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Raising Leon

A journey through autism
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Raising Leon

By: Makiko Sano
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'My son, Leon, is 26 now. He was diagnosed with severe non-verbal autism when he was three. In those early days, Leon didn't understand any form of communication, would eat whatever he found - from someone's table, the floor, even from shop counters. He would bite, hit and throw things when angry, and could only express himself through screaming, with no recognisable words and it's as if the words we say don't quite reach him. I know he hears us, but he doesn't respond in the ways most would expect. The world of communication - of words, gestures and expressions - just isn't something that seems to resonate with him. He lives in his own space, separate from mine or anyone else's. The educational psychologist told me bluntly that he would never speak and would never learn.'

Refusing to accept this prognosis, Makiko took it upon herself to teach Leon how to live in our world and survive in society as a non-verbal autistic child. She steered him into adulthood, caring for him and teaching him in the absence of any medical or social support.

This memoir is the story about the autism therapies that Makiko tried with Leon, and shows a mother advocating for her son in the face of a system which encouraged her to 'accept his world'. This wasn't enough for Makiko - she wanted to equip Leon with everything he would need to live as independently as possible. From teaching him how to behave on a one-stop tube journey taken multiple times through his childhood, he is now able to travel calmly on a long-haul flight to Japan. He has made incredible progress through the years; he now works in Makiko's restaurant and as a digital graphic designer he has launched his own range of apparel. While he still has communication challenges, Leon has become remarkably independent and can navigate society quite well - something Makiko was told would be impossible.©2027 Makiko Sano (P)2027 Headline Publishing Group Limited Children's Health Relationships
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