World Autism Awareness Day: How UAE families support autistic children during distance learning

Dubai: April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, a moment to pause and recognise not just the challenges that autistic individuals and their families face every day, but also the extraordinary resilience, creativity and love that defines so many of their stories. As distance learning continues across the UAE, families of autistic children are navigating a particularly complex set of pressures, and their experiences deserve to be heard.

Structure and consistency are the two words that come up most often when specialists talk about supporting autistic children in a virtual learning environment.

Anju Alphonsa Mathew, Inclusion Lead at Dubai Down Syndrome Center, explains that for older students in particular, keeping routines realistic and connected to daily life is key. "We intentionally keep routines realistic and consistent with daily life, so what they learn online can be followed at home, on weekends, or during unexpected changes," she says.

"We break learning into small, manageable blocks, use visual schedules, and embed skills into everyday activities like cooking, organising, communication, and simple responsibilities."

Her colleague Suhaila Abdul Nissar, Speech and Language Pathologist at Dubai Down Syndrome Center, echoes this, noting that "e-learning for children with autism can be more effective when supported with clear structure and consistency. Using simple language, visual aids, and short, manageable tasks helps improve understanding and reduce anxiety. Regular breaks and positive reinforcement keep the child engaged and motivated."

Dr Sharifa Yateem, founder and clinical director of Sharifa Yateem Center for Rehabilitation in Abu Dhabi and Head Start Speech Therapy in Dubai, has spent her career working alongside autistic individuals and their families, and offers a broader perspective. "I began as a volunteer, became a therapist, grew into a supervisor, and today an entrepreneur," she says.

"But my greatest education has always come from individuals with autism and their families. They taught me patience, humility, and what truly matters. To do better, professionals must listen before they lead, parents must be empowered not overwhelmed, and communities must choose inclusion not just awareness."

Rachel Kelly's six-year-old son Noah is autistic and has ADHD, a combination sometimes referred to as AuDHD. Since distance learning began, structure has become the foundation of their household.

"We approach each day as if we are going to school," she explains. "My children wake up, get ready in their uniforms, and attend their online classes as consistently as possible." Visual schedules are reviewed every morning, and the plan for the following day is discussed each evening to help Noah mentally prepare.

Rachel has created sensory-friendly spaces throughout their home to help Noah regulate when he becomes overwhelmed. A zen den in the playroom, a tent filled with soft toys, offers a quiet retreat. His bedroom is set up with fidget toys, chewelry, sensory lighting and his favourite books. "After his classes, he often chooses to unwind there by drawing," she says.

One of her biggest discoveries has been how much simple visual supports can achieve. "What surprised me most is how effective they have been. It has reinforced just how important predictability is, not just for learning, but for emotional regulation as well."

Noah's teacher and learning support assistant have been a significant source of help, and Rachel is candid about what she wishes more educators understood. "I wish more educators understood how individual each autistic child's needs are. Flexibility, patience, and open communication with parents go a long way." She also shares a painful experience from before Noah's diagnosis, when a teacher put him in time-out, segregated him from his class and, when his parents sought an assessment, called him "ignorant" and "just naughty." It is a reminder of how much damage the wrong response can cause, and how much difference the right one makes.

Her advice to other parents is simple and hard-won. "Be patient with yourself. It is difficult to help regulate your child if you are feeling overwhelmed yourself. One thing I wish I had fully understood at the beginning is just how much flexibility is needed. Not every day will go to plan and that is okay."

Shahmeen Sheikh's seven-year-old son Aaron Tsimourtos, age 7 studies in Gems Jumeriah Primary School, has autism and ADHD, and this year has been one of the hardest her family has faced. Extended closures, disrupted therapy and the demands of online learning have taken a visible toll.

"After spending an entire morning trying to focus on online school, expecting a neurodivergent child to then sit through online therapy is simply unrealistic," she says. As a working mother of two, one neurotypical and one with additional needs, the disparity in how online learning serves each child is stark. "Online learning works for one, but not for the other, yet we are paying the same school fees for an education he simply cannot access in the same way."

Her family's learning support assistant has been the single most stabilising presence through all of it. But Shahmeen is honest about where things stand. "Our home is not perfectly organised, and we are not thriving. We are surviving." Sometimes, she says, the right decision is to close the laptop, cancel the session and focus on keeping the family emotionally intact. "Every family is different, and parents have to make the decisions that are right for their child."

On World Autism Awareness Day, her words are perhaps the most important reminder of all. Behind every statistic and every awareness campaign, there are families making impossible decisions every single day, with love, exhaustion and extraordinary commitment. They deserve more than awareness. They deserve support.