“Having a strong family and friend support system can get you through the darkest of days if you have an autistic child or children.”
This is what Nicollete Manmohan, a single mother to two autistic children, believes in.
She said a lot of people questioned her ability to cope but she believed her children were a blessing.
Growing up with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Manmohan said her “well organised” personality helped her prepare for two autistic children.
She has a 12-year-old son named Skyler and a 9-year-old daughter named Cherise.
Manmohan said her son was in Grade 3 at West Park Special School in Malvern.
“Skyler was diagnosed at ten years old and classified as a learning disability. A psychologist said he was on the autism spectrum but had a learning disability,” she said.
Manmohan said being a mother for the first time and finding out her son was autistic was initially difficult.
"But my support system at home quelled many fears," she said.
"Skyler speaks fluently but he is unable to perform tasks that involve hand-eye coordination. Gripping things is also a problem for him. Skyler and Cherise are opposite. He is an indoor person and loves to play FIFA on his PlayStation and watch cartoons. He has a compassionate side for Cherise. If she is sick, he knows he is supposed to look after her."
She said when Cherise turned four, she had a seizure and was admitted to hospital.
"We got a referral to see a specialist at the KZN Children's Hospital and she was diagnosed with mild to moderate autism. She wore diapers until she was six but when she started school, things really changed.
"She learnt to go to the toilet and she developed her own schedule. School added more structure to her life."
When Cherise started school, Manmohan volunteered there for a year to stay close to her daughter.
She said going out into public was difficult at times, especially when she needed to explain to people that Cherise could not reply with words.
Cherise is currently on two types of medication, Risperdal and Epilum, which helps prevent seizures. Her favourite being to connect with is a Pitbull named ‘Soldier’, who grew up with her.
Manmohan lives with her parents in Merebank and said they played a pivotal role in ensuring both Skyler and Cherise were taken care of.
For more information about autism, call Action in Autism at 031 563 3039.