Help a 13-year-old nonverbal autistic child access speech therapy

Setyesh is my niece. She is a 13-year-old sweet, quiet, and jolly girl. She is nonverbal, communicating through monosyllabic words and unspoken body language. In Afghanistan, she did not have access to occupational therapy or speech therapy.

Her favorite hobbies are drawing and swimming, and sometimes playing soccer. She loves walking in nature as she finds a deep connection to the stillness and feels present.

Setayesh lives with her parents in Calgary, Alberta. She has not been able to attend school on a regular basis due to a lack of an Educational Assistant (EA), often attending for only three hours, three times a week. This year, she does not have an EA and has forgotten everything, including writing her name.

The family has applied for the FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities) program, which is excessively long, with families waiting an average of three years for a full range of services, according to CBC.

Because traditional educational settings have not been able to meet his communication needs, for the next academic year she is enrolled in a specialized school (Quest School) that provides specialized learning. The cost of tuition and therapy places a significant burden on his family. As she grows up and is unable to communicate, there is concern for her parents that she will never be able to do so. There is already too much pressure on the family. It has also impacted my own life.

One Voice, 7 days

So, this summer I decided to spend 7 consecutive days in the Colorado Rocky Mountains attempting to climb as many 14,000-foot peaks as I safely can. My goal is to climb at least 10.

Why?

To bring voice to my niece. Every peak that I summit represents another step toward helping a 13-year-old nonverbal autistic child access speech therapy and specialized educational support.

I am aware of the challenges. The mountains will test my endurance, but it is only temporary. For this child, the challenge of communication is a daily reality.

Climbing the tallest mountains in Colorado is an arduous journey of 7 days, but the journey my niece navigates every day with autism is a lifelong journey that is not impacting her but the entire family.

My goal is simple: climb as high as I can so she can have greater opportunities to communicate and verbalize her emotions.

So I am asking for your support to help cover the cost of:

• Speech therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Specialized developmental programs

Speech therapy: $150-$180 (CAD) ($107-130 USD) per session

Occupational therapy: $130–$200 (CAD) ($93-143 USD) per session

Specialized School: $6500 (CAD) ($4,659 USD) annually

1 hour speech therapy: $150

4 hours a week = $600

1 month = $2400

12 months = $28,800

24 months = $57,600, which is $41,100 in US Dollars.

Remember! Every dollar you donate will help a child learn a word.

Here is what I can give back

I am a skilled and experienced hiker. I will vlog and create short videos explaining the technicalities and skills one needs to prepare for hiking.

I will tell you stories along the way. Besides being an academic, I am a storyteller.

I will post videos and images of the landscape. I will make them interesting. Trust me :)

I will send you a postcard and thank you letters

I will update you on Setayesh's progress

About fundraiser:

I am currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at UC Irvine, with a deep passion for working with children. For the past several years, I have worked with refugee children from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, and Tajikistan. I have helped them with college applications and scholarship searches, and I have mentored them (especially first-gen students here at UCI). As part of a storytelling volunteer group, I have composed nursery songs and written stories to help refugee children maintain their native languages. My volunteer work has also taken me to hospices, national parks, churches, mosques, synagogues, and communities, wherever people needed help. As a translator, I have volunteered at government offices, hospitals, and courthouses. I have helped refugees with asylum seeker and changing-status applications, and still do so.