Empowering parents of children with disabilities

(DANIELLE:) I’m definitely the key role, because I’m the one main person that works with Tayeton all day, every day.

And that’s… I think any parent is.

I think I’ve learnt the skills to be able to raise a child with disabilities.

Before, I felt overwhelmed.

I didn’t know what to expect.

But she’s definitely helped me find all the information and resources that I ever need for him, teach me through play on how to play with him.

Beforehand, I never knew how to play, I didn’t know how to communicate with him.

(GRANT:) There’s probably a lot of responsibility on us as well.

Um…just… just taking on board what they Key Worker says isn’t enough.

You actually have to do something with it.

So we found that, you know, when we did put the effort in—and we put a fair amount of effort in in most situations—we saw great change.

(MELISSA:) My role in early childhood intervention is carrying out any suggestions they might have—my Key Worker might have—to help Henry and really questioning everything that Henry’s going through in the next 12 months.

So when he is ready to start school, he’s ready and I’m ready.

And to have that support has been just really beneficial.

I think it’s really important for a parent to be aware of the difficulties their child, if they’ve been diagnosed on the spectrum, to embrace it.

Because the sooner you embrace what’s happening, it then brings a family unit together.

So as my children grow up, I hope that my younger son has a lot more patience and understanding of his older brother.

Because there is that difficulty with Henry, that my youngest one will understand and be there for him and just be a little bit more supportive like we, in turn, would as well.

And it’s about just acknowledging it and embracing it and now it’s just a part of us.

And we don’t love Henry any more or any less.

He’s just the love of our lives.

And so regardless of what path, where we’re heading, we’re all doing it together.

(MINGYU:) With our case, we can see with the help of Noah’s Ark, our… It’s a big change to our family.

Yeah, I feel a very big difference this year—the beginning of this year and the beginning of last year.

Yeah, the beginning of last year we feel very upset and don’t know how to continue our life.

But right now, we get back to the right track.

I can start my study and work as well.

And I have confidence with the future of my kids, they will get well.

At least much, much better than… If we couldn’t get help, it’s very, very bad.

It’s worse, yeah.

A lot of change.

(BELINDA:) Early intervention has given me this great strength and I have become Aidan’s advocate and realized that I’m now his support system.

But early intervention made me strong enough to be that person.