UAE residents help Sharjah police reunite non-verbal boy with his family

Sharjah: A community-wide effort spanning social media and Sharjah Police’s collaboration led to the reunion of a young non-verbal autistic boy with his family in several hours after he was found alone near a residential building.

The boy was spotted outside a building in Sharjah’s Al Nahda area on Monday night by vigilant residents. Recognising his vulnerability, and unable to ascertain his identity as he is non-verbal and found to be autistic, they immediately handed the child of determination over to building security.

Call for help

As security and neighbours worked to ensure the child’s safety, the plea for help quickly spread. Before the boy was even transferred to the police, residents had begun sharing his picture and an urgent appeal across WhatsApp and Facebook groups, demonstrating the immediate human instinct to connect and assist.

"Dear all, please help spread the word and assist in locating this child's parents or guardians. He is a child with autism and is non-verbal. He was found at B Block, outside the building, near the B Block Masjid side in Sharjah (Juma Al Majid area)," read one circulated message.

Police involvement

The security and neighbours subsequently handed the child over to Sharjah Police. The message shared online reassured the public: "He was initially with the security team and has been handed over to Sharjah Police for his safety and efforts are ongoing to locate his family. If anyone has any information, please contact the authorities immediately."

Widespread support

The appeal resonated beyond Sharjah. Residents in other emirates quickly joined the digital campaign, sharing the post and amplifying the call to action.

"Poor little guy. The good thing is that he's safe with the police, who are trained to handle these situations and reunite children with their families. Hopefully his parents are found very soon," one participant noted.

Parents made to give undertaking

Sharjah Police confirmed to Gulf News that they had traced the boy’s family and safely reunited him with his parents early Tuesday.

Police said they were investigating the circumstances that led to the boy being found alone. He was subsequently handed over to his parents after they signed an undertaking assuring that such an incident would not happen again.

Police also appreciated the support extended by the residents.