Book a true tale of love
LOVE conquers all.
That’s the tagline for the book written by a Gold Coast mother on raising children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
A Gilston resident, going by the name of Lilly Faith, wrote Set Free Autism and ADHD: Parenting Special Needs Children to document her journey raising a son who is on the spectrum and also has ADHD.
Mrs Faith said her son Noah, not his real name, was four when he was diagnosed and initially she and her husband were “heartbroken” and mourned the life they thought he’d have.
But as time went on, the family realised their son could have a full and happy life.
Encouraged by friends to share her story, the mother-of-two wrote a “message of hope for all parents raising young neurodiverse children”.
She said her son, who’s now eight, was a strong-willed boy and at one point struggled with the word “no”.
“As a family we’ve worked together with him to boost his comprehension of why certain behaviours need to change in a way that doesn’t threaten him, that being told ‘no’ isn’t the end of the world,” she said.
In her book, Mrs Faith shares anecdotes and highlights the joys of raising children with ASD and ADHD and how she came to embrace new parenting concepts and ways of doing things.
She also documented how Noah adjusted to the birth of his little sister Abbey, who is now five.
“He does really sweet things, like in the morning he always makes sure she’s okay when she wakes up and if she needs help with anything, for instance getting dressed.”
Mrs Faith said the book wasn’t a “how-to guide” because each child is “uniquely beautiful and what may work for one child, may not work for every child”.
“Therefore, you have to keep trying new ways to bring significant positive change.
“What I have tried to do is provide insights based on my own real-life experience of each stage of the parenting journey, from diagnosis to where we are today.
“If I was to describe the key message for parents of neurodiverse children, it would be the importance of seeking early intervention and accessing NDIS funding for therapies.”
Her book is being launched at Little Souls Arundel on Friday at 6-7pm and at Mt Nathan Winery on June 13 from 2-5pm where she’ll host a book signing.