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Autism touches millions of lives, yet in many Afghan families, it remains a quiet, complicated truth, which is felt deeply and spoken rarely about. In homes across the world, most Afghan parents sit with a diagnosis they don’t fully understand, one that both explains their child’s struggles and threatens to expose them to a society not always ready to accept differences. The hesitation to acknowledge autism publicly isn’t rooted in a lack of love. It comes from fear shaped by

When engaging in private conversations with other Afghan mothers, the topic of autism often surfaces with a mix of worry, love and cultural complexity. These private discussions reveal not only the universal challenges of raising autistic children, but also the unique pressures shaped by migration, community expectations and cultural traditions. Below are five recurring concerns, expressed in heartfelt ways and supported by academic research. 1. Stigma and Social Perception O

For a long time, I never imagined I would become a public voice for autism — especially not within Afghan communities, where silence often feels safer than truth. Yet here I am, writing my first blog post because staying quiet has never helped our Afghan children, and it has certainly never helped us as parents. My journey into autism advocacy didn’t begin with confidence. It began with confusion, fear, isolation and unanswered questions. When I first stepped into this world