Week 10 of Serialization: Where Does My Autistic Son Belong? Chapter 10: AN UNUSUAL PROPOSAL
In 2019, I published Where Does My Autistic Son Belong?. It chronicles my struggle with raising my adolescent autistic son, Sebastien, and my subsequent decision of setting a home for him in Bali. As part and parcel of A Mother’s Wish initiative (amotherswish.com.sg) to raise awareness about the need to treat autistic individuals with genuine respect and empathy, I am serializing the book on Medium, (please see the links below for all the chapters serialized to date):
Sebastien blending into the surroundings, Peucang Island, Indonesia
CHAPTER 10
AN UNUSUAL PROPOSAL
(Dec 10th, 2015 – January 9th, 2016)
“I can take Sebastien to live with me in the Philippines… A small house with a garden. We can grow vegetables and even sell them to earn some money. Sebastien can go to the school with the others. It is a small town. He will be part of the community like everyone.”
This unusual proposal came out of the blue one day in July 2015 from Lucinda, a highly-experienced helper who had been caring for an autistic young man since his childhood years. We had been primarily in touch on the phone from time to time, ever since I met her at her employer’s home almost 10 years ago. Thus, she was aware of the troubles that I had been having with Sebastien.
My heart quickened. I half-laughed at her idea, thinking that she was just joking, and half-leapt at it.It was as though she had read my mind — the part of me that had fantasised about a bucolic existence for Sebastien in a rural environment that was closer to nature. The seeds of such an existence for Sebastien were planted back in April 2010 when Jerome, Sebastien (almost 14), and I had enjoyed a paradisiacal, five-day island holiday on the islands near Krakatau...
To purchase the book, please use this link (https://www.amotherswish.com.sg/product-page/crowdfunding-pledge-s-30). Thank you very much!
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