Finding meaning through her daughter

WHEN Cape Town mother Lisa Witten talks about her eldest daughter, her voice shifts.

- LIESL VAN DER SCHYFF

CAPE Town mother Lisa Witten transforms her journey of raising a daughter on the autism spectrum into a heartfelt book, 'My World, My Way', that invites readers to see the world through her child's eyes. | Supplied

(Supplied)

The story she tells in My World, My Way is not a medical one, but a mother’s attempt to understand and explain what life is like for a child who does not fit neatly into the world’s boxes.

Witten started writing to make sense of her early years with her daughter Mila, who is on the autism spectrum. The notes she kept slowly grew into a book told through Mila's eyes — a child’s view of sound, light and feeling, and how small things can sometimes become too much.

Mila, now nine, lives in a world that is often noisy and confusing. The book gives readers a glimpse into the real victories and the tough moments Mila faced. It is written gently but lands hard. It is not a medical guide or a parenting manual, but a quiet story that shows what life looks like for a child who experiences the world differently.

Witten remembers three moments that pushed her to share their story.