Autism and war: Gaza families grapple with destruction and loss

Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – Among the rubble of Khan Younis, 16-year-old Ahmed Hatem al-Mahabeel clutches his hand tightly under his chin – a repetitive movement he uses to calm his nervous system and cope with the memory of the sound of explosions.Ahmed, who lives with autism, has had to face the loss of some of his favourite places – his bedroom, his school, the sports academy he would attend, all destroyed in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Venezuela and Israel restore consular ties as relations warmlist 2 of 3Rights groups launch new legal challenge to Trump campaign against ICClist 3 of 3Iran, US set new conditions during Hormuz talks: What does this mean?end of listBefore the war, Ahmed was doing well. He was progressing through school under the supervision of a specialist. He was training at a football academy, as well as memorising the Quran and excelling in English.But Israel’s war, ongoing since October 2023, has killed more than 73,380 Palestinians and destroyed vast swathes of the enclave. And behind those headlines is the disruption of the services and supportive environments needed by individuals like Ahmed who have autism sp...