Shahira Ali can be seen doing the regional roundup on Gayelle TV on Wednesdays, and her two gospel singles, Grateful and We Need Love, are making the rounds on the airwaves – a far cry from the child who struggled with the symptoms of autism before knowing and understanding what she was facing.
Not that she does not still struggle with the neurodevelopmental condition that affects how she perceives the world, communicates, and interacts with others. But knowing gave her the courage to challenge it and accomplish some of the things she’s wanted to do in life – among them voice training, television and video production.
“I like things to do with cameras; taking photos and videos. And one of the teachers who taught me also taught me how to approach people to speak to them. Before, if I wanted to approach somebody, no matter how urgent it was, I would just stay quiet…Now I will come out and say something or come out and speak.”
Ali was diagnosed as a high-functioning autist when she was 16.
“We require the least amount of support, but we still require support.”
She told WE she has always had difficulty making friends, with social interaction and communication on the whole. But as a child, nobody suspected she was autistic because there was even less awareness back then.
“I used to do hand flapping; we just do that to self-soothe. And I was afraid of like noises, like the flushing of the toilets, fireworks noise, and I wasn’t meeting certain milestones, like eating and bathing for myself. I couldn’t tie my shoelaces, no matter how many times they showed me, and I would avoid eye contact when people talked to me. Everyone just dismissed it as me being shy.”
As a result, she was mercilessly bullied at school and frequently called a retard. She became depressed, and it was only when her grandmother noticed the intensity of her meltdowns that she was taken for professional help. But even then, it took years of counselling before she was diagnosed.
“Even the psychiatrist didn’t pick it up on it because she was counselling me like you would treat a normal child. She said she used to see children with autism, and I was not autistic…But the thing with autism is, no two autistic people are the same; it’s a spectrum.” She underwent some other tests – basic language and math, and cognitive tests.
“When I got the diagnosis, well, it was finally a sense of closure as to what really is wrong with me…Turns out I have a very superior memory.”
Functional autistics, she said, can thrive at school and in the workplace if given a chance.
“We’re very meticulous and whatever we love to do, we tend to do it very well.”
Ali believes that although she has come a long way since her diagnosis, had she received early intervention, she would have been able to avoid so many pitfalls in adulthood.
“This is very critical for children with autism, because when you don’t get that, it can be a big mess when you become an adult.”
Because as a child she was never taught the social skills, like how to interact with people effectively, she had to learn them through trial and error.
“And I am still learning. Sometimes I might say something, and it might come across as an attack or like a vent or something, but that’s just my way of interacting. But I am learning how to not do that.”
She said she is also still learning what her triggers are and how to avoid them.
“Autistic people have meltdowns when we get triggered. Sometimes even a small change in your daily routine could cause it too.”
She said many neurotypical people may see an autist acting out and think it is just to get attention.
“Plenty of times, people tell me I just want negative attention. Some of my teachers used to say that because they refused to believe I was autistic, even when I got the diagnosis. But those are not deliberate outbursts or attempts to get attention. We can’t help it.”
She said stress causes an emotional overload that makes the nervous system go into overdrive. Two other symptoms that she frequently experiences are the tendency to repeat herself and delays in processing information. She believes that if more people are aware of how autism affects people, they would be more sympathetic and understanding.
“Not only in April, but all year round. Everybody hears about diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, HIV, all of that, all year round. The same way people should hear about autism and other disabilities all year round on TV, radio and social media.”
Ali opines that with awareness will come early intervention, which is a must if children are to develop coping mechanisms to deal with the challenges that come with the neurodevelopmental condition, and give them the hope for a better future.
