Mom Rearing 2 Sons With Autism Opens Up About Life With Her Boys and Raising Awareness About the Spectrum
- A strong mother in Cape Town is fighting hard to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorder
- The loving parent has two little boys with autism and has written three children’s books based on life with her sons
- Talking to Briefly News, Liesel Gaffley shares some of the challenges she faces as a mom with sons on the spectrum and emphasises the importance of education about the disorder
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A doting mother in Cape Town is striving hard to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorder.
Source: UGC
Liesel Gaffley is a mom to two little boys, nine-year-old Alexander, and seven-year-old Adam, who are both autistic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism affects a child’s development in diverse ways, which impacts how they communicate, learn, behave, and more.
Briefly News had the privilege of chatting with supermom Liesel and asked her about some of the challenges she faces as a mom of two children on the spectrum.
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Mom shares when she discovered her sons were autistic
The strong momma explains that Alexander and Adam were diagnosed with autism at two-and-a-half and three years old respectively:
“My oldest boy has apraxia and struggles to communicate. He has mild autism. My youngest is high-functioning and verbal.”
Source: UGC
Liesel and her hubby, Riccardo Gaffley do all they can to ensure their little boys have great futures, with the mom taking the bull by the horns after her little ones were diagnosed:
“I went into planning mode and made sure that they had everything they needed to help them with therapy. Early intervention is key.”
Alexander and Adam are currently at Alpha School in Woodstock, which is an educational institution curated specifically to kiddies on the spectrum. However, Liesel shared they would be joining a new school next term.
The Cape Town mom is an author, co-runs an NGO, and more
Liesel is not only a loving parent to her two boys, but she also co-runs an NGO focused on raising awareness about autism, and has written children’s novels:
“I have written my third book based on my oldest son, Alexander, called 'My Ausome Superpowers'. [My work is focused on] creating awareness around autism.”
The author explains that she co-found an NGO, called Action For Autism SA, with another mom with a son on the spectrum.
They aim to offer support to families and children with autism:
“We realised that we have no community to talk to about the challenges our kids face and [wanted to] help other families [who have autistic children].
“We bring in specialists and discuss certain topics around autism. Parents are finding it helpful and we are growing our autism community.”
Liesel notes that her little boys are unique and have diverse talents and skills. She celebrates all their milestones:
“They are both doing very well. Alexander's speech has increased so much and he tries hard to communicate.
“Adam is into robotics and coding. I believe they have a great future. My husband and I will make sure they have the best possible future.”
In a previous interview with Cape Argus, Liesel said that she realised her eldest son had autism after he stopped making eye contact and talking, which left her devastated at the time.
Liesel and her hubby also face challenges with their boys regarding expenses related to extra murals the boys partake in:
“Everything costs more when you have an autistic child. Then, schooling is another issue because no two kids on the spectrum are the same, hence [they] might need different types of education.”
The momma explains that awareness around autism is also a problem:
“Educating the public about autism [is important], so that when we go out as a family, the comments and remarks from people will hopefully stop.”
The inspiring parent offers helpful advice to moms with autistic kiddies:
“An autism diagnosis is not the end of the world. Unfortunately, you are your child’s only advocate and it will take a lot out of you.
“So, please take care of yourself and your mental health. There is hope and a future for our kids, but we have to fight for it and make sure they become successful adults.”
Limpopo mom of 3 who has son with cerebral palsy opens up about struggles of raising child with special needs
In another story by Briefly News, a mother from Limpopo has opened up about her life as a parent to a son with special needs.
Lizar Maluleke has three children, with her seven-year-old son having cerebral palsy.
The loving mom shared that she and her husband started a recycling business, partly so she could spend more time with her little boy.
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Source: Briefly News
