Aramesh Nasrolahi

I had many dreams when I arrived in this country with my husband and 10-year-old daughter. But we faced a significant setback soon after. My daughter started showing difficulties with verbal communication and social skills at her school. We never saw these symptoms when we stayed in Iran. And we had no idea about autism either. So, we felt confused and scared when the school mentioned these concerns. Based on the school’s recommendation, we contacted CCSYR for further guidance and met Hengameh Sorouri, who leads the Newcomers Autism Project. She has guided us ever since to navigate our journey through the diagnosis and treatment for autism spectrum disorder. We learned about the medical condition, treatment options, health coverage and all other relevant information through her workshops. My daughter benefitted remarkably from the social skills session Hengameh ran. And through the peer support group, I got to know other parents who speak my language and have similar experiences.