The
Creatives
April 2019 Issue 3 Vol2
Sibling Love
Always Defeats Autism
Recipes Strawberry Snack Bars
Autism Diaries: True Stories of Autism
Heroes of the C
ommunity
Winning Stories
Creative Writing Competition
World Autism Day with Dr Aniqa Sohail
The Creatives is a publication by Ray Academics for children and young adults.
Learn to Reimagine your Future Upcoming Competitions!
Contents 3
Editor’s Letter
4
Autism Awareness Month
5 7
A Journey of Autism Through the Eyes of a Loving Brother
How I feel about Autism?
10 Feelings about Autism
On the Spot Creative Writing Competition
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12
Winning Stories
15
Autism Diaries:
Raising a Family
21 Kiddies in the Kitchen 21
Book Review
25
Dr Aniqa’s inspirational words on Autism
26
Upcoming Competitions
28
Need Help with Autism?
EDITOR’S LETTER Patron-in-Chief Dear Readers,
Parveen Akhtar
It takes great courage to come out in the open and express the grief of being a part of the painful journey of autism. In this issue Dr. Aniqa Sohail has taken the bold step to express what’s it like to raise a family with autism. Dr Aniqa’s children have been very brave and have written a sibling perspective on autism. This issue has been dedicated to all those families who are dealing with this disorder in their children on their own.We must show social inclusion and support families who are suffering silently in this ordeal. If a family does not fall in the stereo-type portrayed by society does not mean that the society should isolate them. A progressive society understands that it must allow different types of families to interact in order for the community to prosper.
Student Editorial Team
We would also like to thank Maria Danyal for her contribution as well. If you know someone who would like some help in dealing with autism you can access Dr Aniqa’s community initiative called, “HELP Pakistan” through her facebook page. Dr Aniqa provides free online consultation and resources through her facebook page. You can also contact Maria Danyal for assistance as well. She has an organization called “Boundaries.” You can find all this information on p.28 of this issue. This issue also has the winning stories of the Creative Writing Competition. We had a large amount of submissions of students from Lahore and Karachi for this online competition. Through this tough competition many stories have been shortlisted for publication and the winners of the competition were announded on our social media. We would like to allthe participants who took part in this rigorous competition. We will be sending out Participation Certificates with a token of thanks soon. We also have an upcoming On-the-Spot Writing Competition in April. In this competition the participants will be given topics on the spot and they will be required to write stories accordingly. The winners will then be selected and announced on Facebook Instagram and on our website. We are also celebrating Islamic art and hands we have an international competition that we have launched in which we are inviting participants from all over the world.
Amn Zain Ryaan Mirza Damia Nauman Zainab Imran Maheen Salman Aaiza Zafar
Distributed by Ray Academics 21 Bank Square Market Model Town Lahore, Pakistan Ph: +92-302-8556771
Email: info@rayacademics.com
Printers RN Digital Printers
I hope you all enjoy all the heart felt accounts of autism and the engaging winning stories in this issue. Happy Reading!
Bushra Ehsan Editor-in-Chief CEO of Ray Academics
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wh n’s Our so ple therapies , physil i t ationa of mul t onsist peech, occup rapies which a c h T ? s he the utism include behavioral t s successful. s hat is A stion I asked was s d e n r e a g , u n l o al need so pr ca first q ke his nt of a speci stacle en my ectrum a h m w l r l i o e t w Sp n ob par doc Autism years old. eing a es become a and enjoy h b t i s A w f3 sed f fe do le up diagno r at the age o order is a child li have to buck e and faith o e s i d o r p D t e s o y g m h w a n u t l i Diso e r u e t o h b is g pec of d e! T S d s i m t l r s s m i a i t i s t s i s c u t a n a so rA Au co the f lack of cure fo iracle m er that ving a nning our m disord h/language, ir peers and a h c e s ru in spee ions with the hich includ keep u w t s c r e a o g ! r i n n e v e a int ratho in beh ior and chall s e g n a v a ch ive beh repetit vior. a in beh ad a octor h sense d e h t When y son I had a a child n m ver see is sis for diagno because I ne oes. I asked h f d e of reli way my son nt plan that . e e o act the or an treatm eed in his lif enture t t f c a r c h o u t t s ling advtime but c il e n r h o m do t s d a l y “It is him all the lp m or to it hen will he y son’s doct o, my face l e with embarrassed w ask b s m y n m r d l n e o a f e Whe I do f stare at him ut him. s hope rents there i joy! my pa n people questions abo just e h w h d me l ber e m t up wit e n a lot of ll people wouldutism a m w o re “I still lly my mom boy of scho I wish a im as he is. Ais much test to prove r a especia m s accept hart of him, he is a lot d ed the to be ps she want they are googood is just p an that. Therepublic perha world that have raised ee more thone regarding to the s and they wanted to sll. to be d ess.” parent n too. She pride for a dle” awaren , Lahore childre a symbol of l best to han years old e s ,8 v a il a le e h o r m ied he Ahmed S She tr ues too.” ahore L , ld o s s r my is , 11 yea h Sohail Abdulla
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le litt or me s a a f s wa ning her w e t I “ rte rot m a hea my b y fromses inn I s i d en wa las he ith wh ept a apy com w lay w k her ro o p t t te ore for para nted .” , Lah a d im l se y w o h ll ears rea 11 y , l i oha ah S ll u Abd
A Journey of Autisn
Through the Eyes of a Loving brother I am Abdullah, aged 11, a proud sibling of a 14 years old boy with autism. As you know siblings share a unique kind of relationship with one another, typically its the most long lasting relationships of all! Being the sibling of a child with Autism can be both a challenging and amazing experience. Everyday can be crazy and you never know what to expect. It’s very stressful sometimes but you learn to accommodate. Your wishes and dreams mold through different family situations and you gradually become well-adjusted. You also become more helpful especially when you see your elder sibling struggling with basic life skills. You deal with lots of emotions and anxieties that never cross the minds of other 6-9 years old children. Disabilities bring you back to the basics ; where being kind, helpful, patient and loving are the most important traits. Though I can’t recall most of the things yet I do cherish some of my memories. I was very young, when my father often said to me, “Abdullah you have brought me immense pleasure, feeling of joy and recognition in my life,” and according to him, I was the reason for him to live. Whenever I called my dad, “Baba,” he felt like the happiest person on earth and this gave me deep satisfaction as well. It was unimaginable for him that his eldest son had not recognize him as ‘Baba’ for as long as 5 years after birth. As a father, he was eagerly waiting to hear that special word to make him feel loved. In my early years, the most important person for me was my elder brother. He was an adorable child, so handsome and cute! I felt very excited when he would be running, jumping, climbing, flapping his hands and arms. I thought that his autism tricks were awesome! Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I even followed him. It was a lot of fun for me! I jumped when he jumped! I climbed where he climbed. I gave him company in running, eating, flapping and a lot more things. I felt like the luckiest child on earth and my elder brother was not less than an ideal for me. The way he showed his strength and
balanced his energy level was fascinating. He could do mind blowing things like high jumps, spinning and much more. He had no concept of danger but he was very skillful in most of his motor activities. I was not as adept as him and often faced a lot minor injuries while mirroring him. None the less, it was still a wonderful experience and I never gave up on my brother. I always wondered why most people and relatives who were older than me were so scared of him and even ignored him sometimes. I knew I loved him very much and he was our very own, and that is why I always tried to understand him even more. I tried to be with him as much as I could and I was never afraid of him. He is everything to me in my life. I always wondered if my brother would ever be able to talk to me, call me by my name “Abdullah,” and tell me how he felt about me in his life. I always wished I could know why he cried and screamed so much and if there was a way I could comfort him. My mom has almost always been on her toes assisting him with his basic needs, including going to the bathroom, tying shoes, dressing himself, eating, and even playing appropriately etc. It was a full time job and in order to avoid his sensory issues, we could hardly find any time out to enjoy, do groceries, play in the park, and visit our relatives etc. I cannot for a moment imagine my life without him. And I pray to God to help him get functional and independent in his life soon. My brother with autism, Asad, has taught me more about myself than anyone has and I thank God for bringing him to my life There were times when I really wanted to enjoy my life more and spend time with my cousins. I wanted to go to field trips and play outdoor games, eat in a restaurant like McDonalds etc. But our social life was not the same as others. Sometimes I felt neglected and ignored and even jealous of my brother. Everybody spent so much time with him. At times, I felt discouraged when I didn’t find the appropriate response from my brother while playing and interacting with him, but I still would not give up. I could never resist my passion to
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love and play with him. I was very protective for my brother and I never cared about ‘who’ said ‘what’ because I knew, my brother needed me the most When you have a sibling with Autism, you feel a strange stress and pressure on yourself. My parents were working hard with me as well. I got admission in a prestigious school and was doing very well. It was another new world to me. I wanted to be the best at everything and go above and beyond in every minute detail of my life. I still remember when my parents especially my mom wanted me to be the smartest boy of school perhaps she wanted to prove to the world that they were good parents and they have raised good children too. She wanted to see me as a symbol of pride for all. She tried her level best to handle my issues as well. My mom was juggling her career, her family and providing all kinds of support to my brother. I knew in my heart that my parents were the best and they were right by my side. I tried my level best to cope with their expectations and to prove myself. It gave me courage and strength whenever I realized that I made my parents proud. My parents knew that I was blessed with great talent and intelligence with the grace grace of God.
Whenever I was anxious and confused, my mom guided me well and told me that everyone is different, and some people need more help and attention. At the same time she only appreciated those therapists who really had a true understanding of autism. Actually people fear things that they don’t understand. Understanding is the key to acceptance. My mother always motivated me to teach my brother. There was a big age gap, but she believed that I can be the best youngest teacher of my brother. I learned from my mum how to teach and handle him tactfully. It was an amazing but a lonely experience and it did boost my confidence level high up to the mountains. With the passage of time, his teachers became my friends and it was another unique experience to make older friends with such a huge age gap.
Later on, our team grew stronger with the arrival of my younger brother and I found him as a great help and blessing of God indeed.My father always believed in his children, especially his autistic son and that is why; he always supported my mum to help manage all. My elder brother with Autism also proved himself. He spoke after remaining mute for long 5-6 years. He amazed all of us by eventually riding his bicycle, playing indoor and outdoor games so skillfully that it made us not The journey of Autism continued, we encountered new challenges and experiences in only proud of him but it felt like I got my friend our lives. The way we lived, reacted, and behaved evolved with the need of time. Multiple therapists invaded our home for teaching my brother in different shifts for almost 12 hours a day and for almost every day. Not only was he getting more specialized teachers he was also getting more time, attention, play and love by all. It was a little disheartening for me when my brother was kept away from me for therapy classes in a separate room when I really wanted to play with him. Most of the therapists believed in one to one structured sessions but in my heart I knew that my brother always felt comfortable in my presence. I still remember those times when my mom were convincing all therapists to involve me in sessions because she knew autism needs communication, socialization and understanding for the child.
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Muhammad Asad 14 years old
back. While there are a lot of things that I don’t know, I do know that there is nothing my brother can not do. He always faces his challenges with courage. My parents are the most wonderful people I have ever met, extremely humble and honest and passionate and with their love and dedication. I have grown up with utmost respect and gratitude. I have seen the stress of my brother’s autism take a toll on my parents. I have wished I could do more to ease their worries. I offer as much support and love as I can because whenever I think about the future of my family, it makes me anxious and worried
and I get really stressed sometimes. At times I have felt myself more of a mum to my brother than a younger sibling. I have felt myself very protective of him beyond any other sibling relationships I have ever seen. Our bond is strong and unbreakable. I cannot for a moment imagine my life without him. And I pray God to help him get functional and independent in life soon. My brother with Autism has taught me more about myself than anyone has and I thank God for bringing him to my life.
Abdullah Sohail Autism Brother
How I feel about Autism I am Muhammad Ahmed Sohail, the proud sibling of Asad, my eldest brother with autism. Growing up with autism can be a challenge for everyone in the family, for the child whose view of world differs from everyone, for the parents who go the extra mile to ensure that their autistic child is happy and even for the brothers and sisters who struggle to connect with their sibling. The relationship between two siblings becomes very strained when one child is having autism. I am the youngest of my family. It was very natural for me to have some what different feelings about a sibling with autism. These feelings were sometimes positive and at times I felt negatively about the situation. Autism can have intense effects on us: it can be good or bad.
wished that he would play with me, I felt very discouraged. He sometimes stared at me and most of the time avoided me like anything. It was not that easy to understand him. Though I couldn’t interact with him due to his poor speech and language but I always had a strong feeling that he loved me, the same way I love him. It was so simple and natural to love him but I could never appreciate autism. I just hate autism and nothing can change my feeling for this word. It was autism who stopped my brother to play with me and talk to me. It was autism that compelled my brother snatch my food, break my toys, disturb my sleep and hit me too during his aggressive outbursts.
With the passage of time I grew a little I must confess, ‘Autism’ was one of older and very first words that I heard in my life. I had no he started idea what to expect from the autistic world of recognizing my brother. For me he was as normal looking me and as anybody else, rather more handsome than calling me the other kids. He was the focus of all of us. by my name. He was very hyperactive and energetic but It was such could keep a good balance. He used to jump, a beautiful climb, run, and scream often. He had no and amazing concept of danger and it was so scary to see experience him like this. One person was almost always to hear his assigned to him for helping him do different voice. We things and stay safe. have a lot fun together. I was Whenever I tried to talk to him or always worried Muhammad Asad & Ahmed Sohail
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about my mum who was facing a very hard time handling his issues especially his sleep problems. He used to be awake all night and my mum was managing all of this. But she was as caring to us as ever and never let us feel uncomfortable. I wanted to help her feel at ease but I was never able to do that. She is the one who has to manage all of us and her home and it feels as if he is going to consume all of my mum’s energies and damage her health. I try my level best to keep my mum always happy.
My mother not only counsels us all about him but also tells us about autism as well. This encourages us to help him feel comfortable and independent and to play our roles in the family.
Whatever it is, I can not think of a single day without my brother. He lives in my heart. He is a grown up boy now and look very handsome. We play outdoor games a Another thing that frightens and upsets lot together like cricket, basketball, football, me often is his highly unpredictable attitude. He badminton and indoor games like ludo, UNO becomes so aggressive sometimes and screams etc. We feel so excited that when we are so badly that it disturbs all of us. We may not together and we help each other in every way. be able to change him too much but he has changed our lives a lot and we are getting used Life is just astounding and I feel that to it with time. I enjoy a different kind of world with him. I always pray to God and wish my brother gets My parents are very kind and helpful better one day and all the stress related to despite the fact that they are overworked all the autism in our life disappears.I love my brother. time. Some how they still manage to help and He is my family and he is very close to my heart. guide us all the way to step forward positively and accept him as he is.
Ahmed Sohail Autism Brother
“I must confess, ‘Autism,’ was one of very first words that I heard in my life. I had no idea what is to expect from the autistic world of my brother.” Ahmed Sohail, 8 years old, Lahore
h teac t she er o t u h e b d m gap, st teac e t a e e ag ng ow otiv s m s a big st youmum h an y t a e s a b lw y a oos er a here wbe the rom m y. It w t did b s.” h t mo r. T an full nd i tain ed f “My brothethat I c I learn im tactence a moun my ieved ther. ndle h xperi to the bel y bro nd ha onely eigh up ore , Lah of meach a ut a l evel h d l o to tazing b ence l years il, 11 a h am confid o S ullah my Abd
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ral nd natu ever a le p n so sim ould “It was Asad, but I c just hate I e v . ge to lo iate autism an chan apprec and nothing c ord. It was autism ling for this w my brother my fee who stopped to me. It autism h me and talkpelled my play wittism that com food, break was au r to snatch mysleep and brothe s, disturb my aggressive my toy too during his hit me rs.” behavio Lahore years old, 8 , il a h o Ahmed S
e v o L g Siblin s t a e f e d always Autism Ahmed Sohail, Muhammad Asad
and Abdullah Sohail
W
ell what kind of changes did God Almighty want from me??? It took me a few years to understand and seek the answers. Why has God Almighty blessed me with a child who completely regressed speech and has a lack of consciousness at the age of 2.5 years???
is pure as nature, real as divinity and deep as spirituality. Sheheryar gave me courage to provide my special services to other special needs children and adults as well as for parents under the banner of “No Boundaries.�
Our autistic children are not taboo. If we explore them as early as possible they are actually teaching us the solutions in indirect ways. We only need to pay attention to the hidden messages which they are continuously My life has now dramatically changed trying to deliver. The best part I have explored is that our beautiful autistic into a deep valley of discoveries, , brains communicate well with all their finally and explorations obstacles, solutions in this new universe. Which senses and that's really a wonder to feel their brains function. is the universe of my 9 year old nonverbal ,visually impaired Autistic son. God Almighty has given me I thank God Almighty who has blessed the opportunity to experience the me with a treasure named Sheheryar life through very rare and unique Danyal, who shows me the way to perspective which is the true way of help other special needs children, living our lives. My autistic child takes adults and their families. me takes me to a new adventure every time to wonderland where everything
For me, there really is a great.... mystery behind this. God Almighty wanted to transform me into a Superwoman!
Maria Danyal Autism Mom
Founder of No Boundaries A Community Innitiative on Autism
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hore
ld, La l, 9 years o
anya Shehryar D
o. not tabo e r a n e dr tic chil s i t u a r "Ou early as s a m e h s plore t ching u a e t y If we ex ll a are actu y e h t e s." possibl ect way r i d n i n tions i the solu
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Young Writers Award
Winning Stories Unicorn Dreams
There was once a filly named Mary. She lived on a little farm called Golden Hill. Mary had a reddish-brown coat with a brown mane and tail. The chestnut had a wonderful dream. She wanted to become a unicorn! Mary had many friends at Golden Hill. Coco Calf and Peppa Pig were her best friends. One day, Mary and her friends decided it was time to make Mary’s dream come true. Coco found some leftover white paint. Farmer Ben had used it to paint the barn. The three friends then went to Mrs Henny Pickle’s coop. They asked her if they could gather all the feathers she and her chicks had shed. Mrs Henny Pickle said yes. What a kind old hen! When they had gathered enough feathers, the three buddies went to Mary’s stable. It was time to work some magic! First, they painted Mary white. They used their mouth to hold the paint brush. Then they glued all the feathers on a pair of toy angel wings they had found in the trash can. They glued the wings on Mary’s back. Finally, when she was ready, the excited pony trotted off into the open fields of Golden Hill. It was time to fly! Mary galloped as fast as the wind. She jumped as high as she could. She huffed and puffed, but no matter what she did she just couldn’t fly. Then things got worse. It started to rain and poor Mary’s white paint washed off and her wings fell off. Mary and her friends went back to the stables very sad and disappointed. The next morning when Mary woke up she heard someone laughing outside. She went outside and saw a little girl standing next to Farmer Ben. It was Lilo, Farmer Ben’s niece. She was a tiny girl with red hair and freckles on her cheeks. She got a dimple on her right cheek when she smiled. Lilo was going to spend the summer vacations at Golden Hill. Farmer Ben had told Lilo that Mary would be her little pony! By Aiman Mustafa Khalil, 6 years old, Lahore Grammar School Lahore
The Golden Butterfly Once, there was a butterfly. Her name was Lily and she had golden wings. She was very cute and kind. One day, her mom said to her “Let’s drink some nectar from the centers of flowers in the garden.” Lily said “okay”. Both of them fly to the garden and they have fun. Then they see a unicorn, it is rainbow colored. The unicorn’s name is Jojo. They become friends and live happily ever after. By Ayesha Imran, 6 years old, Beaconhouse School System, Lahore
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Sub -Junior
Winners
Winning Stories Creative Writing Competition 2019
First Prize
The Missing Piece A girl named Namwar was finishing a jigsaw puzzle. She finally finished the puzzle, but there was a problem. She couldn’t find a piece in the middle. Then she sat down and thought deeply in her mind about her life and the missing piece in it. “I don’t have a father, however I am happy the way I am.” “I feel so happy and complete”. She cheered up suddenly because she realized there
is always a replacement piece. My grandfather, grandmother and mother are replacement pieces. An idea struck in her mind. She ran and got a piece from another jigsaw puzzle and fixed it into the place of the missing piece. She realized that though it wasn’t what was ‘normal’ but it didn’t matter, because it filled the space and she was grateful that she had something to fill the empty space in her life.
By Namwar Ahmed, 8 years old, Lahore Grammar School 30-Main, Lahore, Pakistan
Second Prize
A Silly Woman
Once there lived an old silly woman whose The next day she decided to go out for name was Sponge. Sponge was always very cross. a walk but she couldn’t find her cap and shawl. She never smiled at anyone. She was always very Then she looked at the counter. “Aha! There they cross so nobody smiled at her. She had no children are!” she thought but they were her tablecloth and so she felt lonely. One day she was feeling lonely saucer’s cloth cover. She wore them outside and so she decided to go outside for a walk. She always everyone smiled at her she didn’t know why but she wore a woman cap and a shawl when she went was very happy. outside. She wore them and went outside for a walk. How she wished that somebody would smile at her! By Rabia Javaid, 9 years old, Lahore Grammar School 30-Main, Lahore, Pakistan
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Third Prize Pittu’s Cricket Chronicle Pittu Pigoen loved cricket! The white feathered bird spent all his days flying from one window to another looking for a television screen with the cricket game on. He would also sit on high trees and electric poles watching street urchins play. It was the day of the Pakistan-India final and it was happening in Pittu’s hometown. Pittu flew in early morning to the cricket stadium and got the best seat: right below a cosy spot under a spotlight. The excited pigeon cooed and cheered for his home team.
It was the final over and India needed four runs to win. As the bowler sped in from the pavilion end, Pittu couldn’t help himself. He flew towards the middle of the pitch to get a better view. As he glided down, the batsmen hit the ball for a six. The ball hit Pittu right in his chest and the bird and the ball fell in the middle of the ground! Pittu had won Pakistan the match! Pittu would forever be remembered as a cricketing hero, and a legend among his feathered flock of peers.
By Ahmed Mustafa Khalil, 7 years old, Aitchison College, Lahore, Pakistan
Consolation Prize The Shoe Mystery
One frosty morning, Tim and Jim were having club sandwiches for breakfast. After they finished their breakfast , Tim and Jim wanted to play outside. “If you want to go outside, then wear your shoes, “ said mom. “Okay,” they said and looked for their shoes in the cupboard. Tim looked in the first cupboard and Jim looked in another one. Kim and Jim did not find anything but brown and red bottle caps. “These bottle caps lead to the living room,”said Jim. They followed them to the living room. Tim and Jim had never seen the walls in the living room being brown and red. Tim touched the wall and BOOM!! The paint cracked at one spot. “Uh Oh!” they said together. “Mom is going to be upset,”
said Tim. Then the star of golden card board box below the living room table. They opened the box and saw their shoes. The shoes were covered with loads of brown and red bottle caps. Tim’s shoes were painted brown and Jim’s were red. “Who could have done this?” Asked Jim. “Probably us,” replied to him. So they wore their shoes and went outside to play. They saw their mother painting the flower pots brown and red. “Mom, so it was you who created this mystery?” Tim and Jim asked in astonishment.”Well, I’m glad you solve this mystery,” said mom. “I was teasing you both,” she smiled at them. Tim and Jim hug their mother and they lived happily ever after.
By Ansa Usman, 7 years old, Lahore Grammar School 30-Main, Lahore, Pakistan
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Junior Winners
First Prize Chains
She was running, she was winning and she was unstoppable. Her dark long hair waved in the wind behind her and her bright green eyes gleamed in the sun as an ear to ear smile spread across her face. Nothing could take away the joy she was feeling.
One day, she realized that life like this, life full of nothing but despair, is not a life. So she decided that she wanted to do something about it. After that every day, she would try to break free from the chains instead of crying all day.
But then suddenly, her hands got tied up in chains. Chains so tight that they would leave lines across her wrists. Her mouth got covered with a rag and she couldn’t speak. Her eyes lost their spark and her hair fell on the ground with her hopes of a happy life. All of this happened because of one person. One terrible person called fate.
Every day she would get and inch closer to freedom, she would wait patiently, try but not with frustration from her past but with hope for the future, and today she is running again. Her cheeks are rosy again, her eyes are shining again and her hair is flying again and not once has she looked at her past and grieved for what it did to her.
Her life lost all meaning. She was left to cry in that She now knows that a single thread of hope is strong corner for years as a curtain of humor and sarcasm enough to bring towers of gold. hid her face from the world. She would cry, scream and do everything she could to get everyone’s attention but all those screams would come out as laughter and tears as jokes. By Zainab Mansoor, 11 years old, Lahore Grammar School 30-Main, Lahore, Pakistan
Second Prize The Puppet’s Curse I was the last one to leave the theatre when I noticed the puppets eyes moving; looking from side to side in a creepy way. It had a strange determination, like it was searching for someone particular. I stepped back, clearly shaken by the puppet’s movement. The theatre was pretty big so I had snuck into the messy backstage to take a peek at the different puppets all lined up on the dusty
old shelf. Somehow I couldn’t run away from the creepiness in the puppet’s movement, especially when it jumped down from the shelf! Fascinatingly, its strings seem to float above it and move on its own. It started exercising by stretching his arms and legs, totally oblivious to the fact that I was right next to that creature. Its legs wouldn’t bend and then he started to do jumping jacks. That was when I gi-
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ggled. And, that was when the night’s horror actually started…
broke the night. In fact, it was so loud that the puppet jumped back, scared, and started to look around. This was it. My only chance to get away. I jumped up and The puppet jerked its head to where I was standing. sprinted out of the theatre and into the cold rainy Its eyes were pure red and seemed to draw and lure night. As I ran out of the huge yard the theatre was you. I couldn’t move my feet for some reason. The in, I felt rain and snow fall on my head! Where did puppet kept staring until it jumped up, brandished a rain and snow come from in summer?! “THE CURSE!” knife, and before I could say or do anything, pinned something screamed. Was it the puppet? I should me to the ground. I frantically tried to budge out, but have known! The puppet was probably after me this its body seemed to weigh me down. I tried pushing moment. Would it follow me home? What if it did? it away from the shoulders but it was too strong even “THE CURSE! YOU’RE PART OF IT KNOW!” the same for a useless looking puppet. It pointed the tip of his bloodcurdling scream. What did it mean? knife at my neck and I froze. “One false move and you’re dead meat” the puppet threatened. Suddenly, Then suddenly, I saw a strong ray of light which was (after my silent prayer) a wolf howled a long howl that blinding and I felt as if my body was freezing. When By Aleena Fatima, 12 years old, Learning Alliance, DHA, Lahore, Pakistan
Third Prize
The Territorial Triumph I sighed. Giving a pensive glance to my homeland, I leapt up on the Teleporter to get into theroom in the spaceship reserved for scientists. When an alien invasion threat emerged few years back, it was decided to move as much human to Mars as possible. Finally, now in 2031, the extra-large spaceship, fully armed, was ready. Wetook our Nanobots: only 8-inches tall but shot atom-missiles with adjustable destruction output.On our index finger, there was a minute machine called the HypnoRay. It hypnotizes the enemyto do whatever you command. These are to mention just a few. The journey was of ten days but just after two, the Lead Scientist who was also piloting thespaceship, announced that we had run out of fuel. So we had to land on the moon and wait for the refuel capsule. Few minutes after landing, we saw plenty of small spaceships landing behind our spacecraft. Myeyes fell on my leader. He was turning green and shrank to about 6-inches. Then he instructedthe aliens, “You have 30 minutes to fully arm”. Now we knew that he was one of the aliens and kept the fuel tank slightly opened so that the fuel continuously leaked! I sprinted to tell my fellows. We arranged security and planned strategic locations. In exactly 30 minutes, the attack began. To our amusement, the aliens were using Kalashnikovs and shotguns! They were no match for us. We simply used the HypnoRay. All the aliens were fully hypnotized, so we told them to go back to their planet, never to lay an evil eye on Earth or humans again! As the threat was now eradicated, we radioed the fuel capsule so that we can get back to our dear homeland victoriously. By Musa Ahmed Tahir, 11 years old, Aitchison College, Lahore, Pakistan
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Consolation Prize The Odyssey I always went to the woods in times of trouble. It was my happy place as my mother was buried there. Sometimes I talked to her and I knew she was listening.
make weapons in case the dogs attacked.
It was my mother that gave me the urge to keep working. Then, the wild dogs came. I managed to knock one down. Just as I was about to kill it, I felt as if my mother was telling me not to. I took him in the house, and left him with some water and She went to God when I was fish. Soon it started following me and we became four. I went to live on an island friends. I decided to name him Rontu. with a relative. The days pasI learned to catch birds and fish. The birds becased and I missed my mother me friendly and would come and sit near me. That even more. One day, I went out and found all the made my yard a happy place. houses wrecked. There was no one around. I did not know what to do. I could hear wild dogs howling in the distance. I climbed a huge boulder as it would keep me safe from the dogs. The next day, I decided on making a shelter. Some whale ribs had washed ashore. I used them to make fence around my house by tying them with sinew. I decided to
A few more days passed when a ship arrived. I shouted for help and fortunately, the ship stopped and took us aboard. I thanked God for saving me, the chirping birds bid me farewell while Rontu sat beside me and together we sailed to live a new life.
Raushan Tariq, 11 years old, Learning Alliance, DHA, Lahore, Pakistan
Senior Winners
First Prize And She Slowly Fades Away
Sweating, she woke up. Her cotton shirt was drenched. How could she be sweating in the middle of January? She glanced around her room. Tiny polaroids were hung with fairy lights across her wall. Then she plunged into the horrors of her nightmare. She was seven and alone in a metal-walled room. It
was dark and she could feel the walls caving in on her. Suddenly, she saw a faint glow at the end of the room. She could see a figure closing in, yet, even as a silhouette, she knew it was her mother. “Ammi! Ammi�, she called, but the figure did not reply.
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Even in her dream, she remembered the day when her mother had filled the divorce papers and left her alone in the unkind world. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she did not realize that she was only a few moments from becoming as flat as her mother’s chapati. Claustrophobic. This is what the psychiatrist had described her condition as. She had the fear of confined spaces. All of a sudden, all she saw was white. White everywhere. It was like God had forgotten to paint the earth. She could tell that she was a lot older; around sixteen. Getting up, she started walking towards a black spot which could be seen in the distance. The spot turned out to be a button. As her fingers touched the surface of the button, she saw her brother. Her brother, who had left her a few years back because he had to chase the butterfly of his
dreams. She knew it was a hologram but still she extended her hand as though she wanted to touch him; to let herself know that he was still out there, waiting for her. She was pulled back by an invisible force and found herself in darkness again. She shook herself as if she wanted to get rid of all her memories. No matter how hard she tried, they came floating back, brighter and clearer than before. Fading from those memories she found herself awake, back in her room. Yet now the fairy lights flickered off and she could feel the coldness of the walls pressing in on her from the front and back, not even noticing her presence. Crushing her as they came closer and closer and she faded slowly, slowly.
By Damia Nauman, 15 years old, Lahore Grammar School 55-Main, Lahore, Pakistan
Second Prize
The Invisible presence It was midnight and I saw a streak of lightning flash across the sky. It had started raining cats and dogs. I put on my reading glasses, wrapped a warm shawl around my shoulders and opened my favourite novel and started reading. I glanced at the white clock next to my mantelpiece. It was 1: 30 a.m. Suddenly, I heard a loud knock at the door. I shivered and wondered who would come at this hour. My parents were asleep. I walked slowly to the nearest window and peered out, my heart beating loudly. I got scared. I looked outside and saw that my front porch was empty.A chill ran down my spine and I shivered in fright. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I sighed, and sat down on my blue sofa and picked up my novel again. It hadn’t even been 5 seconds of me reading until the door bell rang again. I jumped frightened now. So many thoughts were racing through my mind. Should I wake up my parents and let them know no one was actually ringing the doorbell? I tried to remain calm but cold sweat dripped down my forehead. I walked out to
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the window and saw no one. I looked away and then looked again but still no one was there. I ran up the stairs, and tripped. I fell down the staircase. I got up, my legs shaking. I had a terrible headache and clasped my head with my palms. I had a feeling that there was a presence which I could not see but feel. Something wasn’t right. Suddenly, a crystal bowl my mom bought when she went on a conference to Thailand fell off the mantelpiece straight on to the floor. I jumped in fright and heard my mom and dad both running down the staircase to see what happened. The crash was loud enough to wake them both up. My cat Skittles, was running down the stairs too, meowing very loudly and screeching. He had never done that before. I looked at him wondering if he had felt the presence too. My parents asked me what happened but I was speechless. When I sat down, and my mom made me a cup of green tea with honey, I had calmed down a little bit and told them what happened. They told me not to worry and said maybe the crystal bowl fell be-
cause of the lightning. When I told them about the door bell ringing, they said it was probably just some teenagers playing a prank on us. If that was so, then why was Skittles meowing so loudly? My parents said he was probably scared when he heard the crash
but I did not believe them. I had felt a presence and so did my cat. This incident happened two or three years ago, and I never quite understood what happened that stormy night. I cannot explain it.
By Zainab Mir , 13 years old, Learning Alliance, DHA, Lahore
Third Prize
Only If I could turn back time I glanced at the colourful lights tracing back to the dreary bundle of houses lined against the stark walls. Multiple shades of red and yellow danced on the horizon as if celebrating the beauty that they had brought along. Closing my eyes, I felt the overbearing chill in the atmosphere that touched my body, erasing the scars that the past had left behind. I felt a tug at the sleeve of my sweater, glancing downwards, to see my six-year old sister give me a toothy grin. I smiled back at her, wondering if she would be able to face all that awaited. I clasped my hand in hers and started walking on the cobblestone pathway, which led towards a steep flight of stairs. My heart raced a mile per hour as we covered more distance. Sighing, I knocked on the brass doorway with the number ‘21’ inscribed on it in boldletters. Patting my sweaty palms, I took a deep breath and pushed open the door once it automatically unlocked. My nostrils flared as the pungent smell of a sharp substance hung in the air. There was something
familiar yet wholly strange about it. Blood coursed through my veins at rapid speed as I rubbed my eyes regain a better vision. Stepping onto the carpeted foyer, I narrowed my eyes in the mirror. Suddenly, a high- pitched scream broke me out of my reverie. Hurriedly, I paced down the hallway, stopping in front of the french door. Just as it opened, clouds of heavy steam greeted my eyes, revealing an absolutely furious girl. Scrunching her forehead, she held the tips of what seemed to be freshly dyed strands of her hair, now in the colour of purple. She asked me the question I had been avoiding all day “Did you do this?” Forcing a giggle to escape, I tried to lighten the situation, answering the question with a slightly unsure reply “ Yes?” The rest became history, for the wild animal lunged at me, making me regret the day I decided to add permanent hair dye in my sister’s shampoo bottle.
By Zainab Imran, 16 years old, LGS 55 Main, Lahore, Pakistan
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Consolation Prize Under the Shadows I sat at the foot of a 400-year-old tree, reading a book. The sun was gradually setting and was getting darker for me to read, so I put the book in my pack and got up to go home, when suddenly, I noticed a pair of great big yellow eyes, that seemed to be glaring right at me. They also seemed to be growing larger, which meant that they were coming closer by the second. Naturally, I freaked out. Then I blinked and rubbed my eyes. They were not eyes, but the headlights of a car. How strange.
the giants had found me and was reaching out with one colossal hand to grab me and in the other hand he had a newspaper of the next day and there was my picture on the front page. The headline read, “Teenage boy murdered.”
I leapt up and started running as fast as I could. My only thought was to get the monsters away from the car and away from my mother, and I could tell I had succeeded. The monster gave chase and barreled towards me…and all at once I was surrounded. 10 The car screeched to a halt right beside me and I large, ugly faces towered above me and it took immediately recognized the person inside. It was me all my willpower not to wet my pants. I got the my mom. I looked at my watch and my heart nearly courage to say, “W-Who are y-you?” “We are the stopped. It was 7:30! I was supposed to be home underminers. We are fed by darkness, weakened by 5 and I was very late and now my mother had by light and we feed on humans,” he replied in to come and find me. I stepped nervously in the a booming voice. Two thoughts came into my car and closed my eyes and prepared myself for mind. The first was, “I am dead.” The second was, the worst. My mother started to give me a lecture “Wait! Did he just tell me his weakness?” But the when suddenly she broke off and started stuttering. I underminer seemed to have read my thoughts. He looked up and screamed. said, “Perhaps, you think that we made a mistake and told you our weakness, but you will not be alive when A huge, hairy thing was coming out of the shadow the sun rises.” Another thought came into my mind, of a tree. I looked around and saw the same kind of “I am so very dead.” But then I heard my mother thing happening everywhere and from the shadow voice, calling my name. The leader whimpered, said, of every tree. My mom jerked the wheel to avoid “We’re also scared of females,” and they all ran away. the monsters but the car swerved in a ditch and my mom fainted instantly. I went out and suddenly felt a cold draught on my neck and looked up. One of By Adil Rehan Quddus, 13 years old, Lahore Grammar School, Pakistan
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Kiddies in the Kitchen Strawberry Oatmeal Bars With April starting, it brings in a new wave of fruits, along with are all time favorite…. Strawberries!!!! So kiddies, put your minds and taste buds to rest, after you enjoy these easy peasy, yet delectable oatmeal bars! Ingredients 1 3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing pan 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cup oats 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 ½ cup strawberries Procedure: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan. Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares. ENJOY!!! By Amn Zain, Lahore, Pakistan
Book Review My book review is on Divergent by Veronica Roth. It is a science-fiction set in a dystopian society where people are separated into different factions based on their personality. They either fit into Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), Amity (the kind), Erudite (the smart), or Abnegation (the selfless). The main character, Beatrice Prior, fits into more than one, and those people are classified as “Divergent”, and the government don’t want them in their system and get rid of them. So Beatrice has to fit in and keep her divergence a secret. I loved Divergent and the other two books in the series, Insurgent and Allegiance, because it is action-packed and I like stories where people want to rebel for a better society. I guarantee you there is not one part of the book that feels boring. It’s the kind that keeps you engaged and is very compelling. If you love action and dystopian books, this is the one for you. By Aaiza Zafar, 13 years old, Connecticut, USA
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Autism Diaries: Raising a Family By Dr Aniqa Sohail
I
am the mother of three children, the eldest is suffering from moderate to severe autism, the other two who are 10 and 8 years old have been spared by this cruel condition. My eldest son who I love unconditionally is truly a fighter, he is partially verbal but still not fully independent. Motherhood, as I have experienced it isn’t what I had pictured it to be. I had to let go of all those aspirations and now I have reached a place of acceptance of my present life. Like all of other the moms, I also dreamed about the successful future of my children and wished them a better version of their parents. Every parent has trouble letting their children grow up and I am no exception.
plus grandparents, my husband and I feel both overwhelmed and blessed with love and support. I family life is as rich and as meaningful as any other. I feel both overwhelmed and blessed with love and support. Our family life is as rich and as meaningful as any other. My sons lives are not tragic and nor is mine. A society that aims to remove all the variables that make human life so fascinatingly complex is not a society I want to live in. Every day our life is crazy, filled with unfathomable challenges. It’s not easy to manage all this and keep everyone happy but how do you move forward and carry on? It just can’t be described in the words.
When my eldest child was born, I cradled my healthy, adorable, bright-eyed baby. My But it’s all different when autism comes husband and I were oblivious to the impending your way. It is extremely important to understand that a story about autism is not a story of a single reality that he would soon be diagnosed with an child but it is a story about an entire family. Raising invisible lifelong disorder. A disorder that even a family and living with autism is almost a constant after fourteen years would keep him almost as dependent as a toddler. it was so natural to love challenge every day as autism affects the entire him all the way long and soon he became the family. Meeting the complex needs of a person most favorite child of the family. with an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) can put families under great deal of stress; emotional, financial and sometimes even physical. From the very start, he was very irritable most of the day, had poor sleep and difficulty Being a mother is a kind of a full-time job in feeding. He was extremely sensitive to noises that has no boundaries of exhaustion and time. and lights. Because he was calmer in motion so Autism often means odd behaviors, sleeplessness, we used to making him move a little and rock bizarre behaviors, sensory issues, self harming, him most of the day. Whenever he cried, we screaming, eating problems, poor social life and immediately looked after his basic needs and much more. nobody ever noticed the lack of appropriate eye contact, social smile and response to his name. It cannot not only destroy our health and peaceful lives but it can also in some cases destroy In the first year of his life, he used to sit marriages as well. But autism also means nurturing alone for a long time and play with his favorite toy a unique perception of understanding a shared and he would hardly notice the people around world of communication and love. him. He could never develop stranger anxiety and could never identify his caregivers significantly. I With the varying personalities of three kids
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Nobody had an idea that he was unable to understand the language we spoke to him and he had just become aloof and lost. He used to play with his own interests, laugh with himself, and cry for unknown reasons. At the end of first year, he became very hyperactive, and used to run all day. He always seemed to scream, cry, and push food away. He had no sense of danger and due to that I had to be with him all the time and could never leave him unattended. He had a very different kind of sensory issues that disturbed almost everyone around him. Sleep is always something that came to us with anxiety. Getting him to sleep was the most stressful thing I could ever imagine. We felt that as parents we failed every day. Not only was falling a sleep a problem but the quality of sleep was also compromised. He used to get up almost every night and wander all over the house. It was very hard to handle him. We were consumed with his issues at the cost of our normal personal and social life. We were striving hard but still we were labeled with bad parenting. It was a extremely discouraging to hear this after all the hardwork that we were putting in.It felt as if our family life was in a type of a vicious circle of continuous stress and anxiety.
of denial. Now, I feel remorseful that I wasted my child’s precious time recovering from this. It took a further few years for my husband and my family to accept it and cope with it. We were working with ABA (Applied behavior analysis) and other different interventions, almost 12 hours a day for almost every day. A variety of therapists invaded our home and it was the start of another life. Our attitudes and criteria of achievements were changing with time. A minute success made us climb over the mountains with joy which may be negligible attainment for others. It took us several years to adjust to constantly having strangers in our space. They were days, when the child behaved well and there were days when he was at his worst. A typical day involved hours and hours of screaming, crying, gagging and also injuring himself. At times anxiety manifested into panic attacks that I dreaded every day. From this dark point in life I finally got to the point that I realized I couldn’t change my son as much as I wanted to so I had to work on myself, educate myself more for my child. I needed to explore my child’s mind more and work more on communication and understanding. I, now understood, that not every meltdown is alarming behavior and that understanding is the key to success. I found that every moment as a teachable moment.
Anxiety, soon became our friend and we went deeper in a world of depression, misunderstandings and stress. It felt like our own life We were blessed with two children and was ending and every moment was revolving around a new chapter of life full of love, surprises and Asad’s needs and demands. wonderful experiences commenced. Positive relationships help you support each other in life. We also understood that it was normal for typically Being members of medical community developing children to have different feelings about we both parents felt something was off but I as a a sibling with a disability. Their feelings might be pediatrician was still not yet concerned. At around the age of around 16 months he was labeled ASD by positive and negative at the same time as children developmental pediatrician. We were shocked when find it harder if the ASD child has challenging I realized that my son had autism and we were struck behaviors and communication difficulties. Your child’s age, temperament and birth order can affect by devastation and grief. how you feel about having a sibling with disabilities. We stopped socializing more and more. and found ourselves in a dark, heavy and seemingly impossible place with no way out.
Insterestingly, one of my other children always wished that he could become autistic as well so that he could get more love, attention, and time. He always felt ignored and neglected but in No one in the family was familiar with the reality he was feeling down most of the time but term. I started with a blank slate, with absolutely no he continued to play an integral role in helping idea of what to do, how to deal with this plethora of his autistic brother. The elder one, Abdullah, was challenges, who to reach out or where to start. I had often seen as a supportive and the caring brother. no clue about was doing; whether it was right or He nurtured Asad like a mom and it was quite a wrong. Just as my successes were my own so were gratifying experience to see this. my failures. We, as a family, over the years have perfected a few things and there are some things that My youngest son always hated autism we are still trying to figure out. It took me around three years to recover from the grief and the phase because it snatched his food, broke his toys and frightened him often. He is a very sensitive person
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and despite all his fears he always loved his eldest brother and all of them enjoyed every moment together. They have always helped each other out. My other two sons accepted their eldest brother with autism, the way he was. They never looked for his drawbacks infact they seemed to be rather impressed by his uniqueness and different style of life. My children have unconditional love for him. They have grown up so quickly that its unbelievable.
. We as parents may not need anything but siblings of autistic children need more special time, love, outings and much more understanding. Autism consumes all the energy of parents and there is no time to counsel and help understand issues of normal siblings. This may confuse them and they may face many difficulties in understanding different kinds of behaviors. If you find them wrong, don’t take it hard, perhaps it reflects on something they faced in their childhood. Help them feel happy and that in None the less, nobody can imagine the misery of those parents when their six year-old assists itself would be a great help for parents. As I have always suffered with the anxiety of the future, I can a teenager in the toilet training. I was blessed to not for a moment imagine my life without him.. He have such an amazing and extraordinary kids. They has taught me more about myself than anyone that I are absolutely matchless. They have learned bad behavior due to some strange and isolated domestic have and I thank God for bringing him to my life. My situations, but thats only natural. Despite all that they family may not be perfect, but it is mine. My family were put against, I am eternally grateful to have such will have its ups and downs but we try to get through difficult times with laughter and support. We laugh superb, loving and intelligent children. and do silly things probably no one else would find funny. It helps us to move on and most importantly, With time, all have grown up in this any situation can be lightened up with laughter and challenging environment. We have gotten used kindness to one another. to many things and lots of positive things have happened. My autistic son started speaking for his needs. He started responding to lots of instructions and also started recognizing his immediate close relationships even more so, he also now avoids living in isolation. He participates very well in both indoor and outdoor games and likes to go for outings with Founder of Help Autism his cousins. A Community Initiative on Autism
Dr Aniqa Sohail Autism Mom
He was not very functional in his daily life but with vocational training he was doing wonders and he impressed all of us. He can ride a bicycle, play cricket, basketball, badminton and football. He loves to play indoor games like Ludo and other board games. He has learned knitting and can make a chair with strings. He often presents his handmade bracelets to his teachers! Although he’s not fully recovered yet he’s getting more functional everyday. We still all don’t sit together for family dinners and that’s just the way it is in our family for now. My husband and I travel or go out with our other two children sometimes separately to give them some down time and mental relaxation to feel better. Asad is not yet in a place where we can travel too much or go to most parties or restaurants together but we are working with him consistently and are hopeful for the future. I know that he may be dependent on us for the rest of our lives. And I am content with this reality. I just wanted to say to the world, we parents of children with autism, don’t need advice, we just need someone’s help so that we can nap a little and live our own life for some time. So that we can revive and have time for our own relationships.
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Head of the Pediatric Department Child Consultant Specialist MBBS-KEMC (Gold Medalist) MCPS & FCPS Wapda Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
“Interestingly, one of my other children always wished tha could become autistic as t he so that he could get morewell love, attention, and time.”
“It is extremely important to understand that a story about autism is not a story of a single child but it is a story about an entire family. Raising a family and living with autism is almost a constant challenge every day as autism affects the entire family.”
“We were consumed wit h his issues at the cost of ou normal personal and soc r life. We were striving harial still we were labeled wit d but h bad parenting. It was a extrem discouraging to hear this ely all the hardwork that we after putting in.It felt as if our were life was in a type of a vic family circle of continuous stressious and anxiety.”
“A society that aims to rem all the variables that make ove human life so fascinating complex is not a society ly I want to live in.”
Dr
s d r o W tional
a r i p s n I s ’ ' a q i n A
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This competition is open for all children and young adults who can send us a digital image of the art that they have produced. The artists are encouraged to use their creativity in depicting the theme from any perspective within Islamic etiquette.Please note that submissions sent can be used in print and electronic publications such as The Creatives and other web publications by Ray Academics. Please note that plagiarized work (eg. copying from internet, claiming as someone else's work as yours etc.) will result in banning from all competitions and publications at Ray Academics. CATEGORIES: -Calligraphy- Arabic -Calligraphy-English -Floral -Motif/Geometrical Pattern -Abstract -Landscape DETAILS: AGE GROUPS: Young Artist: 6 years SubJunior: 7-9 years Junior: 10-12 years Senior: 13-16 years
PUBLICATION: Winner and shortlisted artists and writers will be published in our monthly magazine, "The Creatives", social media of Ray Academics and in our website ENTRY: Rs 500 for Pakistan All other counties: $5 (US) NO. OF ENTRIES ACCEPTED PER PARTICIPANT (PER CATEGORY): 2 RESIDENCE OF PARTICIPANTS Worldwide TYPES OF WORK ACCEPTED: The competition is open for any artistic medium including but not limited to: digital art, pastel, oil painting, water colors, charcoal, pencil. 1. Medium (materials used): Any 2. Size of Art work: Not smaller than 5”x7”and larger than 11”x17” 3. Submission is in digital form (send us a clear image of your work-file type: JPEG)
PRIZES: Several
SUBMISSION:
Winning participants outside Pakistan will be delivered prizes through Amazon.com or by our representative
-Submit image of your work online at info@rayacademics.com (Image must be high resolution) -File format: JPEG -One email per participant is accepted (if you are sending 2 images then you must attach it in one email) -Subject line of the email must be as follows: Artwork by -------You must fill the online form below to be accepted. -You must email your submissions to info@rayacademics.com
CERTIFICATES: Winning entries will receive gifts and certificates. Participation certificates will also be given
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Please note that your work will be checked for plagiarism. All submissions must include the following information: Name, Age, Contact Phone and Email, Postal Address, School and Country. Artists are encouraged to show the artwork in person to the representative assigned for that specific region/country LAST DATE OF SUBMISSION: May 20th, 2018 ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIZES: Winners will be announced on Facebook and Instagram (@rayacademics)All information and online form is available at https://www.rayacademics.com/islamic-art-competition
On the Spot Creative Writing Competition ON THE SPOT COMPETITION
On the Spot competition is a competitive competition in which children and young adults are required to write according to the topics given. A variety of narratives from different genres are given for different age groups. The students will be given tips on how to improve the quality of writing before giving the topics to the students. Older students are allowed to use a thesaurus and a dictionary during the competition. Topics are unseen and the students will be given a variety to choose from it. Each participant will be given a token of appreciation and a certificate for participating in the competition. Slots are reserved in advance with an advance payment of Rs 600 for each participant. AGE GROUPS:
PRIZES: Various in each category
6-7 years old
VENUE:
8-10 years old
Ray Academics
11-13 years old
21 Bank Square Market
14-16 years old
Model Town
TIMINGS:
Lahore
11AM-12:30PM
Link for details: https://www.rayacademics.com/on-the-spotcompetition-2019
12:30PM-2:00PM DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 20TH 2019
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An initiative by Maria Danyal
Contact: 0324 481 2100