Jamahl Ali thriving at school after non-verbal start

Supporting a child with autism can be challenging. For young Jamahl, building up his communication skills has been a big journey for the family.

Transcript

00:00 Nothing can hold back 11-year-old Jamal Ali.

00:05 Jamal started showing signs of autism at 18 months and was diagnosed at 6.

00:11 Before starting school, he was essentially non-verbal with very limited speech.

00:16 Hello. Hi Jamal.

00:18 He had a few sort of, I guess, clear words,

00:21 but one thing that would happen was if he'd give us a new word,

00:24 he'd take one away and withhold it and just focus on learning one word at a time.

00:28 Two things that make you laugh.

00:30 His mother worried about how he'd cope at school.

00:33 Just around finishing kindergarten and being able to communicate his needs.

00:37 And that's just simple things like I need to go to the toilet,

00:40 how to engage and play with his friends in the playground.

00:43 But with support from his teachers and family,

00:46 along with speech and occupational therapy sessions, Jamal has thrived.

00:52 As captain, he regularly presents in front of the whole school.

00:57 I feel like I'm a very good role model around school,

01:00 very nice to help people out.

01:02 It's something Shana Ali never expected for her son.

01:06 When he started kindergarten, I didn't think he'd finish his primary schooling,

01:10 being a school captain, let alone doing a speech in front of all of his peers.

01:15 She says Jamal wants to help people better understand autism.

01:19 All children on the spectrum might get cranky or angry,

01:22 and he's quite fierce about the fact that that doesn't represent him.

01:29 Jamal is now considered an asset to the school.

01:32 He has a very kind heart, but he's also very conscious of being part of a team,

01:40 contributing to a team, doing what's right, being responsible and respectful.

01:45 A big year ahead for a determined boy.

01:48 boy.

01:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]