'It's been tough and very expensive'
By He Na
( China Daily )
2015-04-03
Wang Fang's 4-year-old son, Guo Guo, has autism and has spent more than a year receiving training in Beijing. The family is from Changchun, Jilin province.
Guo Guo is good looking. He has a round face, big eyes and long lashes. He's very quiet and is often praised by strangers when he plays downstairs.
But sometimes he'll suddenly laugh out loud and won't stop until you order him to.
He only walks on his tiptoes. He doesn't like toys, but he can stare at car license plates for an entire afternoon.
He was diagnosed a year ago, and after more than a year of training he has made big progress. Not only has his hyperactivity disorder improved, but he can also utter some words now.
It has been tough and very expensive. We've already spent about 100,000 yuan ($16,310). To keep costs down, we buy the cheapest food every day.
The longer you live in hopelessness, the less patience you have. I have to control my emotions in front of my son, as he is very sensitive to my tone and becomes very nervous when I raise my voice.
My husband didn't know much about autism at first. He always said I made too much fuss. He even complained that I neglected our son. His words often drove me crazy.
Our relationship has been strained, of course. We almost decided to divorce, although we're much better now after he's learned more about autism. He's more reasonable.
I don't expect too much for Guo Guo in the future. We just hope he'll be able to take care of himself when we're old.
Wang Fang talked to He Na.
