App-solutely Perfect

Anila Gonsalves made Dubai her home 11 years ago, moving here after tying the knot to join her husband and leaving her job as an air hostess, ready to learn the ways of an entirely new land. She is a proud mother of two amazing boys aged six and four.

Just two years after birth, her older son, Micheal, was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. He struggles with natural speech but with the help of consistent long term therapy, he is improving every passing day. Gonsalves was initially shocked, as any parent would be, about her son’s diagnosis. While at the time she felt it would be easier to live in denial, she knew that to create as normal a life as she could for him, she had to accept the cards that were dealt.

Micheal began to exhibit common charac- teristics of children and adults on the spectrum. “I soon realised that acceptance is easier said than done. Because of his lack of natural speech, Micheal was inching towards social isolation, loneliness, increased frustra- tion and vulnerability. His inability to show what he knows or that he is capable of learning was also leading to behavioural issues,” she says.

However, a bright light shone. Through multiple therapy sessions, coffee mornings and meetings with specialists, she realised that Micheal, like many others, was more receptive to learning and communicating with visual cues. This laid the foundation stones for Fabulaa.

The app ‘Fabulaa’ is a digital assistive tool designed to simplify the life of those who struggle with simple daily conversations. Conversational breakdowns are common among people who are, hard of hearing, battling autism, or suffering from speech delays. It is free and simple to use making it an ideal tool for many. The name ‘Fabulaa’ is derived from the Latin ‘fabula’, which means to tell tales.

Plenty of advocates have come forward to encourage this app and Gonsalves through her journey of assisting her son. This show of support and care has been invaluable to her.

“Fabulaa is my way to pay it forward. I know what autism means and the emotions a parent goes through because I’ve been there. I do hope that this is the beginning of more to come as I would like to build more solutions that make technology accessible to all those who need it. And with the help of technology, I hope to expedite acceptance, inclusion and independence for every Person of Determination (POD).”

Fabulaa’s future is exciting. Parents, teachers and caregivers are using this tool to assist their loved ones in communication and education. Gonsalves hopes to reach out to more children and adults who can make use of it in their lives every day.

As part of her vision to make the technology accessible to all. There are plans to roll out an Arabic version and perhaps more languages in the future too. Personal and individual customisations is another aspect that is in the pipeline.

Gonsalves says that the UAE has offered the ideal platform for Micheal and Fabulaa especially as the country takes various positive steps towards an inclusive and accepting society. The many government initiatives for PODs has served as an informa- tive guide for her to understand how best to help her son and others. Additionally, the incubation platforms for startups and other initiatives give Fabulaa the much-needed support and encouragement to keep progressing. Eventually, she hopes Fabulaa will spread throughout the UAE and beyond.

The Indian community especially has been active in their support to a fellow expat and mother striving to bring the world a little closer to her child. Gonsalves sometimes feels overwhelmed just by the thought of how welcoming and understanding the people she has come across have been.

“Sometimes we do not realise the ways that different people can have a positive impact on you. I feel blessed to be surrounded by family, friends, school teachers, therapists and support groups, and the many others who help me persevere and stay focused. The encouragement we receive from them is immense.”

INDIA INDEPENDENCE DAY WISHES

All I desire for my country is peace and happiness for all. May we support each other and continue good deeds and fly our flag high and proud. Wishing you all a very Happy Independence Day.