Note: In this series, we portray our customers using aliases to uphold their identities.
Parenting a Teenage Son with Autism
Nadia and her husband are both lecturers and are blessed with 3 beautiful kids. As an infant, the eldest, Ahmad, was seen learning, moving, and paying attention differently. He was soon diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The isolation is real, especially parenting a teenage son with special needs during the pandemic while also needing to transition to working from home. Due to the lockdown restrictions, Nadia and her husband starts noticing Ahmad getting more restless at home as he is unable to meet his friends and do his regular outdoor activities. His playtime and social interactions have become limited.
Having to juggle online lectures while giving attention to their children’s needs led Nadia and her husband to burnout. They acknowledge the need for a male caregiver to keep Ahmad accompanied and socialized especially during weekdays.
With faint hope, they searched around and came to know about Homage through a mutual friend and things start to change.
A Little Background About Nadia’s Teenage Son
Ahmad, like any 15-year-old teen, loves Marvel and Transformers movies. He enjoys going on outings, to the mosque, and visiting malls. On weekends, he gets to go to his swimming and art classes where he found his talent in drawing and sketching.
On weekdays, Ahmad goes to a Special Islamic school in the morning. His behavioural therapy session will then commence at 5 pm. Usually, after that, he would video call his friends, which is something his parents taught him during the pandemic to keep him connected with his playmates. However, in the event he does not manage to get through the calls, he would get upset and agitated especially towards Nadia.
Nadia has a domestic helper at home to watch over Ahmad but he would often distances himself from her as she is not able to comprehend what he is trying to say.
What our Homage Care Specialist Suggested
Our Care Specialist met up with Nadia and her family at their residence to conduct an in-person care assessment. Here are the services that we are able to provide for her son based on her needs:
- Companionship and Staying active
- Accompany Ahmad during the visitation and conduct sensory activities like singing, painting, collecting stamps, and playing boardgames to help him with his cognitive, social, and communication development.
- Bring him to the nearby mosque for evening prayers.
- Deviate his attention from wanting to video call his friends and encourage him to go for a swim instead.
- Visiting the Malls
- Take him to the mall for window shopping and spend time at his favourite coffee shop.
- Buying Meals
- Encourage Ahmad to buy and pay for his meals and ensure proper change is provided as well.
Nadia is keen on having a male caregiver come by every weekday to care for his son. However, our Care Specialist recommended the family try on an ad-hoc basis first to observe Ahmad’s adaptability with new visitors. This can ease him into accepting their companionship before extending the frequency of care. Hence, care visit is scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday, 4 hours per day.
Nadia’s feedback
During the first visit, Nadia is relieved that Ahmad was able to accept, connect, and enjoy the company of the caregiver assigned. A few sessions after, it is noticeable to see a shift in Ahmad’s social skills improving and having a lesser dependency on his parents. Both Nadia and her husband are satisfied with the excellence in service delivery and felt a weight being lifted off their shoulders.
They started off with a pay-as-you-go basis on their first few visits. Today, Nadia is on her second care plan – the first one being a 20-hour care plan and the second one a 40-hour care plan.
“Care Pro Suryami, Muaz, Ibrahim and Idzaire are a few caregivers to highlight. We find them a good companion to Ahmad as he grows fondly of them day after day. They are patient and experienced in caring for my special needs child and are very hands-on with their approach to Ahmad. They are also great with care planning, always maximizing the time by occupying my son with activities during his visit.”
Disclaimer
Homage does not specialise in autism or ADHD care for children – our selected Care Professionals can offer to assist in the activities of daily living (E.g. showering, toileting, and meal arrangement) of your loved one on a case-by-case basis only.
If you require a specialist or therapist, we strongly encourage you to reach out to support groups and organisations that specialise in autism management. Here is a list of centres across Malaysia that you can look out for that can provide valuable resources, expertise, and tailored support specifically designed for children with autism or ADHD:
- Attention Deficit Disorder Association
- Malaysian Mental Health Association
- Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association
- International Psychology Centre
- Serene Psychological Services
- New Horizons Society for Services to Children with Disabilities
- Special Needs Families Learning and Resource Centre
- 360 Wellness Hub
- Crompton, Catherine J., et al. “Double Empathy: Why Autistic People Are Often Misunderstood.” Frontiers for Young Minds, vol. 9, 11 May 2021, 10.3389/frym.2021.554875.
