Raise awareness and acceptance of autism

Mashudu Mambo

MARIATER Mafu (69) from Bulawayo was left caring for her autistic grandson after his mother decided to distance herself from the child due to his condition.Although life wasn’t easy for Mafu, she watched with a heart full of bittersweet pride. She may have been left caring for her grandson, but in doing so, she had found a new purpose, a way to navigate the complexities of autism with love and understanding. Mafu now knows that even the most unexpected journeys could bloom into something beautiful.

Speaking at the World Autism celebrations held at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Museum in Bulawayo on Monday, Mafu spoke about her experiences living with her autistic grandson and how she has learnt to accept his condition.“My 14-year-old grandson was diagnosed with autism at a young age. He was born deaf and has a vision in only one eye. He underwent frequent medical check-ups until his mother could no longer manage and left him in my care.

I took him to King George VI Centre, and they referred him to Riverside Stimulation Centre where he began to receive educational support,” Mafu said.World Autism Day is celebrated yearly on 2 April and the main goal is to bring awareness to the condition. This year, the event was run under the theme “awareness and acceptance.”

Mafu stated that her journey involved both accepting and learning to understand her grandchild.“I accepted my grandchild as a gift from God, learning to embrace him exactly as he is. While he can be quite energetic, I discovered a remarkable work ethic in him. This new-found understanding helped me adjust to our life together. I implore parents to learn to accept their children and take steps to understand them. Hiding them away in fear of societal judgment should never be the answer,” she said.
Another parent, Xolani Moyo from Bulawayo, shared her experience raising twins with autism. Initially, she grappled with a mix of emotions, including frustration.

“In 2017, when my twins were three years old, their pre-school teachers recommended a specialist who diagnosed them with autism. Confusion and frustration overwhelmed me. I questioned why this was happening, sometimes resorting to tears. Tragically, one of my twins passed away. Through that immense grief, close friends offered solace, suggesting the surviving twin could still thrive,” she said.

Moyo stated that autism does not change but rather it gets better depending on individuals.
“I discovered that autism does not change, it is a condition that can either get better or remain the same, and it varies from person to person. I’ve come to understand this and manage our lives accordingly. As a mother, I’ve realised there will be times I can’t attend certain events to protect my son from unkind remarks about his behaviour. Acceptance has empowered me to create a loving and supportive environment for him to thrive,” said Moyo.

A special needs teacher from Riverside Stimulation Centre in Bulawayo, Abigail Chitanda stressed the importance of acceptance when dealing with autism.I believe acceptance is key in dealing with autism. These children cannot be forced into behaving a certain way, and sadly, they often face labels like ‘mentally challenged’ or ‘ill-mannered.’ The truth about these children is that they cannot be controlled and they have tantrums so as a parent you have to accept that your child has this condition and learn to live with it. It is important to note that these children lack control over their behaviour and judgment only hurts them. They need support, not labels. Remember, even when frustrated, some children with autism are sensitive to harshness,” she said.

Director of TS Autism Trust, Nokuthaba Ndlovu, said their mission was to champion acceptance and awareness of autism within the community.“Autism is a spectrum disorder so its symptoms vary in different individuals. These symptoms entail attention hyperactivity disorder, non-verbal, very intelligent and it is very hard to discover the condition as soon as the children are born. At the age of two when properly diagnosed, you can discover that your child has autism because they have delayed speech and most of them are different from an ordinary child,” she said.

Ndlovu called upon families and stakeholders to join forces and promote understanding and acceptance of autism within the community.”In Zimbabwe, we are still lagging behind in our understanding of autism, we are pushing for awareness and acceptance. We want families to accept that there is autism and to know how to deal with this condition,” said Ndlovu.