Help Special Need Kids/Siblings Learn From Groups

               Never Give Up

  Yilan is a rural area and lack of resources for special needs. An An Slow Angels’ Family Support Association was the first social welfare organization we came into contact with. It has established a home for all children who are slow in the vast Yilan area. Parents learn from each other and care about each other in this homeland. There is no neglect or discrimination. We exchange ideas and methods of parenting with each other. We have the power to support each other in An An Association. It provides many indoor and outdoor activities to give children a space for learning and performance. It also gives parents a breathing space. My son has participated for many years in: groups of percussion, clay, taiko drums, and roller skates, etc.

    It is very difficult for special needs children to integrate into the crowd. Also, it is more difficult for ordinary people to accept these children's developmental delays with empathy and patience. Whenever they staged out-of-order behavior in the crowd, the parents' emotions would get out of control. Without the tolerance of this association, we would not be able to go through till now. Whenever the news media reports that one family of autistic children is on a dead end, the feeling of heartbreak is incomprehensible to outsiders. Others will only say: "Why are you so stupid to take your child on a dead end? Parents are so cruel! " But you may not understand how difficult it is to raise a child with severe autism. It takes a lifetime of energy to fight an unknown future. How helpless the parents of autistic children are!

    Ten years have passed, time flies, and my son is almost 11 years old now. In the past ten years, my wife and I have worked hard to raise him. From a little cute to a fat boy, we have experienced the ups and downs of every autistic family from panic, ignorance, and despair to peace and worry now. Recalling the past of these years, we felt so vivid and sad.

    When he was two years old, we found that he did not like to be held by people, and his eyes did not like to look at people, but his body and limbs were no different from ordinary children. He seemed to be a healthy child, but his cognition was much slower than that of ordinary children. Especially he couldn’t speak, even the monophony of calling mom and dad. Although his ears could hear the sound, I didn't think he understood what an adult says, or even the simplest instructions. He was sent to the hospital for evaluation at the age of 2 years and 9 months. The evaluation result was developmental delay and suspected autism. One year later, it was confirmed that he was severe autism. My wife and I could not accept this fact. What is autism? We didn’t know anything. We searched for information on the Internet and tried various therapies for rehabilitation. We spent a lot of money and time. From Yilan to Taipei, rain or shine. My son didn't speak out until 4 and a half years old. We confirmed that he was not dumb finally.

    After various treatments, we accepted that he was a child with severe autism. My wife and I decide to teach him by ourselves. He is our child. No matter what the future will become, we will never give up and try our best to take good care of him.