What We Do

“Only by accepting the child can help him.” – Isaac’s mother

I have never thought that my child would have special learning needs. Isaac always went his own way when he was little. We had to satisfy him whatever he wanted. If not, he would throw tantrums and cry. I had no choice but to arrange training for him. I could not accept Isaac’s diagnosis of autism at first but then gradually accepted it.

Witnessing the child’s progress in one month

Isaac did not make much progress, which made me feel very frustrated. I finally found hope when I came cross Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) treatment. After receiving the one-month one on one intensive ABA treatment, Isaac was able to sit nicely for a long time and follow the therapists’ instructions. He could stay calm when things did not turn out in the way he wanted. I could finally communicate with him. I was happy to see his progress. ABA is very suitable for him.

Isaac had social interests but did not know how to express himself. For example, he would throw a ball at others. Others might not know that Isaac just wanted to play with them. Isaac has elder siblings. The elder brother thought Isaac was rude and strange. I knew that Isaac needed to spend more time for training how to express himself.

Finding direction

It was like fate for Isaac to join the “Learning Buddies” group ABA programme afterwards. It helped him improve his learning ability. He can even speak long sentences. The therapists always gave me advice so that I did not feel lost. I am very grateful for the therapists with great compassion. I understand that only by accepting my child can help him. Isaac’s improvement motivated me a lot. Our world has become so different now. I am grateful for the help from Autism Partnership Foundation.

Isaac’s mother was invited to share her perspective on ASD and ABA services with Autism Partnership Foundation (operating in Hong Kong) (APF, HK). Isaac is a past beneficiary of APF, HK.