Moroccan Mother’s Inspiring Journey: Raising Autistic Son in France

Malika’s story is told by Le Parisien on this April 2, on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day. A disease that her son Mohamed suffers from. Since he was very young, he sleeps very little, does not speak, does not play. Malika and her husband Karim, of Algerian origin, from Blanc-Mesnil in Seine-Saint-Denis, thought their son just had a "delay". But this "difference" of Mohamed compared to other children his age persists over the years. The worried mother observes her son enrolled in kindergarten in the hope that he will integrate and have fun with the other children. But Mohamed always remained alone during recess.

In 2012, the diagnosis falls. Mohamed suffers from "severe" autism. It was necessary to register with the Departmental House for Disabled Persons (MDPH), "an overcrowded station for disabled parents" and then hope to get a place in a medico-educational institute (IME). An almost impossible mission, the ratio being 700,000 autistic people for 70,000 places in France. But Malika begs her son to "behave" during the interview. "Give me a quarter of an hour, just a quarter of an hour without jumping, without shouting, without doing anything. Our life is at stake now, yours too, you have to understand it!" she asked Mohamed who, for the first time, remained calm in front of the director.

This is how Mohamed, then 7 years old, joined the IME and gradually opened up to the world. He diversified his meals and in a month, he managed to articulate "mom", his first word. His father, who has always been there for him, teaches him to swim. His school results are excellent. Then Mohamed discovers his passion for chess, which will transform his existence. The young man even participates in competitions that he wins. Last year, at the age of 16, he joined the prestigious military high school of Saint-Cyr. Malika is proud of her son’s journey, which she has managed to save, despite a deterioration in the care of autistic people.

Malika and Karim have learned a lot from their son’s illness. "Every day, he pulls us up," says Malika, a payroll manager who has started a small business. Karim, for his part, has resumed his studies and obtained his baccalaureate. Mohamed has been a true source of inspiration for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnWXRiH4m5g