Impact and Awareness : Our Aim is to help women deal with issues concerning children with learning disability
HOW MY CHILD TIMI SURVIVED DOWN SYNDROME
Awareness.org
My Son Timi has Down syndrome which is a genetic condition that causes little to serious physical and developmental delays.
Timi is a loving boy, the hospital experience wasn’t that great when I was pregnant with him. I was over 40 at that time and the doctor said it was 50-50 chance during the scan. So do I abort or have the baby eventually I decided to keep him. It was a different ball game after delivery…
Read The Story below:
Timi with me, Jumoke (Founder of Impact and Awareness)
Center Director
1: Birth of Timi, early stages of the down syndrome
I was not sure what was going to happen, but I kept the baby, the tension was there. At the hospital, it was a different ball game when I had Timi. In the hospital, every other baby was crying, but my baby wasn’t crying. My baby was so quiet, I’ve had two other children before, So I know how babies cry. Every baby was crying, but my baby wasn’t.
There were doctors there too but couldn’t understand why my baby was not crying. Baby was good looking gorgeous. So they decided to take him for scanning to find out what was wrong.Two days after the test and scanning he was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Hmm. I didn’t know what to do.
I’m not the cuddly or pampering type of mum.But I love my children to bits, some people are cut out to be mothers. Mothers in the sense, they pay full attention and details to everything the child does from the preparation of food. They prepare their food from the raw to finish, they will cut the carrot themselves. They prepare the food themselves instead of buying readymade. But I wasn’t that kind of mother, I am the kind of mother that goes to shop and buy the ready made food. So my mind was all over the place on how am I going to survive looking after my baby. I was over joy that this boy was mine and he’s here to stay.
2: Timi is growing, but with difficulty, I cried
Spent about Seven days in the hospital before been discharged. When we got home, Timi was fine, but still not crying I had to start thinking extra. You know mother instinct, the types of caring I gave the other children I had. Had to observe him more, he does not cry when he his wet or hungry. They had to do other medical checks on him to be sure he does not have any other medical conditions. Getting on wasn’t easy at first because I didn’t really understand what to do to this baby that doesn’t cry. So how do I know if he is hungry. How do I know if he wants to eat, he is quiet he’s just there, He’s different. But he was adorable, I fell in love with him from the first day I set my eyes on him. I love him beyond what I can explain
Timi was growing, but it wasn’t easy for Timi to grow properly. He brings out his tongue like a snake. Keeps tossing his tongue in and out. The tongue was bigger than his mouth, which makes breathing difficult for him at times, but people kept reassuring me that when he gets older, it would correct itself and would not be that noticeable again. It wasn’t easy looking after Timi most people around me did not have children with learning disability. So having a child with learning disability was not easy fitting in at times. People were supportive in their own ways, but I was the one facing the reality? But that does not mean I am blaming anyone. The first few months Timi would not eat. He couldn’t keep any food down in his tummy. Anytime he eats, he throws up, they said he was having refluxing. It was so bad, I thought he was going to die.
Nothing stays in his stomach. He eats it comes back. I tried everything I could from the milk to organic foods, but my son keeps throwing everything back, his tummy refuses to hold any food down. It was very worrying I took him to different doctors, churches, and anyone I think could help. I believe he needs prayers, I believe he needs doctors, I read a lot about different children with eating disability. I read about a gentleman in Nigeria that has a child with Down syndrome. I wanted to understand how people overcome this thing. But there was nobody that was really giving me the answers I wanted. Most of it was what is Down syndrome, but not how to solve different stages and stages of their development delays and problems
3: Timi in and out of hosiptal everytime!
I thought Timi was going to die that night he looked like a doll baby tiny a year old, and was having trouble eating. The boy wasn’t eating or responding in the manners I understand, had to call an ambulance. When they arrived, performed all the appropriate tests, but they were still unable to determine what was wrong with him. He was taken straight to the hospital.
We spent close to six or seven days in the hospital. He was put on a drip on for seventh day he wasn’t eating, and on the eighth day, they offered us a variety of liquids to consume, some of which were special milk and nutritional beverages for him to drink. Timi did not understand or respond the way he should, he wasn’t even walking, talking, standing and he still didn’t have any teeth at one year old.
Several things I anticipated to happen did not.
You can imagine having a one year old child with no teeth. He was lying on the bed when I sat him up one day and told him to look at me, we fight this battle together come rain or sunshine. Look at me very carefully, I won’t give up on you. I have no doubt you will triumph. I was not sure maybe he understood me or not.
All the products given to us from the hospital, Timi did not touch was donated charity. Only God knows what happened, Timi started eating and holding food down.
He was getting better slowly but lacks strength. He’s unable to sit down properly needs support with with his head. His body extremely flexible I think children with Down’s syndrome bones are exceptionally soft so they need support to sit comfortably. Timi was still toothless.
4: Timi hardly communicates, speech therapy
Things changed between the ages of 2 and 3, so I made the decision to enroll him in a nursery, most times I did not designate him as having special needs.
I enrolled him in a regular nursery school, he had physical and speech therapy as well as all the other professionals required for children with learning disabilities to support them.
However, the first thing I noticed a child with learning disability who attends a mainstream school, I mean a normal nursery, is a bit isolated. These was not the fault of the people isolating them they need one-on-one intervention there is no way they are going to function like normal kids, they see things in a different way. It took me a while to see things in Timi’s world. Timi’s world is completely different from my own world.
Timi has a very different perspective to life, I had to enter his world to fully comprehend and understand him. His language is different, his perspective to the world is different, he was young, needs to play the nursery helped him. He began doing activities like painting, slowly engage with the other kids more.
He may opt to stick his hand straight into the painting they are working on, smash it all over the wall or the paper, make a mess of it. This is how he expresses himself since he enjoys touching. The type of play he wants to engage in is different.
Timi can sit next to you, touch the edge of your clothing, start sucking his tongue, making sounds like “hmm” and “ehhnnn ehnnn” kids nearby who don’t understand what he’s doing just stare at him and some of them come over to play with him.
You can’t blame kids for staying away from him some of them find this baby weird.
They are incapable of understanding it. He spent his first four years of life in the nursery.
5: After Nursery, mainstream school problems!
After nursery, I had to look for primary school, another difficult situation, I wanted him to have a normal life. Timi and I had an agreement to fight the battle together and win. How I was going to go about it I don’t have a clue experience is different from teaching. I wanted him to go to a mainstream school. Timi would learn more in main stream. I have other children in the house that needs my attention too. Timi was getting older and his brain was improving, he was walking slowly had few teeth in his mouth, they were coming out one at a time. By the time he was 7-8, he had about 5 or 6 teeth, but they were coming out slowly, which was fine, but taking care of Timi at home was difficult. He floods everywhere at times, leaves the toilet door open, I needed help at home now, I was working and did not want to quit my job at the same time wants the best for my son. It was difficult to get him enrolled in the mainstream school close to my home. I had to go for an interview the school initially wasn’t ready to accept him, questions been asked during the interview made me feel very uneasy. For example, they asked me if he was capable of using the restroom by himself and whether he would be able to do this and that. He was unable to perform 70% of the tasks they were asking of him.
Nevertheless, I can’t let him function alone. I have to support him, he would fail if not supported. I came up with another option, but there was no point giving up if I hadn’t even tried. Explain to them this is the school I want or he will stay at home and I’ll be tutoring him. Luckily, he was accepted, they had to do one-on-one sessions with him. He attended the school roughly three to four years. Timi did not really understand the structure of the school in his world. Although the school was excellent, Timi was not coping in some aspects.
He is a young man who enjoys being outside, sitting outside while being taught, and touching and feeling nature. As a result, he dislikes being confined to a classroom while being taught, finds it annoying, becomes very aggressive and unsettling.
Since he was disrupting the class, they frequently had to take him to the library.
He finds it quite difficult, he would turn the library upside down. I instructed the school to call me whenever Timi was acting out, unsettled and sad. They call me while I’m at work, this was have impact on me too.
Timi was having trouble settling down, this went on for almost two years I realised he was learning academically, however his emotional needs wasn’t met, I started looking for alternative where both his emotional and educational needs would be met. He was doing well academically at the normal school, but emotional was tough. This has nothing to do with the school, they tried their best, they had to teach Timi outside the classroom. When Timi was in the mainstream school, he could count 1 to 10, write his name, and he was really doing well academically, but for the emotional aspect, that wasn’t great, he was becoming more stubborn, more difficult to manage due to the kind of environment he wants to study in. So I made-up my mind to send Timi to a special needs school.
Timi with Dad
6: He wants his Space
Timi had attending the mainstream school for a few months now, and I noticed he wasn’t settling down. Timi has a very different perspective than I do, and this is where the learning disability is becoming more obvious in the mainstream school they have to sit down and study and do things. Timi doesn’t like to stay anywhere for long. He can only maintain his level of focus for a maximum of 30 minutes before he gets up. When he gets up, he does not want to sit in the classroom, and I notice that he dislikes it when there are too many people around him. Timi, my son, does not like crowds or having too many people around him, so his best strategy for dealing with this is to run away or go somewhere where he can have space to himself. The school always calls me and complains that Timi, my son, is not settling, but I soon realized what was really going on.
Yet in a regular classroom, he cannot have a space to himself because there can be one teacher for ten students. Timi was receiving one-on-one instruction, but he was still falling behind because he found it difficult to sit still and pay attention in the classroom.
7: Special needs school, he is adapting!!
I decided to look for special needs school. I wanted a special needs school that would be able to teach him and help with his emotional and psychological aspect of his disability. There was a long waiting list for the particular school I wanted they were not fully special needs schools. I won’t take him out of the mainstream school until I get the specific special needs school I wanted. Fortunately for Timi, we were able to find a special needs school, and he adjusted very well. His reading and writing skills were declining, while his emotional and psychological needs were being managed and improving. As I correctly stated, I wanted an environment that combines everything. I won’t take him out of the mainstream school until I get the specific special needs school I wanted.
Jumoke (Founder of Impact and Awareness)
8: Teach him sign language or not!
I therefore recognized that I have two options in this situation. He was making academic progress, but the emotional, physical, and psychological aspects of it weren’t taken care of, and I believe that at the time, he was the first student with a learning handicap that the school had ever had. They made every effort, and there were numerous interventions, but Timi’s requirements were not met to the extent that Timi desired. I had to start making plans to move him because of the school issue.
At home, things were a little different. I was urged to use sign language with Timi, which I truly enjoy, but the majority of the individuals in Timi’s immediate environment won’t be sign language experts. As a result, if they don’t understand sign language, it will be difficult for him to interact with others, which is what I meant when I said he would live in solitude. No matter how little he could say, I wanted people to be taking him out. I wanted Timi to socialize and lead a normal life. I knew it wouldn’t be 100%, but at least if I can meet between 20 and 30%, even if it’s 10 or 40% or 50%, I’ll be able to understand him when he goes out and talks to people. I didn’t have high expectations, but I was prepared to give it my all for Timi’s potential, what he can do, and what makes him happy because I began viewing things from Timi’s perspective
I therefore recognized that I have two options in this situation. He was making academic progress, but the emotional, physical, and psychological aspects of it weren’t taken care of, I believe he was the first student with a learning disability the school had ever had. They made every effort, and there were numerous interventions, but Timi’s requirements were not met to the extent that Timi desired. I had to start making plans to move him because of the school issue.
At home, things were a little different. I was urged to use sign language with Timi, which I truly enjoy, but the majority of the individuals in Timi’s immediate environment won’t use sign language. As a result, if they don’t understand sign language, it will be difficult for him to interact with family and friends. This was what I meant when I said he would live in isolation. No matter how little he could speak, I wanted Timi to socialize and lead a normal life to the best of his ability. I knew it wouldn’t be 100%, but at least if I can achieve between 20 and 30%, even if it’s 10 or 40% or 50%, that able to understand him when he goes out and interacts with people. I did not have high expectations, but I was prepared to give it my all for Timi’s potential, what he can do, what makes him happy. I began viewing things from Timi’s perspective
Timi will not progress, would become a very unhappy child if I view things from my own perspective or from what I wanted for Timi. I was doing what Timi wants and what makes Timi happy. I had to study Timi day and night, we spent loads of time together, go on holidays together.
Timi had a lot of support from his father, sisters, brothers, and even my friends. He was a very cute, attractive, and loving guy, everyone adored him.
Uncle Timi, outing with his sister’s children
9: Hours and hours in school!
We were working hand in hand, but the mainstream school did their best, so I had to transfer him to a special needs school. Transferring him to a special needs school wasn’t easy, but I decided to do what I believe was best for Timi, and I’m going to work in accordance with what Timi wants, not what I want, because what I want is normal but he has his own world and I’m going to see the world the way Timi sees it because what he considers normal in his own world is completely different from how I see the world, which is why I need to understand Timi’s world. To understand Timi’s world, I had to get down on his level and think like he does. This was the best thing that happened, but it wasn’t simple. That was a really difficult journey, especially for those of us who are close to Timi. Timi spent the majority of the day in school, which was around 6-7 hours, but the remaining 24 hours came after those 6-7 hours.
Well, my arithmetic is terrible, but I know that’s almost about 18 hours. Timi must be with us, therefore from the time he arrives home till the time he wakes up, we must be on guard.Their large tonsils and large tongue made sleeping at night a different issue.
Hence, while they sleep, they risk choking, and while he may occasionally appear to be breathing, this is not always the case.Because the sisters and everyone else have to work and I have to go to work myself, I couldn’t sleep well during the day or at night. The same is true for the brothers. However, you know as a mother, the tension is on your own head, and everyone else will support you to the best of their abilities. His dad support to the best of his own ability. He was a great dad to him, I won’t lie, and the older sisters and his brother were great.
When you desire a happy home, there is stress since you have to provide them with emotional and psychological support and the onus is always on the mother.
I’m not complaining, but I have to put in a lot of extra effort to ensure that Timi and every other child in the house are content and have their needs met. This was a unique challenge, and it’s one of the reasons I needed someone to live in the house with me and Timi and other siblings around the clock to make life easier for everyone. I don’t want any damaged children, so just because I’m raising Timi doesn’t mean that we have to allow this. We had to examine everything, and I had to consider both sides, so my mind was constantly working all through the hours of the day.
Timi with a guitar
10: He developed his own way of communicating
Timi is a wonderful child, and as I earlier stated, when I first started speaking to him, his language was quite different because he was between the ages of 10 and 11. When Timi wanted chocolate, he would say “bob late,” and when he wanted spaghetti, he would say “sparg part” or “getty.” I could understand his language, but most people around him could not. However, at home, we could, so we began translating to people. Timi would say “London” when he wanted nando’s, and “KK” or “Uh” when he wanted to eat Kentucky, respectively. He speaks a different language, but the only reason I was allowing this to happen was so he wouldn’t be alone, but the people around me are not the type that can quickly pick up his type of language, although they can pick up the tiniest of things. I wanted him to live a normal life, go out to parties, have fun, and interact with people because I’ve decided he won’t live alone, so whenever someone invites me out, I always say: “Look, I have a child with learning disabilities and I’m bringing him”, but the problem is that when I take Timi out and there’s noise, he tries to find a way out, and most of the time whenever we are out, he will say, “Tell the DJ low music, slow music, mom, too loud, too loud, low music, low music, low music”. I’ll take him out and I’ll bring him in again after sometime.Then he started loves going out, he loves listening to music, he loves dancing. Because of this, we frequently sit towards the back or in areas with less people, but I’m constantly with him. If I am out with his siblings or parents and want to go somewhere, I’ll tell them to stay with him as well. As a result, Timi started to view the world differently.
Timi in sports
11: Holidays, he enjoys it.
Timi with his siblings
12: He wants to enjoy himself, haha
Between the ages of 9 and 12, or, let’s say, from 7-8, we took so many vacations I and Timi traveled to so many locations, we visited France, Spain, Tenerife, Greece and Turkey. Even though it was exceedingly difficult to take him on vacation, he travelled a lot. It was challenging because I have to pre-book our accommodations and confirm that there is no elevator, even if there is one, we’ll put him on the ground floor, and if we’re on the ground floor, it mustn’t be too close to the entrance. I also have to inform the staff when we arrive that I have a child with a learning disability who frequently runs away when I’m asleep, and the reason for this is because he frequently has the ability to open the door from behind. In order to prevent him from escaping when I’m asleep at night or while the other sisters and brothers are sleeping, I usually have to make sure I place a chair or tie a belt that is very tough for him to open to the door, this way, we won’t have to go hunting for him all over the place. Also, he occasionally prefers to sleep in the same room as his older cousins. So you can’t tell him to come sleep in my room or wherever I’m staying or isolate him from the situation. It is not what he desires, nor does he desire exclusion, I have to accept his desire to have fun since that is exactly what he wants.
Timi with Mum and Dad
13: Bad Pool experience
Timi had been trained regarding the use of the restroom, but I had a very unpleasant incident, that up till this moment I thank God, I was aware Timi wanted to open his bowels, but he had no idea how to do it. After he did, I noticed what had happened and he was also wearing a swimming trunks, which is a good thing, so I had to go and tell the pool official that they needed to wash and clean the pool, since it was still very early, I took him out of the pool because he doesn’t like to be around too many people during this times when I first started taking him on vacation. As a result, I have to leave very early in the morning when no one was using the pool or very late at night when the sun was setting. The fact that this event occurred so early in the morning and that people in this nation were so understanding is a blessing. Children with learning difficulties are understood by them, but before anyone else could use the pool, it was drained and cleaned. I was ecstatic and took notice of everything. So these are some of the difficulties I experienced, and one have to be very careful so as to not allow such incident to repeat itself again, becaus it was really an awful experience. His safety and well-being whenever you take him out has to be put into consideration. One also needs to consider the others in his immediate vicinity. You wouldn’t want him to put anyone at risk, including himself and those close to him. I had to take it up and make the necessary arrangements when I heard that pool incident.
Timi with his Sister
14: Looking for alternative medication (Herbal)
Timi started opening up the more I frequently talk to him, take him out, and take him on vacation. I was looking for methods to achieve this between the ages of 8 and 14 or between the ages of 9 and 13, because it was a different ball game then. I was searching for a solution, wondering what I could do to help him developed cognitively and to make it simpler for him to make decisions on his own. I decided to attempt the traditional medicine. I was now taking herbal medicine, an alternate form of treatment. When I say herbal, I mean leaves since there are many leaves and other things that performs well. I went to Nigeria to investigate, if there was any source of herbal treatment that could help with his brain. I started researching these issues before it became well-known and before everyone realized its advantages. Since I had Timi, I’ve been researching it, and once he reached 10, I became more interested. As a result, I went to see a Nigerian pharmacist who was both a pharmacist and was concurrently studying leaves. He was in a better position to talk to me and teach me about leaves because he is knowledgeable about both conventional medicine and herbal medicine. We did a few things for Timi that were brain-healthy, and as I mentioned, I did them for him. I haven’t done any research or anything to support this, but I noticed something different, so it’s just my own observation. I did what I thought was best for Timi, so I used it for him, and when he drank it, I noticed things were changing and I also became very prayerful, it wasn’t about ingesting these herbs; rather, it was the believe I have in God and that my child will act in accordance with his best interests. I was prepared to step in and help him in any way possible because I was considering the situation from Timi’s perspective, not from mine. In Timi’s world, he needs to be able to fit in since I won’t live forever and I don’t want him to be a burden on his siblings when I’m gone. If Timi visits them, I wanted him to do so whenever he chooses. He should be able to live his own life and owns a home of his own and has everything to himself, so whenever he’s tired of it, he can go there and stay for a few days before returning to his own home. This is why I was so determined to ensure that Timi performed to the best of his ability for himself, at his own pace, whenever he desired. As long as he doesn’t put his life or the lives of others in danger, I’m willing to do everything he asks of me. He is content, and I was prepared to work with him at his pace and space—even if it takes him a year to learn how to utter a single word, I am ready for it, and even if it takes him three years to master how to spell his name, I don’t mind. The first time I took him to Nigeria, his mood was different compared to where I had taken him to earlier.
Timi
15: We traveled to Nigeria
I had to visit this pharmacist in Nigeria and I wanted Timi to see the pharmacists also. I also wanted Timi to experience the world differently because we’ve been traveling to the westernized globe, such as Europe and America. This is why I took him on vacation to Nigeria. We’ve been on trips before, but this time was different because I had to take him to Nigeria. When we first met him, he was extremely delighted, but once we arrived at the airport and he felt the heat, he became immobile and begged me to return him. Everyone was moving but thank God they were considerate of kids with learning disabilities. There was an escalator, and as I’ve already mentioned, Timi doesn’t like escalators, so I had to carry him. However, he allowed the kind man who was standing next to me to carry him down the stairs, so he was carried. We were right in front of the line and the staff there were excellent; they gave him a seat, welcomed him, and spoke to him. Everything went well, and after leaving the airport, we had to wait for our bus and our bags to go. Once we left and he was sitting in the car, he was content and repeated, “Well, like it, like it, like it, like it.” It was a very positive experience. Instead of saying “Mother, I like it,” he would say “Tell Mom, like it, I like it, like it” when he liked anything. He speaks his own language, as I mentioned, and we were able to understand him. He communicates in the clearest possible terms, and this is when my tale started to change.
Timi with Dad and Brother
16:Thank you for not giving up on me
17:Thanks everyone for your support
18: Every little helps, slow but steady
It needs to be someone who is patient, understanding, and aware of their own language. Majority of the teachers struggled with him, they frequently communicate even after a year when one of them stopped instructing him and called me to say how much he misses taking Timi to McDonald’s and other places. Hence, we just stated that we will make time to accomplish that, and he understood. Timi was adored, and since I have to pay attention, I am aware of both his likes and dislikes, because I’ve watched him so closely and am aware of his triggers, I’ve learned to control the troublesome behavior. What enrages him, what makes him happy, and as I mentioned, he dislikes loud noise and crowds. These are things I am aware of, so when I’m out, I pay close attention to the people around him and make an effort to explain what Timi loves and doesn’t like. This is especially important if I’m leaving him with friends to watch him or taking him somewhere unfamiliar. An incident of such ocurred at a time when I left him at my friend’s place, with my friend’s husband, he was surprised as to why he wasn’t talking or speaking to him at all, he was only able to give him food. Upon coming back, my friend and I entered the room, (I was also in need of a babysitter at the time) he pointed to him and said, “Blah, blah, blah,”. He was reported to me that he didn’t speak at all. Most people didn’t comprehend what he was saying because he didn’t communicate with him and everything. He did everything, including eating, but he remained silent. He was speaking in his own language, but since I can hear him, I understood what he was saying.
Jumoke (Founder of Impact and Awareness)
Center Director
19: A Tree cannot form a forest, Big thanks to everyone!
During the COVID period, I mean when the covid was down, I manage to bring Timi to Nigeria just for practice, instead of staying at home, they were conducting home schooling and everything, so we came and this was what changed everything for Timi. He was able to adapt because we were stuck here in Nigeria for about 6-7 months, as they were homeschooling and everything else during the COVID period, I was able to convince Timi to travel to Nigeria for practice instead of staying at home. This was what caused Timi’s life to change forever when we we were stranded in Nigeria for roughly 6-7 months, he was able to adapt. I made the decision to enroll him in school and arrange for a one-on-one lesson with a teacher for him. Do you know that all these times, I was unaware of Timi’s whereabouts. Timi was able to write from 1 to 100, and there was a specific teacher—I’m sorry I didn’t want to name her, but this time I must—I’ll call her sister Ruth. I don’t know what gift God gave this woman, but within the span of 3 to 4 months, Timi was writing, and the school I took him to was able to intervene one on one; they were able to get the one-on-one teacher for him as well and he was able to do a lot that I thought he was incapable of doing but I had to bring him back, but despite the fact that his intellectual needs would be addressed, his emotional and bodily needs would not, but thanks to the internet, Timi has a tutor who works with him one-on-one. When I brought Timi to Nigeria, I was able to find Timi a tutor. He is now being educated through whatsapp and the internet from Monday through Thursday. He is making progress while being taught by his teacher from Monday through Thursday between 6pm to 7pm. He has really done well, and when he was also in Nigeria,
he had the chance to mix and was able to do so. I’m not sure how to explain it, but he had the chance to combine exceptionally well. I’m not sure how he felt more at ease when he met his nephew there. They were able to go out together, click with the other students, and my sister, he was relaxed as well and also enjoyed himself. He attends party and began to have a good time, and also dances, my nephew is a DJ, he has always enjoyed music and whenever he performs as a DJ, he takes him out. They also go out and play basketball together as he plays basketball, he was able to comprehend Timi’s universe, he completely altered his own. He treats Timi like a buddy by doing so. While he is a great deal older than Timi, he instructs him, they engage in activities together, and he appears to love his surroundings. As a result, Timi had a complete transformation. He taught him how to ride a bike and go on a “maruwa”(tricycle), two activities that Timi had a phobia for, but now finds himself doing a lot of it. Timi communicate with them through WhatsApp. He made good friends, nice pals who could relate with him. I now take him there for a fun day every year.It feels wonderful.
Timi learning
20: When there is a problem, look for solutions not self-pity!
Timi helping in a food bank
21: We are almost there
Timi still has some health issues; he has been taking antibiotics for more than a year since he continues to have terrible boils under his armpits and in his groin area. However, he has learned to handle his condition as best as he can and isn’t letting it stop him. He Performs a lot of things by himself, but as I previously stated in the observations, I’m pleased with the effort I made to Timi’s early intervention, which was really difficult and tough. Although the journey wasn’t simple, but the outcome was fantastic, one can now take Timi on vacation. Even though with the age he’s turning, he still dislikes crowd, gets angry when there are a lot of people around, and other similar things. But we’ll learn to manage that, so whenever we travel, we always stand outside, let people go first, and then sit down. There are many things that we have always managed, and because we traveled to Nigeria, he gained many friends. He now whatsapps Austin and other people he likes there, and they communicate with him on whatsapp. He may spend 30 to 40 minutes on WhatsApp laughing, chatting, and interacting with other people. I did register him with a modeling agency, but because I’ve been a little lazy, I haven’t been able to follow it up. I will, however, do so very soon. You know, they stereotyped them. However, because of my own beliefs and the way I see things, “Love me, love my dog,” I believe that if you’re my friend, you have to accept things that I don’t have control over, and sometimes having a child with a learning disability is not something you have control over and it’s not something you can just wake up to. You must learn to accept a certain reality, and the more you do so, the simpler it will be for you to assist the child. When you love them, show them affection, be prepared to walk a mile with them, and also ready to go into their world and understand it, even if it takes a year to say one word, and are passionate enough for them to learn at their own space, you will enjoy them and the end result is always positive. However, when you feel self-pity and are ashamed to take your child out, they can feel the current and it becomes a problem. Even if it wasn’t exactly what you had hoped for, at least they are happy, you are pleased, and you are satisfied that you gave it your best effort.