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This Emirati mother shares a lesson for autistic adults

Dubai - Lemonade, the film that shows the issues being faced by adults with disabilities and her way of solving them

When she decided she would tell the story of her 24-year-old autistic son, Emirati author of American descent Dedra Stevenson chose to make a short film. Thus came Lemonade, the film that shows the issues being faced by adults with disabilities and her way of solving them.
Her son Ibrahim Maseeh acted in the movie. Actually the idea of the movie came to her mind when one of the carers of her son told her an experience he had with another young autistic man, who was speaking about how he spends the day. "I wake up. I eat. I watch TV. I go to the Al Thiqua club, and then I come home and sleep. Then I wake up, and etc."
"Al Thiqua club in Sharjah is one of the few centres available for adults with mental disabilities in the UAE, and thankfully, it gives these individuals a few hours of exercise and community life. What upset me about the young man's comment, however, was his depressed tone that indicated a lack of purpose.
"Adults with special needs need a sense of purpose each day, just like everyone else. But sadly, there are many people in this category out there, sitting at home with nothing to do. And many families don't know what to do with them. Our son is very lucky because we came up with our own programme for him, led by his two teachers from the Philippines, and he's actually quite happy," she said.
"I made 'Lemonade' to show everyone what I've done so that others can benefit from the idea, and maybe come up with an innovative solution," says the 50-year-old mother of four.
"Raising a child with autism is harder than raising five children. It not only makes you a stronger person, but also teaches you a level of unconditional love that you'd never know otherwise. The problem comes when the child grows up, that's when a home schooling solution could be helpful."
Being an author by profession, Stevenson always had a knack for storytelling. When she decided to make the short film, she also got assistance from Sarah Al Hashimi (director), Fatima Al Taher (associate director) and Shaikha Bin Jarsh (creative director).
The film is made to suggest that you can simply take matters into your own hands and take an innovative approach to solving the issues of autistic adults. Lemonade will be shown at Vox Cinemas in March as part of the WOW festival, and as part of the Autism Awareness Month. The funds raised from ticket sales will be donated to the Al Jalila Foundation.
Stevenson also explained about the hope she had after making Lemonade. "Every mother wants to make a better world for their children. I'm no different. The adult population of mentally disabled deserve a productive life, and they deserve to be happy just like everyone else. So hopefully, we've started something."
Stevenson has authored four books and is also the co-founder of Women in Film and Television UAE, a non-profit organisation that aims to foster the professional development of women in the film industry and other television and media sectors.
gaurav@khaleejtimes.com