nagma18
Everyone told me he was just a "late bloomer." In a city like Dubai, where every child seems to be a genius by age three, my son Omar was quiet. Too quiet.
Chapter 1: The Weight of the "Wait"
I remember sitting at a play area in Dubai Hills, watching other toddlers shout for their moms. Omar just sat in the sand, sifting it through his fingers. When I called his name, he didn't look up.
"He's just bilingual," my friends would say. "He's processing Arabic and English. Give it time."
But in my heart, I knew. It wasn't the languages. It was a barrier I couldn't see. The "wait and see" approach felt like a heavy anchor. I was waiting for a door to open that didn't even have a handle yet.
Chapter 2: Finding the Map
Everything changed the day we walked into Small Steps Big Dreams. I expected a cold, clinical office. Instead, I found a place that looked like a playground but felt like a sanctuary.
They didn't just look at Omar's "delays." They looked at him. They explained that his brain was like a beautiful, complex puzzle-we just had to find the right pieces to help him connect with the world. Through ABA Therapy and Speech Therapy, we stopped guessing and started growing.
Chapter 3: The First "Inch-stone"
Success didn't happen overnight. It happened in "inch-stones."
The day he finally pointed to the milk instead of screaming.
The day he made eye contact and smiled at his therapist.
The day he followed a simple instruction to "put on his shoes."
In Dubai, we are obsessed with "Big Dreams"-the tallest buildings, the fastest cars. But in our house, the biggest dream was a two-word sentence.
Chapter 4: To the Parent in the Dark
If you are reading this on Wattpad because you're searching for a story that feels like yours-you are not alone. A diagnosis or a delay isn't the end of your child's story; it is just a plot twist.
At Small Steps Big Dreams, they taught me that my son isn't "broken." He is just neurodivergent, and his path is unique.