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Zynab Al Bahrani

@chapter.thirty.five

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Mother of Autistic Boys
Writer
Autism Specialist
Speech & Language Practitioner
Wellness | Autism | Motherhood | Books 📚
Check out my resources 👇

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I am from Gaza. My child has special needs and needs your help. I implore you to look upon me with humanity and compassion. Like, follow, and share#Humanity #gaza #palestine #لايك #العالم

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The bits nobody warned me about when my autistic son had teeth removed under general anaesthetic…

I was SO anxious about this day. I barely ate because I was so worried about how he would cope and, most of all, what it would be like when he woke up and didn’t understand what had happened.

Beforehand, I had a pre-surgery phone call where the team went through everything with me. They also told me that if I emailed them, they could arrange a side room, which was really helpful because the ward can be noisy, with children crying and lots going on.

His procedure was booked for 12:15pm, but he wasn’t actually taken through until around 3:45pm. He couldn’t eat after 7:30am and was only allowed water, so it was a VERY long wait. Food and drink aren’t allowed on the ward during this time, which is understandable when children are fasting.
Luckily they let me keep him in his buggy until the last minute to stop him eloping too
My son doesn’t drink water, so the nurse kindly offered to get him some squash, but he refused it in the end.

Bring their tablet, favourite toys or anything familiar to keep them occupied. There is a playroom, but that can get noisy too.

The staff were honestly amazing. They explained every part of the procedure, were incredibly patient with him and were clearly very experienced with children with additional needs.

You are allowed in the surgery room and he was allowed his tablet in there until he was asleep too. He refused the anaesthetic mask, and what really reassured me was that they didn’t want to simply restrain him to get the procedure done. Instead, they gave him a pre-med through his nose to make him drowsy enough to tolerate the mask. It unfortunately caused a nosebleed, which upset him and made him cry, but within a few minutes he was drowsy enough to accept the mask.

Afterwards he was very groggy and grumpy and cried for most of the 40-minute journey home. I had been terrified he’d wake up frightened or in lots of pain without understanding why.

But once we got home, he’d eaten something and the anaesthetic had mostly worn off, he was basically back to his normal self. A tough day but we got through it!
#dentalsurgery

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I've been thinking about my time so far in advocating and sharing Freddie's autism journey. Yes I was active and had built up friendships but it all really started to take off and feel proper for me after the evening of this picture.

A room filled with the most amazing people and people I finally got a chance to connect with face to face at James Hunts book launch. Such strong and inspiring people from our little community and people I now call friends.

After this night everything just seemed to snowball and I haven't looked back since. Friendships, connections, events and everything I had never thought of before have taken place for me.

There are people missing from this picture that were also there on the night that made it so special.

(EDIT: @thesenandpremmum is also in the pic but a midget so you can't see her 😂)
@divergentlives
@flappyhandswith_theo
@soulful.autism.mama
@chapter.thirty.five

#autism #family #party #fyp #journey

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Just want to put this to bed now. Change is coming! 🇵🇸✌🏼

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Parents/carers of autistic PDA children with FND — how do you navigate this?

What helps your child understand their limits without it becoming another demand?

I genuinely want to hear your experiences.

#fnd #functionalneurologicaldisorder #fndwarrior #pda #fyppp

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Sometimes, the greatest gift of inclusion is not only what our neurodivergent children receive, but the empathy, understanding and kindness our neurotypical children learn to give.

#autism #asd #asdmom #autisminclusion #autismacceptance

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@senseofplayltd Not an Ad!
My son can’t do birthday parties they are way too busy for him, so I found a solution- hire the place to ourselves! Can’t believe he was 10 yesterday!

I paid £60 for two hours (£30 per child) and the adults went free, expected just a room..basically got a whole apartment!! It’s set in an industrial estate so there is parking too, you can heat up babyfood, make coffee and squash, the toilet right in the room is so handy especially if toilet training!
My nieces little girl doesn’t have Sen but loved it just as much

The place was super clean and the toys all worked which made a refreshing change from other places we’ve been too!
It was so calming, lots of interactive equipment too
This space is available for all ages including neurodivergent adults but anyone would love it I’m sure!
Couldn’t find any negatives about this place even with my sons challenging adhd needs
They are strict on arrival times though and there is road closures in Dartford right now..so leave to get there early

Perfect for kids that’s are climbing the walls at home right now but don’t want to face crowds
About an hour from central London
💰from £16 per child an hour
📍 Suite 3, Howbury Technology CentreTexcel Business ParkThames RoadCrayford / DartfordDA1 4RQ

Available for birthday parties too - with a separate dining room connected

Let me know if you manage to book it! #sensoryspace #kentwithkids #coolthingsfortinylondoners

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April 2024.

Arlo took a shine to bread because of the smell.

And this has been a thing for 2½ YEARS. 🥹

We would spend at least 5–10 minutes down the bread aisle, smelling all the different types. We’d buy his favourite-smelling bread… again and again and again.

But tonight, something changed.

We bought that bread for probably the millionth time, but tonight he was ready.

We talked about how bread can be quite sticky, so we toasted it — with not one ounce of my body expecting him to actually eat it.

And then…

HE DID.

2½ years after first becoming interested in the smell.

I genuinely don't have the words to explain how it felt watching him take that bite.

If you're a parent or carer of a loved one with severely restrictive eating or ARFID, you will know exactly how I feel right now.

And it didn't stop there.

He ate it cold.

Then asked for more to try warmer.

And now he wants it for BREAKFAST. 😭

I'm off to sit quietly and hold back the tears because this isn't just a win.

This feels like winning the bloody lottery. 🥹❤️

And if this ARFID journey has taught me anything, it's this:

Progress can be incredibly slow.

Sometimes it's smelling.

Sometimes it's looking.

Sometimes it's touching.

Sometimes it's simply being able to tolerate a food being nearby.

And sometimes, after years of those tiny steps…

they're ready.

So give them the time.
Give them the space.
Keep gently encouraging.
And don't underestimate the tiny steps.

Because tonight, a child who spent 2½ years just loving the smell of bread ate it.

And honestly?

I'm going to treasure this one forever.

#ARFID #ARFIDAwareness #ARFIDProgress #RestrictedEating #kingsmillbread

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Come down to LTICC this Sunday for a great day of cricket!

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The child who “behaves perfectly” at school… but falls apart the moment they get home 💔

They’re not choosing to give you their “worst behaviour.”

Home is where they finally feel safe enough to release everything they’ve spent all day holding in: the masking, sensory overload, anxiety, frustration and exhaustion.

That meltdown after school isn’t proof that you’re doing something wrong.

It may be proof that your child has been working incredibly hard just to cope. 🥺

So instead of asking, “Why can they manage at school but not at home?”
Maybe we need to ask, “What is school costing them?”

Does your child hold it together all day and unravel at home? Comment “SAFE” if this made you feel seen 🤍

📌 Save this for the difficult after-school moments
🔁 Share it with someone who needs to understand
➕ Follow for compassionate, real-life conversations about ADHD, autism and neurodivergent families

#AfterSchoolRestraintCollapse #Masking #NeurodivergentChildren #ADHDKids #AutisticChildren

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Last night I had the absolute pleasure of attending the book launch for the wonderful @asd_with_a_g_and_t
and her second book, Unmasking Mum. 💛📚

The room was filled with autism and SEND mums, advocates and content creators, and the atmosphere was genuinely buzzing with love, celebration and shared understanding!

One of the most moving moments of the evening was hearing Lisa’s editor speak. It perfectly captured why so many of us adore Lisa - the way she takes the experiences so many autism parents carry quietly and puts them into words with honesty, humour and heart. To see those experiences now becoming books that will help and comfort so many families is really special.

I also got to chat with so many people I’ve followed online for a long time, and meeting them in person felt genuinely lovely. It’s amazing how this community can make you feel so seen and understood.

I came home feeling uplifted, inspired, and very excited to get stuck into Unmasking Mum✨

And honestly, if you’re a SEND parent, you need to be following Lisa 🙂🫶

Her content makes so many of us feel less alone, and this new book is one I already know is going to resonate deeply with autism and SEND families everywhere. 💛

#UnmaskingMum #AutismMum #SENDParent #AutismCommunity LondonAutismMum

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