My Unique Child is a book targeted for parents and caregivers of children with autism and contains tips and strategies personalised for parents living in Asian societies like Singapore.
My Unique Child
The book is written by writer and speaker Jasmine Goh, who gained first-hand experience in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) during her years of volunteering in the autism community since 2009 - an activity she still engages in, while working as a writer in a publishing company.
The book aims to educate parents and caregivers of an autistic child on how to overcome problems they may face and to incorporate healthy habits and strategies into their lifestyle to maintain their well-being, from the moment of diagnosis all the way up to adulthood.
Containing real-life stories, it serves as a resource for educators and clinicians to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and issues faced by families of autistic children.
Among other aspects that the book deals with, it aims to help parents overcome demoralizing attitudes that exist towards Autism, and the "rejection and resentment of Autistic traits in your child."
The book aims to equip parents and caregivers with the skills necessary to deal with autism without experiencing and relaying frustration, and while building and nurturing an existing relationship among spouses. It also deals with incorporating strategies to help families prepare their autistic child to better understand and experience hormonal changes and puberty.
Ever since the release in 2018, the book has been well-received among both academia and autism families, heralding the book as a "rare find" in a local Asian context.
Autism in Singapore
One in 150 children in Singapore is diagnosed with some form of ASD, according to the Government's third Enabling Masterplan released in 2016.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is an umbrella term used for a "range of developmental disorders defined by difficulties in socialisation and communication, and restricted or repetitive pattern of behaviours and interest", according to the Institute of Mental Health.
Here are a few early signs of autism in toddlers that you can watch out for in your children to enable early detection and management:
- A delay in achieving milestones
- Not being able to recognise their name
- Not being able to make eye contact
- A delay at attempts in early speech - babbling and cooing
- An obsession with patterns/routine, and expressing extreme frustration if they are disrupted