APM Educational Project 2022 – Philus’ Family

5 Hong Kong Families, 5 Children, and 5 Unique ASD Experiences and Struggles

Parents of children with ASD score higher on levels of stress than other groups of parents. The daily challenges of caring for the child are endless and effect all aspects of the child’s care as well as the parent’s mental health and ability to manage the needs of the child and family.

In the process of interviewing 40 families in Hong Kong, we see the tremendous impact of ASD on each family. From the emotional stress of the initial diagnosis, to the daily stress of dealing with the child’s behavior problems, and the financial stress of finding treatment options; autism affects families in many ways.

Every Child with Autism is Different.

Autism is a spectrum, which means that its symptoms range from mild and few to severe and many. One person with autism might have several mild symptoms in a set of areas, while another might have a different set of symptoms and severity.

Children with ASD may present problem behaviors in many forms, including tantrums, difficulties in toileting, eating problem, not following instructions and more. These behaviors can be challenging and upsetting for many parents and can prevent their children from reaching their full potential.

The 5 families we share with you today have their unique stories and challenges. The 5 families all have a 2-years old child diagnosed with ASD, yet the challenges that the 5 families are facing with their child are totally different. Nevertheless, they all share a common situation, which is finding themselves struggling to manage the difficult behavior of their young child and are in need of professional help and support.

Let us introduce the 5 families to you.

Philus is a talkative 2 years and 7 months old boy. He was diagnosed with ASD at the age of 2. Philus has many verbal language skills, but he has great difficulty following instructions and responding to his parents and teachers. His mother reported that she has had great challenges bringing him out in the community as he gets easily distracted and attracted by many things. A 5-minute walk often takes 30-minutes to walk with Philus.

Parent Sharing – The concerns of their child