Parent Support in action: Nomfundo & Owami’s ASD journey

Owami* (5) has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and he joined the Inclusion Programme in 2021. Siyakwazi has supported Owami’s enrollment to a local private Special Education Needs (SEN) school since 2023. Thanks to sponsorships from this school, Owami is able to attend a school with specialised classes and teaching plans that take into account his unique needs and learning ability. 

His mother, Nomfundo, shares her experience of Siyakwazi’s involvement in getting to grips with supporting a child with ASD, their loving bond and her hopes for his future…

She begins: “Owami was a child that cried a lot especially at night, he was able to cry all night until the morning. Owami’s crying was so intense that I could not sleep with him alone at night. He cried so much that he pulled out his hair from his scalp. He wouldn’t care whether pulling the hair from his head hurt or not.”

Feeling that she was at breaking point, Nomfundo reached out for professional help at the clinic. She shared her worries about his self-harm and told the nurses that Owami wasn’t speaking yet either, only crying or laughing. Nomfundo was told to wait until he was three, so she did. Owami’s birthday came and went, and he was still using non-verbal cues to communicate his needs and feelings. 

After multiple referrals, Nomfundo and Owami ended up at Port Shepstone Hospital: “I was asked many questions about his behaviour, likes and dislikes. This is when we received a diagnosis – Owami is autistic. It was easy for me to accept the diagnosis. I already knew there was something special about my child, I just did not have the name for it. What made me very upset was the lack of support from the hospital – Owami was my first child, I had never been a parent, let alone deal with a child that has autism,” adds Nomfundo.

“I had never been a parent, let alone deal with a child that has autism. Siyakwazi has been a great support in mine and Owen’s life. I realised that it is possible to help your child, you just have to be a parent that is willing and who listens to the advice that is given – anything is possible.”

– Nomfundo, parent in Siyakwazi’s Parent Support group and Inclusion Programme

Nomfundo turned to Siyakwazi’s Parent Support group, believing she would find the support, understanding and guidance she craved – not only for raising Owami – but for herself too.

She continues: “Sometimes as a parent you think that you’re okay and continue as if nothing is bothering you, but deep down you’re suffering and not emotionally okay. I did not know I was carrying so much weight and heavy emotions inside me – my heart was full of thorns and I was hurting. I only became aware of how intense my feelings were when Mpume at Siyakwazi reached out. Once I started feeling my emotions, I became alive! 

“Siyakwazi has been a great support in mine and Owami’s life. I have been supported in so many ways, I have learnt about sensory diets and the benefits of it especially with the child’s nerves. I have also received tools, such a soft brush. Oh! That soft brush was magic! If ever I needed to calm Owami down. While using that soft brush I realised that if it is possible to help your child, you just have to be a parent that is willing and listens to the advice that is given – anything is possible.”

When things got tough financially for Nomfundo, Siyakwazi continued to seek out Owami’s best interests and he was enrolled in a school in KwaNzimakwe actively participating in Siyakwazi’s Inclusion Programme:

“This is something I would really like to applaud. The creche in KwaNzimakwe really knows how to accommodate all children with disabilities and are doing a great job by working with organisations like Siyakwazi. When we moved to Gamalakhe earlier this year, I had difficulties enrolling Owen into school, they would not hear it and simply said: he can’t speak. So, again, Siyakwazi intervened and now we have funding to send Owen to a Special Education Needs school where he is thriving.“

She smiles: “Children are a gift, I do not see Owami as a burden. I always say that I am blessed to have a child like Owami. I wish that Owami will grow up and be independent. I want him to continue with school. Children with autism can finish school. I want him to be his own person even when I am no longer around. It is the small things that make me confident he will be okay.”

Are you interested in learning more about our work to support the guardians and families of children with disabilities? Please get in touch. 

*Name change to protect privacy