Adam is the youngest of three children and is of Syrian heritage. Due to war, his family migrated from Syria to Lebanon and finally to Australia. Although relieved they were granted refugee status in Australia, they still had many challenges to overcome.

When Adam’s family arrived here they had the bare minimum. They had no friends, family or contacts in this country. They did not speak fluent English. No home. No money. They had mercifully lived on the support provided by the Australian Red Cross for three months.

To add further stress to the family’s situation, Adam’s mother noticed that her son was not meeting particular milestones in his development, even at 1.5 years of age. She noticed, in particular, he was not responding to being called by his name and he did not give eye-contact.

Eventually a referral was made to a paediatrician who diagnosed Adam with Neuro-Developmental Disorder. Adam’s parents struggled to come to grips with the diagnosis. They felt anxious, isolated and scared especially since being in a new country and did not know where to turn to for support.

With the support of the Embrace Kids Foundation (EKF), an early intervention plan was created to cater for Adam’s special needs including occupational therapy, speech therapy, child psychology and a dietitian. They also linked the family to essential support networks such as: Centrelink, NDIS, social workers and other community services.

Adam continues to make very pleasing progress in terms of his functional, behavioral and social skills.

Indeed, Adam’s family has found comfort and security in calling Australia home and are forever grateful for the support of the Embrace Kids foundation.