Turning trauma into triumph

Autism support goes beyond providing care—it’s about fostering understanding, inclusion and empowerment for individuals on the spectrum and their families. It encompasses early diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, educational programs and emotional assistance tailored to meet unique needs. Effective support focuses on fostering communication, social skills and independence through methods such as speech therapy, behavioural interventions, and sensory integration. Equally crucial is empowering families by providing resources, counseling and tools to navigate challenges and celebrate progress. Now this is where Leeza app comes to the rescue.
Mohammad Ibrahim Raza, a pioneer in the development of the Leeza App, is driven by a strong sense of personal connection to families living with autism and great desire to transform their existing conditions. With a vision of compassion and innovation, Raza,  seeks to create a life-altering experience for families dealing with autism. He explains that the app is a comprehensive autism support service that begins with free preliminary assessments for early signs of autism and continues with appropriate interventions.
Raza had another story to tell. He shared the story behind Leeza App and expressed how he envisions society to be more inclusive and supportive in an inspiring conversation with us.
The beginning of this engagement was very personal. “I had a cousin who was diagnosed with autism. The struggle that we went through in terms of getting a proper diagnosis and therapy centers was traumatic. We were duped and the void of being understood and supported was so painful.” After this experience, Raza felt responsible and decided to do something about autism which led him to conduct research on the condition.
The app was officially launched on January 30, 2024, after a soft launch in October 2023 and an official one in August 2024 where its full features were visible and functional. The development of the app was in progress for some time before people witnessed its official version “The idea was conceived in October 2023 when we started working on the idea. We hosted an unofficial launch on December 30, 2023, and an official launch on August 2024 when all operations were initiated.”
Through the intelligent application of AI, novel techniques in prediction assessments, free counseling’s and formal assessments are offered. The app also gives parents the needed tools so that they can work together with the child as partners in therapy. Raza underlines the point by saying: “Our focus is to simplify treatment and decrease the level of dependence on the therapist’s profession. As far as we hope, parents can do a lot and they must have the means to do that.”
In addition, Raza appreciates the value of collaborations and partnerships. For instance, Leeza App does not have any formal partnership with the Parents Association for Welfare of Mentally Handicapped Persons (PAWMH), but the two organisations operate within the same ecosystem. Raza states, “During the visa’s international phase, I’ve gone to the USA, Poulsen, and has seen by myself what neurodevelopmental conditions do to families. It made me even more determined to develop the platform for the community that the app strives to build.”
As its expands and manages to make an impact, Raza stays focused on the course. “I want the Leeza App to be a light for families who have autism. We are not only an app – we are a network of solidarity which transcends borders.” Raza has taken it upon herself and through Leeza App, initiates a new revolution of how families impacted by autism get detection, support and integration.
The diagnosis of his cousin made him more cautious and encouraged him to search for ways that would help people with autism and their families. Raza recalls, “I was horrified when I found out that the majority of autistic people in India, around nine out of every ten people, are unable to get appropriate help. The Census 2011 estimates that 1 crore children have autism. Out of these, 70 lakh are said to be unable to afford proper care.”
The research by Raza brought him to the conclusion, “The parents are kept in the dark and therefore, always remain in denial and confusion in a bid to help their child.” He points out, “Parents are the people who are with the child, the child is with them the longest and empowering the parents is critical.” This insight triggered the idea of Leeza App where the idea is to enable the services for autism to be available at lower costs.
Raza reflects when he started he was doing something wrong, “I was worried I’d cause more harm than good, because I’m not autistic.” He tells a story about thinking about charging the app a nominal fee to use its services. But his mentor, Mirash Rahim, cautioned him against doing so because of the fear and uncertainty parents feel when seeking out assessments for their children. Raza says of an autistic child: “It’s a lifelong condition, and their life is going to change completely. We cannot afford to increase their stress.”
His approach reflects Raza’s commitment to empathy and to understanding. He understands how sensitive the matters in question are and how plainly it needs to be said. “I have to be so careful because this topic is really sensitive and I can’t do them more harm than good.” With Leeza App, Raza aspires to create a supportive ecosystem for families with autism impacting parents to be co-therapists for their children.
He also envisioned partnering with existing therapy centers to offer affordable options, but the reality turned out less than perfect. “The therapy prices were soaring high, with certain centres pricing as high as Rs 40,000 a month,” Raza explains. People living below extremely low debt lines hardly manage to spend Rs 9,000 a month on nutrition. How could they pay Rs 40,000?”
This made him re-evaluate and look for different solutions. In his search, he found Bharati Vidyalaya, a teacher training institute and therapy centre. Raza met the founder Ayesha Rubina, and discovered a common vision. “The thing is we picked each other up, and since then we’ve been impacting families. Therapy is now accessible even to people from low-income backgrounds, like auto drivers.”
He is working on enabling the parents to treat their own children as a co-therapist such that financial reasons should not cap their children’s development. He says, “Our agenda is whenever a parent comes to us, the last thing that they should be worried about is ‘oh but the price or money’ – but their biggest headache should be on how to make their child independent.”