The Reason Why I Began Advocating for Autism in Afghan Communities

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 as a mother, I was overloaded! Not just with the new realities of therapies, appointments and milestones, but with cultural expectations that felt impossible to carry.

How do you explain autism in a language that does not have a single clear word for it?

How do you talk about neurological differences in a community where everything is interpreted as tarbiya, adab or be-parwai?

How do you stand firm when family, culture, and tradition all pull you in different directions?

I realized quickly that I wasn’t just learning to support my child! I was learning to navigate two worlds. One world understood autism through science, neurodiversity and evidence. And, the other understood it through stigma, myths and silence. And yet, between those worlds stood Afghan autism parents like me, trying to make sense of it all.

What finally pushed me to speak out was not courage, but love - PURE LOVE. Love for my child and every child who deserves understanding. Love for Afghan parents who are walking this journey alone without language, without resources and often without support. Love for the countless Afghan mothers who message me saying, “I feel alone,” because I know that feeling far too well.

I created this blog because I want to build what I needed when I first started:
a place where Afghan autism families can feel seen instead of being judged, informed instead of being shamed, and connected instead of being isolated. A place where we can talk about autism honestly - without fear, without whispers and without the weight of cultural expectations on our backs.

This is the beginning of a larger conversation. I hope this space becomes a home for stories, education and the shared experiences that bind us. I hope Afghan parents reading this feel a little lighter, a little braver and a little less alone.

Thank you for being here with me.
Thank you for letting me share my truth.
And thank you for walking beside me as we create recognition, understanding and community for our Afghan autistic children - one story at a time.