This talk offers an insider’s glimpse into the autism universe of Ms. Choo Kah Ying, a former homeschooler of Sebastien (now 22 years old), her moderately autistic son, for over 10 years. Kah Ying had sought to bring up a role model autistic young man who would contribute to mainstream society the best of his ability. However, this did not come to pass.

 

While Sebastien became a talented young artist with strong life skills in his teens, despite his social and communication deficits, he also struck out in self-injury and aggression during his adolescence. This led Kah Ying to establish A Mother’s Wish (AMW) to look for a long-term social solution for families struggling with their children’s lifelong intellectual disabilities. A Mother’s Wish was created to answer this question: “Who would care for my special needs child when I am gone?”

 

After a six-year struggle with Sebastien’s issues, Kah Ying made the heart-breaking decision of moving him to Bali in August 2016. Little did she know that this move would lead her on a journey to understanding the underlying reasons for Sebastien’s explosions and the power of the ties that bind them.

 

Through Kah Ying’s raw and emotional sharing about the inner psychology of autistic people, we will be challenged to examine many of our assumptions about autistic people and the underlying reasons for their differences. Our tacit perceptions of our “superiority” vis-à-vis them may be more a reflection of our narrow imagination and a lack of curiosity about their differences than the reality.

 

So come enter into the autism universe, gain some transformative insights, and do your part to make a mother’s wish come true.