Being a mum is never an easy feat, unless you’re talking about just giving birth and dumping your kids to some hired nanny or maid to take care of your kids until they’re fully ‘house-trained’. Now, that’s another story altogether. I know plenty of rich madams who did that and merely functioned as their kid’s ATM machine.

Being a mother is a walk in the park. Yes, indeed. A park with dinosaurs, that is. You’ll never know what will chomp you down for dinner. Okay, I’m kidding. It is not easy being a mum, what more a mum to special needs kids. I’m a mother to a special need myself, so I know how difficult life can be.

Today I’m featuring an interview with a very special mum, Erina Law. She is a mum to an autistic child, Delwin Cheah who is also a well-known savant artist. Read on and be inspired. 😀

Me:  You son is an autistic child. What was your initial reaction when you first discovered that he’s diagnosed with autism? And how do you respond to it, in terms of intervention?

Erina: I’m just like other parents where I felt lost. Not very sure about it. I cried and asking myself why it had to be me and Delwin. But, I’m a person who is on the positive thinking. I have to face the fact. My hubby is a person who don’t just listen to things just like that. He google, asking people and buy books to read.

Me: The society at large can be rather cruel when it comes to autistic children as generally speaking, not many knows what is autism and things that comes with it. More often than not, parents are condemned for bad parenting skills when their children behaves they way they do. Do you have any advise for parents with autistic children on how they can deal with the public’s misconception?

Erina: Autistic child are different from child with bad parenting. Autistic child – most of the time they are in their very own world.  Autistic child won’t answer back if they are scolded. They just don’t bother what you talk to them. Some had bad motor skill so they might be messy during eating so, is this one of the bad parenting skill they refer to? If an autistic child is talking and laughing to himself is it another bad parenting? At times when Delwin accidentally step on someone, I will apologize to the person and ask him to say sorry to. Immediately, they can’t say that we have bad parenting skill, right? We as parents did teach our kids. Anyway, we can’t please everyone.

Me: A lot of parents with autistic children are embarrassed with their children’s behaviour that they ended up locking themselves up at home. Any advise for parents who have low self-confidence in regards to this?

Erina: The child – we produce that product. How can a creator be embarrass with their own product? The more you lock yourself and the child at home, it only make things worst. As parents, we must have confident. Be brave, take the child out to explore and give him a chance.  Buy books to find out more. With today technology, Google about things that you wish to find out more. Then, ask around if anyone could give you some advice.
Me: Your son is a well-known savant artists. How did you discover his talent?

Erina: We discover his talent without realizing it. He started to draw at the age of 3+.  We didn’t stop him from there. We allow and encourage him to continue because we realize he enjoye it so much. We used art as one of a way to teach and communicate to him. As years go by, his skill had improve so much where friends, teachers and artists whom we know asked us to look into this matter seriously. From here, Lawrence went to find out more about art. What we do is continue to give him our full support.

Me:  How did you brush up his talent once you discovered that he’s a wonderful  artist? Any special classes that he went to?
Erina: Delwin didn’t go to any art classes. No formal training. We don’t brush him but we encourage him by allowing him to do what he loves to do. Everyone has their own favourite hobby or things they love to do. We enjoy seeing him draw.

Me: How do you get your son inspired for his masterpiece?
Erina:  We didn’t inspire him in his masterpiece. He is the one that make us look things differently from his art. You see different things from every different corners.

Me: Do you have any of his work that you’d like to share with us over here?

Pic: One of Delwin’s work

Another cute masterpiece by Delwin Cheah

A Ghostly take by Delwin

Me: Does he have a website? And if yes, could you re-direct us to his website, please?

Erina: Nope, I have yet to start an official website for him

Me: Are there any future plans on exhibition that we can look forward to?

Erina: Delwin had his  First Solo Exhibition  3 months ago and we are yet to have any plan for his next exhibition.
Me:  And last but not least, any inspiring and encouraging words you’d like to share with the readers over here? Perhaps they could benefit from it, especially parents with special needs children out there.

Erina: Every child are different. Different from their point of view, different talent, different behavior and many other things. Most important, do not force the child to do what we parents love to do. Everyone have got their own passion. Help the child to build their dream. Don’t just say it that you will do it but start doing it now. Spend quality time with the child and find out their talents. Sometimes, their talents will indirectly help them in changing. Delwin also play drum apart from drawing. By playing drum, he has improve his motor skill. No one know the child better than their own parents. Husband and wife should work together to help the child. I’m very lucky because my husband had been doing a great job as a father. He Google to find out more things, buy books to read to understand better and speak to physiatrist friends to have a better pictures. Then, both of us will discuss. My duty, to coach Delwin in his study and train him accordingly. I am a person who believe very much in training. By training a kid, it will help them. Finally, do not give up. As parents, we are their most important pillars. If we fall, imagine what will happen to them? Trust on your child capability. Trust what they can do. Trust them, encourage them, train them them – help them to make their dream come true!  Please bear in mind one important thing – ALL CHILD ARE DIFFERENT