Praying, persevering, planning and patience
FOR a Bluff mom raising a child with autism is a challenging but incredible journey, which she would not trade for anything in the world.
“Although my days and nights are tough and I often feel like I am on a never-ending roller-coaster, there is nothing I would change about my son. To me, he is God’s greatest gift,” said Yogie Padayachee, whose 12-year-old son Tristan was diagnosed with the disorder at 26 months.
Padayachee and her husband Trevor, both 46, said their journey with autism began in 2007.
They noticed that their son, who was 18 months old at the time, would not make eye contact with anyone and could not speak.
“We did not get a response when we called out to him. He would also limit himself to what he ate and would rock himself back and forth while sitting. Family and friends advised me not to worry because boys developed slower than girls.
“But I later found out that autism occurs in the first three years of a child’s life; with boys being four times more susceptible than girls.”
The mother of two said she gave Tristan time to progress but to her disappointment, there was not much improvement by the time he turned two.
“He would cry when he was sick and when he needed anything. We would all be up at crazy hours of the night or morning trying to pacify a screaming child. Trips to the doctor, dentist and hairdresser were a nightmare and still are.
“He could never eat on his own, so I had to feed him all his meals. It was a challenging time for my husband, daughter Lucretia, now 14, and myself.”
Padayachee said she took Tristan to a doctor as the situation at home had become strenuous not knowing what was wrong with him.
“After doing some research of my own on his behaviour, I decided to take him to a doctor. He was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and he thereafter had to undergo a series of blood tests followed by an MRI brain scan and an EEG to check for epilepsy.
“Tristan was put on neurological medication and started attending speech and occupational therapy.”
Padayachee said that since he was diagnosed, travelling by car was a nightmare as he hated being strapped in which resulted in tantrums.
“I had to take a third person with us. The tantrums would be so bad that I would have to turn the car and go back home.”
Tristan also had many sensory issues and irregular sleep patterns.
“When he was awake, I would have to be awake, which left me sleep deprived. When I eventually do nod off, I don’t know what the day ahead has in store for me because I am exhausted.”
She said Tristan had to be taken to a paediatric neurologist every three months and his progress would be assessed and his medication adjusted.
“As a family we have a restricted social life due to limited resources.
“At the age of 7, Tristan was enrolled at a private autistic school where he followed the Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) programme. While there, he was trained to eat independently and to sit in a car seat.
“He attended for three years and now attends a special needs school in Westville, which accommodates autistic children. He is accompanied by a caregiver as he cannot be left unattended.”
Padayachee continued: “As a mother with an autistic child, I have come this far by applying the four Ps in my life: (P)raying consistently, (P)ersevering, (P) lanning ahead and having lots of (P)atience.”