Anjalena Beshpatty knew something was different about her son when he was just a few months old as little Sameir never smiled or cried. While many felt he was a good baby, his mother want to know why he was not acting like other children his age. “I know something was definitely wrong with my son as he did not smile, he did not cry, he sat by himself. He did not seek out interaction and if you put him on the bed he would just lie there. My mom even use to look at him and say he is such a good baby,” the mother told Stabroek Weekend recently.
It took almost eight years for him to be diagnosed with autism but by then Beshpatty had adopted to life accompanying her son everywhere even as she attempted to give him a normal upbringing.
Because of the struggles she endured, which included sitting with her child during his few years in the school system, being subjected to rude and at times hurtful comments and often not knowing what to do, the mother of two recently formed a foundation that caters to the needs of autistic children.