Zaid Sharani, a Syrian autistic teen, shows his bead ornaments at an exhibition in Sweida, Syria. (Xinhua)

 
Zaid Sharani, a 14-year-old Syrian autistic teen, spends long hours sitting on his chair to make bead ornaments, a hobby that he has developed with the help of his mother to have a purpose and make a living.

Starting at an early age, Sharani has become good at making various types of bead accessories such as bracelets and other ornaments, including small trees made up of colorful beads nestled on copper wires which are tied together to form a tree.

Wadat Abu Raslan, Sharani's mother, said that she is proud of her son as he has a hobby that he loves and his accessories are admired by the people in their community in the city of Sweida in southern Syria.

"My son has autism since he was born but this wasn't an obstacle as I worked hard to take care of him and help him find and develop a skill," she told Xinhua.

The mother said that the work of her son needs a lot of persistence and precision.

"It's not easy to make these things ... he does these all by himself and every piece that Sharani makes has a touch of his spirit," Raslan said.

She noted that her son has a strong will to live a happy life and loves what he does, adding that such positivity has attracted many people to love Sharani's work and encourage him to do more.

Now, Sharani is participating in an exhibition for handmade products in Sweida. The teen lays his products in front of him and gets busy doing more while in the exhibition.

"He spends hours and hours making accessories without boredom and he gets excited to do more after finishing every piece," the mother said.

Sharani used to be scared of people but after interacting with people and having so many customers, he started accepting people and feeling safe around them. The youngster was smiling while people were admiring his work.

A photo of bead ornaments made by Zaid Sharani, a Syrian autistic teen, at an exhibition in Sweida, Syria. (Xinhua)

 
He talked very little but smiled a lot while his mother stood beside him to handle the selling process.

Amina Abdul-Rahim, a visitor of the exhibition, spent several minutes watching the work of Sharani.

"I really like his work and I will buy several pieces because they have a touch of his spirit and hard work," she told Xinhua.

"There is nothing more beautiful and I call him the hero of autism," said Nawal Azzam, another visitor.

Sharani also showcases his products on his Facebook page which has over 15,000 followers. The page is run by Sharani's friends to help him market his products.