War and displacement in Lebanon disrupt routines essential for neurodivergent individuals, worsening anxiety and limiting access to costly support services.
01Summary
- 01Lena Kouyoumjian's non-verbal autistic daughter Vana has become more anxious and sensitive since Israel escalated attacks on southern Lebanon in March.
- 02Ghada Hayek Makhoul's non-verbal autistic son Anthony covers his ears in distress and has stopped using the swimming pool due to sensory triggers from bomb sounds.
- 03The Autism Awareness Association charges $700 per month for five-day-a-week classes, unaffordable for 80% of Lebanon's population living in poverty.
- 04A National Disability Allowance of $40 per month, launched in 2023 with EU and UNICEF funding, covers only basic needs and excludes people with ADHD.
- 05Economic crisis and brain drain of trained staff threaten the ability of organisations like AAA to support neurodivergent people during the war.
02Why it matters
For neurodivergent people and their families in Lebanon, the war is dismantling the structured environments and affordable care they rely on, directly worsening their mental health and daily functioning.
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