Mr. Prashant Singh is a Retired Wing Commander from Indian Air Force and one of our esteemed client. He and his wife, Mrs. Shilpa Singh, manages affairs of their only special needs child, Master Aryaman Singh.
Hers is a transcript of interview with the family:
- Tell me how you discovered your child has a disability?
We got to know about our son’s disability a year after his birth. He was diagnosed with early stages of development disorder. After examination at 2 years of age, he was confirmed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) with autistic features.
- How did you react and what did you go through when you heard about your child’s disability?
After a few months of birth we realised that there is some issue with the child, and going was tough. The unawareness on the child’s disability is what made us worry. Multiple visits to medical professionals in these 2 years gave us enough indication, and when the final diagnosis revealed Autistic features it did not surprise us, since we had already undergone the ordeal associated with it. But yes, during the initial 2 years and thereon, we were unsettled for a considerable period of time.
- How did you find support from friends, relatives and family?
The support from family members, near relatives and friends has been encouraging. The only concern we had to deal with was the lack of awareness which always pointed to the question- what next??
- Do you ever feel overwhelmed?
Yes, but mostly due to the issues associated with the mental development and physical growth, and not the knowledge of the diagnosis, per se. The future course of action to be taken also started to play on our minds, and how to go about tackling the issue, given the fact that there was no direct medical intervention available.
- What things you have found to enjoy about having a child with special needs?
We love the child like any other parent. Though the child has issues with growth, at every milestone we have achieved with him, has been a joyful experience. Now we find solace in his activities and look for improvements in his condition.