Salma experienced isolation and depression after moving to the UK with her young daughter, who has autism. The support and expertise of Barnardo’s Cygnet service led her to a new career as a Project Worker, helping other parents in her situation.
In 2016, Salma Hussain’s four-year-old daughter Zarah was diagnosed with Autism, and struggled with delayed speech, delayed milestones and behavioural challenges. She was also diagnosed with coeliac disease and had a major kidney operation in the same year. As her main carer, Salma spent most of her days taking her daughter to medical and specialist appointments and playgroups, as she tried to navigate motherhood with a child with special and medical needs.
“I migrated to the UK in 2013 with a newborn baby and left everything and everyone I knew behind. I attended playgroups as I thought they would help me cope, but instead, I slipped into depression. None of the other parents understood what I was going through, and I couldn’t relate to them or their experiences. They were offering advice about eating, sleeping, walking, talking and none of it was relevant to me."
My child was different and I felt completely alone and isolated.
In 2017, Salma visited Cygnet – a Barnardo’s service in Bradford that offers specialist support to parents of children with Autism and other special needs. This was a pivotal moment for her, as she was finally able to talk through her challenges with experts and parents who could understand and empathise with her. Soon after, Salma became a parent volunteer, utilising her own experience and skills to help other parents who faced similar challenges. Today, she is a project worker for Barnardo’s and is an integral part of the Cygnet team. She also runs sessions in Urdu, to help break down misinformation and stigma about Autism and other special needs in the local community.
“I was fortunate that my family were supportive when Zarah was diagnosed with Autism, but unfortunately, many of the parents attending Cygnet don’t have the same support. Some of them keep it a secret and they think their family won’t understand, some feel ashamed or think that their child has special needs because of their own parenting, and some actually believe that Autism can be cured.
I’m glad that I’m able to use my own experience as a parent, as well as my understanding of the culture and language, to help share the right information.
“Going through the journey of first attending the service as a parent, to volunteering, to becoming a project worker, has been life-changing. Back in Pakistan I was an A-Level Biology teacher and I initially wanted to go into teaching in the UK as well, but I couldn’t as I had to prioritise Zarah’s needs until she went to school. Thanks to Barnardo’s I’ve not only found a new career and a new community, I also feel like I’ve found myself.”
Salma's story is true but names have been changed and models used to protect identities.
