Inamin ng actor-model na si Troy Montero na may 'autism spectrum disorder' ang anak nila ni Aubrey Miles na si ‘Rocket’, sa kaniyang latest Instagram post noong Martes, Abril 26, 2022. Hinikayat nila ang publiko na magkaroon ng 'autism awareness'.
Makikita sa kaniyang IG post ang litrato nilang tatlo ng anak na si Rocket at longtime girlfriend at ngayon ay fiancee na si Aubrey Miles.
"Autism awareness for Rocket. Yes, our Rocket has ASD, Autism spectrum disorder. We didn’t share this right away because we are still learning about ASD. It was important for us to educate ourselves about it. At first we were confused, and questioned ourselves, how and why. We searched around for an ASD specialist before anything else," pagbabahagi ni Troy.
Marami raw 'misconception' ang mga tao tungkol sa autism. Sa masakit na katotohanan, napagkakamalang 'baliw' ang ilan sa mga taong may ASD.
"Some people might think someone with autism acts crazy, has mental problems, physical issues and other stuff. Yes, it’s mental but not a problem, yes can be physical but it’s not an issue and definitely not crazy. Autism is different for every kid. As for rocket she has the common symptoms like:
-Delayed speech.
-No eye contact.
-Difficulty communicating. -Can focus on one thing for hours.
-Repetitive, she does things over and over again like running and flapping her hands.
-If you can say you’re an introvert because your doctor said so, then you have to meet a kid/person with autism. Almost like an introvert, can be a loner but never alone.
-She flaps her hands when she likes something, another way to address her emotions.
-Cries her heart out like nobodys around. From 1 she can get to 10 real quick. When you hear it, it sounds like she’s getting hurt but really she just wants her toy or something that she cannot express.
-Hard time controlling her emotions, sometimes there’s no middle. Happy or sad, Laughing or crying out loud and doesn’t know how to stop," paglalarawan ni Troy."There’s a lot more for other kids I’m sure, but so far these are the things we see from Rocket. Autism is always present, in many ways. There’s no proven reason that’s 100% why kids get autism. It can just happen."
"It’s possible for first time parents to think it’s the worst thing that can happen to their baby. It surely can be scary and who knows what the future holds but definitely not the worst. You just need to know where to go, what you’re dealing with, finding the right therapist, the right support groups and lots of love. We’re still in the process of learning. It’s going to be a long ride."
Sa ngayon daw ay sumasailalim si Rocket sa speech at occupational therapies.
"Rocket is taking ST (Speech therapy) and OT (Occupational therapy), basically OT is learning activities that she will encounter in her daily life… #RocketASDjourney."
Sa comment section, nagpasalamat naman si Troy sa mga netizen na nagpahayag ng suporta sa kaniyang pamilya.
"Thank you to all showing support and even sharing personal stories. You got me tears over here. Thank you thank you," saad ni Troy.
Nagbigay rin ng komento si Aubrey sa IG post ni Troy at sinegundahan ito. Hinikayat niya ang iba pang mga magulang na ibahagi ang kanilang kuwento upang patuloy na magkaroon ng kamalayan o awareness ang publiko tungkol sa autism.
"Cont.. If you have a similar story, please don’t hesitate to message us. There’s a support group, a community for parents who have kids with autism. You’re not alone. We will embrace and understand each other. Our kids struggle is our struggle. Keep your faith high and do the best that you can. Stay strong. Appreciate the love and growth of our kids. #austismawareness #ASDawareness," ayon kay Aubrey.
"Thank you everyone. Hoping to start a movement/ foundation so people can be more aware of autism. We’ll have more space for kids with autism. For parents and for our kids. Surely not easy but we can do it. We’ll share Rocket's journey and find a way to build a group so we can all share our experiences," dagdag pa niya.
