Zakia Khan slams passengers who IGNORED her Autistic Son, 19, Screaming for help

Single mum Zakia Khan slams passengers who IGNORED her 19-year-old autistic son's screams for help.

Idrees Malik, a 6ft tall, 19-year-old from Ilford, London - who also has ADHD - looks like a grown man, his mother recalled what happened on 17 November when Idrees accidentally hopped on a different Central Line train to his carer.

46 years old single mother told, her son was screaming and kicking the doors, but the other passengers ignored him, after he got wrong train without his carer, going back to Stratford.

She added: 'Every Saturday morning for years, [Idrees] has gone on the Central Line with his carer from Stratford to White City. They get something to eat and come back again. He loves this routine and never changes it.

'He wasn't wearing his lanyard, which has details hanging from it, giving his special needs and before his carer realised they had been separated, the carriage doors had shut, leaving him trapped, alone and terrified.'

Carer alerted station staff, and mother Zakia, from where she contacted her five sisters and three nephews, asking them all to help find him.



A stranger - who wishes to remain anonymous - worked with disabled children and, realising Idrees' behaviour indicated he was probably autistic, approached Idrees, while he was crying for help on the train and rest of passengers had put their hoods up or plugged their headphones in, to ignore his cries.

It was then that stranger had dropped him to the door step. Zakia said: 'It's a good thing this guy was such a kind man, but the reality is he could have been anyone. He could have been dangerous and no one tried to stop Idrees from going off with him.'

Zakia, a hairdresser and support worker told that she split with his dad when Idris was born, he's my world and all I have.  He may be 19 years old and 6ft tall, but mentally, he's half that. He's just a child.

She has been left determined to try and raise awareness, so strangers will understand her son.

Now Zakia is urging people to think if they see someone in distress, like Idrees, to simply smile and ask if they need any help like they would with anyone else who seemed confused or upset.