“The idea of my child being treated as a crazy man when he grows up, and nobody is there to help him terrifies me.”
Those were the fears shared by Iman Wan Tuck Meng on the morning Television program, Malaysia Hari Ini on TV3.
He laments the fate of his son, Adam Wan Mun Yu, age 17, who suffers from non-verbal form of autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Adam was diagnosed with autism ever since he was 3 years old.
According to Norhaida Hasan, the wife of Iman and Adam’s mother, he started displaying autistic behaviours such as avoiding eye contact when he was a child. As he grew, he became more and more susceptible to meltdowns which could cause harm to himself. Due to how little he was at the time, the outbursts were still manageable by his parents, but as he got bigger, controlling him became more and more difficult.
Those were the fears shared by Iman Wan Tuck Meng on the morning Television program, Malaysia Hari Ini on TV3.
He laments the fate of his son, Adam Wan Mun Yu, age 17, who suffers from non-verbal form of autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Adam was diagnosed with autism ever since he was 3 years old.
According to Norhaida Hasan, the wife of Iman and Adam’s mother, he started displaying autistic behaviours such as avoiding eye contact when he was a child. As he grew, he became more and more susceptible to meltdowns which could cause harm to himself. Due to how little he was at the time, the outbursts were still manageable by his parents, but as he got bigger, controlling him became more and more difficult.
“It is very tiring to hold him down, sometimes up to 15 minutes. Having to aggressively hold him down with a calm mind”.
“Sometimes, we’re relaxing and he would just come and have a meltdown and injures your hand”.
As Iman recollects his experiences, the viewers are given a look into what exactly he means as videos of him restraining Adam are played, putting pictures into Iman’s descriptions.
In one video, we can see Iman wrestling with Adam on a sofa in their home as Adam butt his chin and face into Iman’s arms while clinging onto him frantically. You can see the effort in Iman’s face as he tries to restrain his son and bear the pain of Adam’s nails digging into his skin, as well as the fatigue in his eyes.
In another video, we can see Iman struggling to lift his son as Adam threw a fit in a clothing store at a shopping mall and laid on the ground, crying and flailing his arms. You could see the worried stare of mall-goers as they pass by the couple and their son. In another video, Iman was shown pinning Adam down to the ground in an indoor parking lot to control him, perhaps out of worry that his outbursts would put him in front of a moving car.
“Sometimes, we’re relaxing and he would just come and have a meltdown and injures your hand”.
As Iman recollects his experiences, the viewers are given a look into what exactly he means as videos of him restraining Adam are played, putting pictures into Iman’s descriptions.
In one video, we can see Iman wrestling with Adam on a sofa in their home as Adam butt his chin and face into Iman’s arms while clinging onto him frantically. You can see the effort in Iman’s face as he tries to restrain his son and bear the pain of Adam’s nails digging into his skin, as well as the fatigue in his eyes.
In another video, we can see Iman struggling to lift his son as Adam threw a fit in a clothing store at a shopping mall and laid on the ground, crying and flailing his arms. You could see the worried stare of mall-goers as they pass by the couple and their son. In another video, Iman was shown pinning Adam down to the ground in an indoor parking lot to control him, perhaps out of worry that his outbursts would put him in front of a moving car.
All the videos were acquired from the Instagram page Adams Autism Family, a page ran by Iman and Norhaida in order to share their experiences and journey in raising an autistic child.
The page became a viral hit among the Malaysian internet community as they were able to get such an intimate look on the hardships and challenges faced by the family of five. Indeed, Adam’s story has touched the hearts of many and has garnered a significant following with almost 291 thousand followers on their Instagram page.
This reception was welcomed by Iman as he believes that the platform was essential in order to create awareness on the behaviours and needs of an autistic child.
“If there wasn’t any exposure such as this, our society will never truly understand what those who suffer from and those who have to face this disorder go through” said Iman in another interview with Astro Awani.
The page became a viral hit among the Malaysian internet community as they were able to get such an intimate look on the hardships and challenges faced by the family of five. Indeed, Adam’s story has touched the hearts of many and has garnered a significant following with almost 291 thousand followers on their Instagram page.
This reception was welcomed by Iman as he believes that the platform was essential in order to create awareness on the behaviours and needs of an autistic child.
“If there wasn’t any exposure such as this, our society will never truly understand what those who suffer from and those who have to face this disorder go through” said Iman in another interview with Astro Awani.
And the fact that their story has garnered such interest should be seen as a sign of how much our society is fascinated and curios about autism.
In fact, Malaysians in general have a very limited understanding of autism as a mental disorder, which is a sentiment that is voiced by Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh.
“Some (parents) think that their (autistic) child is simply ‘a bit slow’, which (they think is) something that is normal” said Yeoh in an article from the News Straits Times. Such disorders are downplayed by society and before knowledge of mental disorders became more prominent, it was pretty common for people who suffer these disorders to be wrote off as just a crazy person.
This mentality was common in traditional and rural circles in the olden days, and even though our society has developed to become more modern, such ways of thinking still persists.
In fact, Malaysians in general have a very limited understanding of autism as a mental disorder, which is a sentiment that is voiced by Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh.
“Some (parents) think that their (autistic) child is simply ‘a bit slow’, which (they think is) something that is normal” said Yeoh in an article from the News Straits Times. Such disorders are downplayed by society and before knowledge of mental disorders became more prominent, it was pretty common for people who suffer these disorders to be wrote off as just a crazy person.
This mentality was common in traditional and rural circles in the olden days, and even though our society has developed to become more modern, such ways of thinking still persists.
Which is why the videos shared by Iman’s family shines a much needed light on increasing awareness on the how to care for and accept people who are on the autism spectrum.
With almost 300,000 Malaysians on the autism spectrum; as stated by Yeoh, more exposure needs to be given to these groups in order to wash away the stigma and misunderstandings surrounding people with autism.
The videos on the Adam Autism Family Instagram page as well as the stories told there provides a valuable talking point that would help spur conversation among Malaysians about autism and hopefully pave the way for our society to become more accepting and understanding of these inspiring people.
With almost 300,000 Malaysians on the autism spectrum; as stated by Yeoh, more exposure needs to be given to these groups in order to wash away the stigma and misunderstandings surrounding people with autism.
The videos on the Adam Autism Family Instagram page as well as the stories told there provides a valuable talking point that would help spur conversation among Malaysians about autism and hopefully pave the way for our society to become more accepting and understanding of these inspiring people.
Sources:
Adam's Autism Family TV3 MHI Interview - Youtube
'Bukan mudah jaga anak autisme' - Ini luahan Iman Wan - Astro Awani
With 300,000 M'sians on autism spectrum, more awareness needed: Yeoh - The New Straits Times
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