She then opened a centre to provide free of charge services for autistic children in a country where she says affordable non-profit rehabilitation centres are rare. "My first motive to open this center was to help the largest group of parents (possible) so they would not be exposed to the state of despair that I had reached," said Ghassan, who opened the 'Momayazoon Foundation, a non-governmental organization for people of determination and abilities' in 2023. The center offers rehabilitation services to children with autism to help them integrate into mainstream education. Ghassan also opened social media platforms where she posts educational content and the achievements of her children to change societal perceptions about autism. "There has been a great deal of interaction with autistic children, and some people’s way of thinking has changed," she said. - Report from Reuters