My World, My Way: A glimpse into life with Autism

When Cape Town mother Lisa Witten talks about her eldest daughter, her voice shifts.

The story she tells in My World, My Way is not a medical one, but a mother’s attempt to understand and explain what life is like for a child who does not fit neatly into the world’s boxes.

Witten started writing to make sense of her early years with her daughter Mila, who is on the autism spectrum. The notes she kept slowly grew into a book told through Mila’s eyes — a child’s view of sound, light and feeling, and how small things can sometimes become too much.

Mila, now nine, lives in a world that is often noisy and confusing. The book gives readers a glimpse into the small victories and the tough moments Mila faced. It is written gently but lands hard. It is not a medical guide or a parenting manual, but a quiet story that shows what life looks like for a child who experiences the world differently.

Witten remembers three moments that pushed her to share their story.

The first was seeing Mila struggle to make friends. “She’d try to connect, but other kids didn’t always understand her,” Witten said. “That broke me. I realised people need to know more about autism.”

The second was after a public meltdown. “People stared and one woman gave me a look that cut deep,” she said quietly. “I ended up in tears. That day I realised we needed to start talking more openly about autism, what it looks like, how it feels, and how it affects families.”

The third was the battle to find the right school. “Many schools say they’re inclusive, but the class sizes are too big and teachers don’t have proper training or assistants. Families like ours end up trying to fill the gaps ourselves.”

My World, My Way is short and simply told, with bright illustrations that Witten created herself using digital tools.

Each section ends with a question or thought-starter for parents and children to talk about.

 “I designed my own ISBN label, created the illustrations using digital tools, and handled every part of the process myself.  

“Every picture was done with her in mind,” Witten said. “I wanted readers to see what I see.”

Finding the time and mental space to write My World, My Way was another challenge. With a full-time job, a hands-on toddler and Mila’s daily needs, she wrote late at night after her children were asleep.

“It wasn’t easy,” she admits. “There were days when I was exhausted, but I’d still find myself back at my laptop. It was like another baby to take care of.”

Since publishing the book, Witten has started doing talks at schools and community groups. She draws on her lived experience to help teachers and parents understand neurodivergent children better.

“It’s about empathy,” she said. “If children learn to accept difference at an early age, maybe they will grow into adults who don’t look away.”

For Witten, the hardest part of her journey has been communication. Mila speaks now, but for years she could not find words at all.

“We made our own language,” she said. “When she finally said ‘Daddy’ instead of ‘Da’, she was three. We both cried. It was one word, but it was everything.”

Witten hopes the book sparks conversation in homes and classrooms. “We talk about maths and reading at home,” she says. “Why not talk about empathy too?”

She is already looking ahead. “Writing this book showed me how powerful stories can be,” she said. “I want to keep writing about parenting, work, and how this journey has shaped me.”

For Witten, the book is an invitation to look a little closer, to listen differently and to make space for every child, no matter how they see the world. That honesty gives the book its weight.

My World, My Way is, at its heart, a mother trying to build a bridge between her daughter’s world and everyone else’s.

* Orders for My World, My Way by Lisa Witten can be placed by emailing [email protected]

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