In the Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, 16-year-old Ahmed Hatem al-Mahabeel, who lives with autism, copes with trauma from ongoing conflict by clutching his hand tightly under his chin, a repetitive movement to calm his nervous system amid memories of explosions.
Ahmed has lost many familiar places, including his bedroom, school, and sports academy, all destroyed during the war that has been ongoing since October 2023. This conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 73,380 Palestinians and widespread destruction across Gaza.
Ahmed's mother, Umm Ahmed, described how the war shattered the progress he had made, saying, “Ahmed used to go to the mosque and the club on his own, making excellent progress, but the war destroyed everything we built.” She added that Ahmed suffers from major sensitivity to sudden noises, triggering severe panic attacks when explosions occur.
Abu Muneer, another family member, noted that Ahmed once communicated clearly but now faces severe attacks triggered by urgent questions he cannot have answered due to the loss of his safe environment. Abu Aoun highlighted the impact of interrupted or reduced psychiatric and anti-convulsant medications, explaining that such disruptions cause severe brain chemistry disturbances and rebound effects in the nervous system.
Experts emphasize that autistic children rely heavily on predictable routines as a neurological safety valve. Jarour stated, “An autistic child cannot survive without a predictable ecosystem; routine is a neurological safety valve. What we witness today in Gaza is the total destruction of the behavioural foundations built over years.”
The ongoing conflict continues to profoundly affect families with autistic children, compounding the human toll of the war.
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