Today we’d like to introduce you to Alaa Abdulsamad.
Hi Alaa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I first arrived in Austin, I was an English teacher with years of experience and a heart full of ambition. Teaching had been a part of my identity since I was 18 years old. I had built my life around helping others communicate, learn, and grow. But everything changed the moment I gave birth to my daughter, Mira.
Mira was born deaf and autistic, and as a new immigrant in a new country—with no family support, no familiar system, and no roadmap—I suddenly had to step away from the career I had always known. I had been working in an American preschool at the time, and leaving that job felt like losing a part of myself. I was heartbroken, disappointed, and unsure of what the future would look like. But I accepted that my daughter needed me, and I devoted myself completely to her care.
Those years were challenging. Navigating a new culture, a new language, and the world of disability all at once was overwhelming. But it also opened my eyes. I realized how many immigrants around me were struggling with English, feeling lost in a new country, and searching for someone who understood their journey.
When Mira turned three, something inside me shifted. I looked at her strength, her resilience, and her determination—and I decided that it was time to reclaim a part of myself while also serving my community. I wanted to build something meaningful, something that allowed me to help people like me: immigrants, refugees, mothers, and dreamers who were trying to rebuild their lives.
That’s when EnglishoverdoseLLC was born.
I started teaching English online through Instagram, Zoom, and every platform I could access. I created a space where immigrants from Syria, Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the entire Arab world could learn real, practical, life-changing English—confidently, safely, and affordably. What began as a small idea soon grew into a global platform.
Today, I have taught hundreds and hundreds of students, collaborated with native and certified teachers with advanced degrees, and helped people pass interviews, improve their communication, advance their careers, and rebuild their confidence.
Across platforms, my community has grown to:
• 250,000+ followers on Instagram
• 31,000 on TikTok
• 11,000 on YouTube
• 81,000 on Facebook
But my work didn’t end with English teaching. Mira’s journey inspired me to advocate for parents like me—parents raising children with autism, deafness, or any disability—often in silence, exhaustion, and loneliness. I began sharing the daily realities of my life as an autism mom: the challenges, the small victories, the fears, and the joy. I never expected the response I received.
People began writing to me from around the world saying,
“You are our voice. You say what we feel but cannot express.”
“You give us strength.”
“You help us breathe.”
This pushed me to expand my mission beyond education. I became an advocate, a storyteller, and a support system for families navigating disability—especially in immigrant communities.
Over time, my platform also created another opportunity: Mirasilverline, (www.msilverline.com ) my small business selling sterling silver jewelry worldwide. Starting this brand allowed me to grow as an entrepreneur, especially after building a large and loyal audience. It brought me joy to see how far creativity and community could take me—even while managing life as a full-time mother of a child with special needs.
I also became an author. My book, “Business English at the Workplace,” is now available on Amazon as both a hard copy and an e-book—another milestone I once never believed I could achieve.
But perhaps the work closest to my heart today is my involvement as one of the founding members of the Syrian Disability Movement, a nonprofit effort dedicated to advocating for the rights, dignity, and future of people with disabilities in Syria. We work to influence policy, engage with new leadership, and build hope for a better, more inclusive future.
Everything I do—every class I teach, every video I post, every message I share—is rooted in one belief:
I want to leave a mark. Here in Austin, and one day, back home in Syria.
My dream is to return one day with the knowledge, experience, and opportunities I gained in the U.S. and build something that lasts—perhaps an institute, perhaps a movement, perhaps simply a door of hope for those who have lost theirs.
Until then, I continue building, teaching, advocating, and raising my daughter with love and strength—grateful for every challenge that shaped me, every student who trusted me, and every mother who saw herself in my journey.
Austin gave me a new beginning.
Mira gave me purpose.
And my community gave me the courage to rise again.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not — the road has been anything but smooth. My journey has been filled with ups and downs, and every step came with its own set of challenges. Moving to a new country with no family support was already difficult, but doing it while raising a child with disabilities made everything ten times harder.
One of the biggest struggles was navigating the medical world here in the U.S. As an immigrant and non-native English speaker, dealing with doctors, specialists, long medical reports, and complex terminology was overwhelming. It felt like learning a whole new language on top of the English I already knew. There were moments when I didn’t understand what the doctors were saying, moments when I felt lost, scared, or unsure if I was making the right decisions for my daughter. That pressure alone can break a person.
On top of that, raising a disabled child requires a lifestyle with very limited flexibility. My time, my schedule, my work — everything revolved around my daughter’s needs, therapies, and appointments. While other mothers could build careers more freely, my opportunities were always tied to what I could do from home, during short windows of free time, in between meltdowns, appointments, and long nights. Financially and emotionally, that instability is draining.
There’s also the personal side — the part most people don’t talk about. Having a disabled child affects your relationship with your partner. The stress, the exhaustion, the emotional weight… all of it pushes a relationship into places you never expected. You try so hard to hold everything together, but the pressure changes you, and it changes the relationship. These are realities many parents like me face, even if they don’t say it out loud.
And then there’s the homesickness — the kind that never leaves. As a Syrian immigrant, I can’t just fly home whenever I need support, and my family can’t always come here because of political circumstances. So I had to face everything alone: motherhood, disability, immigration, financial struggles, and rebuilding a life from scratch in a new country.
Despite all of this, I found strength in my challenges. The hard days shaped my resilience, pushed me toward building my own business, and helped me connect with other immigrants, mothers, and families going through the same struggles. My journey wasn’t smooth — but it made me who I am today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the founder of English Overdose LLC, an online educational platform created to empower immigrants, refugees, and Arabic speakers to speak English with confidence and access better opportunities in their new countries. My mission has always been to help people break the fear barrier, express themselves, and integrate into their workplace and community with dignity and ease.
Through my platform, we offer a wide range of services, including:
• Teacher Training Workshops
• Business English Workshops
• Conversation Workshops
• Group & 1:1 Courses
• Business Interview Coaching
• Business Interview Coaching / Courses
What I’m most proud of is the impact we’ve had on people’s lives. My students come from all over the world—Syrians, Arabs, immigrants in the US, Canada, and Europe—and so many of them only needed one thing: the right push. They needed someone to help them fix their accent, understand real-life English, and feel confident enough to speak. And watching them finally get job offers, perform well in interviews, communicate at work, and integrate into their fields has been one of the greatest achievements of my life.
Over the years, I’ve received hundreds and hundreds of feedback messages, all posted publicly on my social media. I say this with gratitude and pride: I have never received a negative review. My students always say the same thing —
“Your courses changed my confidence.”
“Your methods are different.”
“These are not typical English lessons.”
Another thing that makes my work meaningful is that I created my own curriculum. Coming from Syria, I know firsthand that we were taught English in a way that focused on memorization, heavy grammar, and literature that we never really needed in real life. I wanted to change that. So I designed a curriculum centered on speaking and listening, daily communication, real-life situations, workplace English, and topics that immigrants actually face. My courses are student-centered, not teacher-centered. The students speak more than I do — that’s why their progress comes fast.
What sets me apart from others is something personal: I am not a native speaker — and that is my biggest strength.
Because I learned English as a second language myself, I understand exactly where Arabic speakers struggle. I know the pronunciation issues, the grammar confusion, the fear of speaking, and the cultural barriers. That’s why my students feel understood, supported, and seen. I meet them where they are, and I take them where they want to go.
And finally, something I take pride in: my courses are extremely affordable compared to the value I deliver.
Students often tell me they receive double the value of what they pay for. I always make sure my prices remain reasonable, because my goal is to help people—not to make English inaccessible or stressful. I want every immigrant to have a chance at a better life, and that starts with communication.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is growth — not just personal growth, but the growth of the communities I serve. I want my business to become bigger and stronger so I can reach a wider range of people, not only Arabic speakers but anyone who struggles to adjust, communicate, or find their place in an English-speaking country. Helping people break barriers, gain confidence, and access opportunities is the core of everything I do.
But beyond teaching, what matters deeply to me is being a voice and a support system for autism parents. As a mother of a deaf and autistic daughter, I know how hard it is to live in a world that is not designed for our children. I know the emotional, physical, and financial struggles parents face every single day just to live a “minimum normal life.” That is why advocating for disability rights, awareness, and inclusion is not just a passion — it is a responsibility I carry in my heart.
What also matters to me is balance. I want to grow my career, help more people, expand my impact, and chase my dreams — while still giving my daughter the love, care, and stability she deserves. I want her to grow up in a country that supports her, protects her, and gives her opportunities. And I want to take care of myself, too, so I can continue giving without burning out.
At the end of the day, what matters most to me is being a source of hope.
Hope for immigrants starting over.
Hope for students who feel stuck.
Hope for autism parents who feel alone.
Hope for anyone who looks at my journey and says, “If she did it, maybe I can too.”
That is why I wake up every day with purpose — to expand my work, raise my daughter with strength, and stay a light for the people who trust me and follow my story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.msilverline.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/englishoverdosewithalaa?utm_medium=copy_link
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cismh6XUb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaa-abdulsamad-94862b101?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@englishoverdosellc?si=GqY2yk2Ud4mUzFuE
