A video featuring an autistic 7 year old child whirling to Song Tera Woh Pyar went viral and explains how music is an art and conveys hundreds of emotions at a time. Shaheer Azfar, fondly nicknamed Sheru, is a 7 year old autistic boy currently studying in a special-ed school. His mother Mahvish posted a video of Sheru twirling to the song with a heart melting yet strong caption.
‘The more we see them in their different colours the more acceptance we create for people who are differently abled.’
Speaking to MangoBaaz about Sheru, Mahvish opened up about her fantastic journey of raising a differently-abed child.
“Sheru is my second born, from the age of seven months, we noticed he was different. He didn’t make eye contact, didn’t fully recognize me as his mother. By age one, I was sure something was not right. By one and half, still; there were no words, a lot of hand flapping and toe walking. At two, we got our first Autism diagnosis. Since then, many people have been part of our journey, therapists, family and friends. Sheru is now seven years old.”
“When he was as young as three years of age, he had a musical ear and lived to spin to the rhythm. “
Today, Sheru is fairly expressive and can even say a few words, despite his non-vocal autism. He has overcome many challenges, which is a matter of immense pride for his family and friends.
“We have a long way to go and that can only happen with countless prayers. He is our blessing and there is not a single day we are not grateful to Allah. Children, whether they have special needs or typical, are all unique; they all deserve our attention and care. Once we adjust the lens of our expectations, the gray world converges into color,” she concluded.
Autism is a disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior.
According to a recent research on Autism, there have been 350,000 cases of autistic children in Pakistan that amount to a stark statistic of one out of 66 children being born with Autism or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Rimsha Butt
