It is the joy of every mother to hold her bundle of joy, and it is the joy of every parent to provide a quality childhood and adulthood for their children.
Autism is characterized by a delay in communication and a lack of social interaction, both of which are indicators that a child is autistic. Do you realize how painful it can be for a parent to discover, after the birth of their bundles of joy, that they have a disability that sets them apart from the other children?
Autism, as described by medical professionals, is a developmental disorder caused by differences in the brain that impact social communication, interaction, restricted or repetitive behaviors, and interests.
Autism is a heterogeneous disorder for which the primary cause has not yet been identified; according to the research, it affects more boys than girls.
Children with autism require special care and attention because they are unable to perform various tasks independently. Their guardians or parents incur significant expenses in order to raise these children as they would any other child, as they require special care.
St. Abigeals Learning and Development Center is a school for autistic children located in Ndatani, Utawala, Machakos County.
This school’s proprietor, Seraphine Atieno, describes her journey at St. Abigeals and why she founded this institution, which has been in operation for the past five years.
She believes that the government must pay special attention to these children. She adds that her institution does not recognize government assistance, resulting in the parents covering all costs to keep their children alive.
Managing these children requires a great deal of compassion and care; it is not only special attention but also affection for them that motivates one to care for them.
Egla Igado, a member of the staff at St. Abigaels, discusses the journey and her daily responsibilities.
A parent of an autistic child must endure many challenges in order to raise their child. Faith Makenzi, also known as Mama Wayne, is one of these parents, and she tells her story, detailing the costs incurred to meet all of their children’s needs.
“At the age of three months, I discovered that Wyane is autistic because he was unable to maintain eye contact with me while I was breastfeeding him. This was confirmed by medical examinations,” said Makenzi.
Makenzi added that in order to raise these children, both parents must work together to meet their requirements. As the mother of an autistic child, she initially felt responsible for her child’s condition; however, through co-parenting, she came to accept her child’s condition.
“When it was confirmed that my child has autism, I felt tremendous shame, wondering how my child could be autistic and not like other children,” she said.
Children with autism require a great deal of support, compassion, and care, as the majority of them are not aware of harm and, as a result, inflict significant harm on themselves.
Experts in the field of medicine stress the importance of providing these children with special care so that they can live a normal life, just like everyone else.
Keren Makari is an occupational therapist who educates us on the signs, management, and treatment of autism. Autism symptoms include a delay in speech development, lack of eye contact, and social development, according to Makari.
She added that these children require a special diet that must be nutritionally complete.
