Excerpts from COME INTO MY WORLD: 31 Stories of Autism in Singapore
A Long Way, contributed by K:
There’s no cure. She’s born like that and she’d die like that.
That’s what the psychologist told me. For a year, I cried myself to sleep. Then one day, I asked myself: How long am I going to cry? The following day, I was a different person.
Courage and Consideration, written by Denise Phua:
I believe that when a couple has a special-needs child, it either breaks or strengthens the marriage. I am glad my marriage has been strengthened by Jun-Yi.
The Future “Lift Expert”, written by Liow Wei Siang:
“Where’s the lift?” my son asks. That is the first question he asks whenever he reaches a destination. Without fail, he must pay his “good friend”, the lift, a visit before continuing his outing. Otherwise, he would throw a tantrum.
My Life was Not Supposed to be Like This, written by Pamela How:
Nobody told me having children would be this difficult, stressful, financially-draining, worrying and emotionally painful. Nobody told me that I would no longer be able to lead the kind of lifestyle I planned and visit the places I dreamt of. Of course, nobody told me that I would have two children with autism spectrum disorder.
For a Special Reason, written by Beatrice Tan:
Hello, I’m Beatrice. Like any other fifteen year old girl, I love shopping, movies and hanging out with friends. To my friends, I am probably just like them, fussing over clothes, friends, studies and boys but I have something that they do not have. I have a special sibling.
Special People, written by Jack:
From a very young age, I knew that I was different, that something was wrong with me. I did not want to play with other children and they did not want to play with me. I could not do simple tasks such as opening packets of food. I hated noisy places because they made me feel sick. I would fidget and run around for no reason. I liked to look out of windows and touch walls. My parents noticed all these and I was diagnosed with autism when I was six. Too late for early intervention.