CDC Stories: Supporting Andrew to Find His Passion

“Being a parent of a child with special needs is not an easy journey; the most important thing is to help him find his areas of interest and passion. Let him follow his own path, then he will be more persistent than others, so don’t give up.”

Many parents of a child with SEN have experienced times when they feel that they are struggling and are anxious as to what the future holds. Although nowadays there is plenty of school information and other resources available for parents of children with SEN, it may still be overwhelming. Getting started in finding the most appropriate support for their child is usually the most difficult and challenging step for parents.

Andrew, one of the Child Development Centre (CDC)’s past students, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when he was five years old. At that time, Andrew’s mum, Ana, was lost and feeling helpless, “I wasn’t sure what to do”.

In 2011, she decided to seek early intervention services for Andrew at the CDC, where he joined the Social Skills and Primary One Preparation programmes. Ana recalls that Andrew was quite jumpy at that time, “there was one time he suddenly left the spot where he was sitting and ran out of the classroom, luckily there was a safety gate and the CDC staff stopped him as well, or else he would just run out of the Centre.”

Making Progress Gradually

With the consistent and comprehensive assistance of teachers and therapists, Andrew’s improvement was significant, so after moving on from the CDC, he was able to have a seamless transition to mainstream primary school. 

“He had learnt how to take care of himself and to get ready for primary one. I would like to thank the CDC for their support and encouragement when I was feeling lost. Their programmes and therapies helped us a lot,” Ana said, “I believe that the knowledge and skills he has now are acquired from the CDC. He now knows how to release his anger, self-control, and organise things. He is more stable than before.”

Andrew is now 12 years old. His dream is to become a fisherman as he loves to go fishing with his dad and learn as much as he can about it. Ana is so glad that her son has found his own passion, “being a parent of a child with special needs is not an easy journey, the most important thing is to help him find his areas of interest and passion. Let him follow his own path, then he will be more persistent than others, so don’t give up.”

“Each child has their own life journey, although the journey of children with special needs may be longer and more difficult compared to others’, it doesn’t mean they cannot achieve their goals. We have to have faith in them.”