Raising Naufal Is a Lifelong Learning Journey

I have a 28-year-old son with Autism, Muhammad Naufal Rangkuti. He has been diagnosed with Autism and ADHD. We strive to raise and educate Naufal so he can be independent.

The struggle to achieve an education

The struggle to ensure Naufal receives a proper education is fraught with challenges. As a parent, I have had to face the reality that Naufal has had to change schools frequently, from kindergarten to college.

The reason for his changes is actually because Naufal wants to locate a school where he feels comfortable. And he has his own standards for that. Naufal wants to locate a school with minimal situations and conditions that could cause him pain and offense, both from friends and teachers.

Naufal's frequent school changes have had a significant financial impact on the family, as it costs a significant amount of money to identify the school he wants.

Discovering interests and talents

Besides trying to locate the right school, I must learn every day saya harus belajar to analyze and understand Naufal's behavior. I read many books and articles, attended parenting events, and socialized with the community to share and gain positive experiences.

I also did several other things to discover Naufal's interests and talents, including:

1. I sought advice from a psychologist who specialized in Naufal's field.
2. I took an IQ test and a finger test to determine Naufal's potential. finger test agar saya mengetahui potensi Naufal.
3. I followed Naufal's wishes to take drawing lessons, music lessons, become a photo model, attend acting school, design clothes and t-shirts, learn to sell, become a writer, farm, and finally, do voice-overs.

After I discovered Naufal's potential as a voice-over artist, we continued to mentor him. We also explained that Naufal could find other income streams besides voice-over, as voice-over is a service industry that can rise and fall over time.

Thankfully, Naufal has been able to build a house for me through his current work as a voice-over artist. Naufal gave me 250 million rupiah to build a small house on a plot of land large enough for us to live in. Naufal doesn't want to see his parents living in a rented house.

Lifelong learning

Equally important is maintaining his emotional rhythm. To maintain his emotional rhythm, I build intensive communication with Naufal. My pattern is that when Naufal is emotionally stable, I often engage him in discussions about the meaning of life, such as where we come from. Who are we? What are we living for? And so on.

I teach Naufal a lot about independence when his emotions are stable. I maintain open communication, especially heart-to-heart talks, because it is crucial for Naufal's development.

As a parent, I must be very patient. I maintain the mindset that Naufal's presence in my husband's and my life is a gift from God. Naufal is also a tremendous source of knowledge for our family.

From Naufal's behavior in daily life, we learn a lot about:

1. Understanding that all of God's creations are right.
2. Training us as people to be sincere and patient.
3. Through our child diagnosed with Autism, God will distribute tickets to heaven to parents and their families, as long as we are sincere and patient in accompanying children with Autism who have weak emotional control and sometimes high egos but are also sensitive and often emotional and experience anxiety.

Armed with this experience, I also encourage families and other social circles to change their mindsets:

1. God never creates anything bad.
2. Children are gifts that we must care for if we want to be loved by God.
3. They came into this world for a purpose.
4. Emphasize love, affection, and mutual understanding so we can work together.
5. Accept the presence of children with autism with LOVE because God knows what is best for His creatures.
6. Children with Autism add color to our lives.

Currently, Naufal has successfully earned a master's scholarship from LPDP. She majored in English at a university in Bandung.

I hope my writing and stories are beneficial to parents. I hope other parents out there don't give up and despair. Keep up the excellent work, all great parents!

The author is Listarsiyah, the mother of Muhammad Naufal Rangkuti.