Living With The Spectrum
Her World Malaysia|April 2018
As a society, we’ve shied away from discussing autism – at times sweeping the topic under the carpet, hoping it will go away. But the tide is now turning, with more awareness being given to the issue. Eena Houzyama finds out the truth behind parenting an autistic child.
Eena Houzyama
Living With The Spectrum

You walk into a restaurant and hear a child screaming. Turning towards the sound, you see a father holding his son down by sitting on the child. Your first reaction is one of dismay and confusion. But what are your next thoughts? Are you worried the child is being abused? Or are you appalled by the whole scenario? If you’re the parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder, there is only one reaction you hope other parents will give: empathy. A recent viral video of a mother sharing the reality of what life is like for parents of kids with autism truly opened my mind to the heartache these parents have to live with. Her raw, emotional words made me realise how life instantly changes when you have to face the reality of what your child won’t be able to achieve when he or she grows up.

Many of us often take for granted the little things, like the bedtime snuggles we skip because we’re busy staring at our social media feed or attending to our work emails at home. Yet, for parents of autistic children, a simple act of making eye contact is enough to fill their hearts with love, as some children on the spectrum are known to find connecting with their parents a challenge.

And, each child is different, whether or not they have autism. Parents need to understand autism not for themselves and to diagnose their child, but also to educate their kids as this is the key in curbing bullying. Children with autism still have feelings and their naïve nature is due to their different learning abilities.

Growing Pains

This story is from the April 2018 edition of Her World Malaysia.

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This story is from the April 2018 edition of Her World Malaysia.

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