An Autism Journey – Small Victories, Big Smiles

Parenting is generally hard but parenting a special needs child is way harder. Every day is a new challenge – understanding the needs of a non verbal child, temper tantrums, unwarranted aggression, unpredictable schedules, helplessness etc etc. But in the middle of all the chaos and confusion and meltdowns are small moments that touch one’s heart and provide the necessary hope and courage to keep going strong. The journey of Aarav and his mother (Radha) is one such story of big challenges and small victories.

When Aarav was born, Radha was over the moon. He was a blessed child as he had survived a fatal accident during Radha’s pregnancy. Everyone was worried about his well-being and so, when he was born healthy with normal vitals, it was nothing less than a miracle. Aarav had brought positivity and happiness into the family. 

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The first couple of years with Aarav passed in the blink of an eye. Routine vaccinations, milestones on time, some sleepless nights, occasional tantrums but overall, a happy child. It was after Aarav’s second birthday that a neighbour once noticed something unusual. ‘He doesn’t play with other kids or responds to them’. ‘Oh, Aarav is a shy child who stays alone at home most of the time, that’s why’, Radha tried to justify.

Days passed and they started noticing more behavioural changes in Aarav. He hadn’t started speaking yet and was getting more and more irritable and aloof each day. Always engrossed in his favourite toys, eating inedible things and hitting when things don’t go his way, Aarav was getting difficult to handle. A visit to the doctor brought Radha’s world to a standstill as Aarav’s symptoms were indicative of Autism. Radha froze …. unable to register the truth. All the positivity and happiness Aarav had once brought had vanished in an instant. The house fell silent with grief.

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But no matter how heartbroken a mother is, she never lets the child feel the pain. Radha still loved Aarav the same way, he was still the centre of her universe, he was still her biggest blessing. So slowly and gradually, she became his anchor …. guiding him through the various walks of life, providing strength in times of distress and standing tall right beside him to face all the challenges life has to offer.

One day, when they were out shopping, Aarav was caught unaware by the sudden noise of loudspeaker blaring from a shop. This instantly triggered Aarav and he started howling, crying, lying on the ground with his hands tightly pressing his ears. Radha immediately rushed over to comfort him but Aarav was uncontrollably distraught. People around looked at her angrily, some with contempt but none came to help. With tears rolling down her own eyes, she kept holding crying Aarav tightly close to her, comforting him. It took around 10 minutes for Aarav to calm down……minutes that felt like a lifetime. They immediately rushed back to their safe place, their home where there was no one to judge or look down upon them. Radha was shaken and exhausted both physically and emotionally and so was Aarav. 

And as soon as they entered their house,  Aarav clinged to his mother’s arms and mumbled a vague Mumm… Mumm. Radha was spellbound. She started crying again, this time with a big smile on her face. She hugged him tighter than ever, kissing him endlessly.

It’s for moments like these that make every battle worth fighting for. Victories like these, though small, bring a new wave of positivity in an otherwise challenging life of a special needs parent. And it is for such small victories that a parent keeps striving for….. to eventually, reach their goal one day.