That’s My DJ

That’s My DJ

Posted by: Emma Dalmayne

Cindy Mahew On That’s My DJ.

 

Cindy Mahew is active on the autism scene and a driven advocate, so much so she has got  to the point of writing about her experience as a mother to her Autistic son named DJ.

I contacted her after seeing the online media speaking about the publication and details of how to purchase a cope will be attached if you wish to get one.

It’s always a nice experience as an autistic to see parents in the autistic community being accepting of they’re children and wishing to spread acceptance and educate others, I asked Cindy a set of five questions and found her answers to be those of a woman who has known tough times and chooses rather then to take on the warrior mum stance we so often see prefers to lament:

“ This young boy has brought more joy to my life than I could ever imagine. DJ is the reason why  I get to experience something new and beautiful everyday.

One day my baby may say his first words..Or maybe not

In the end, I will always hear his voice because my heart grew a pair of ears..”.

I asked when did you first discover your son is autistic?

“ I discovered DJ may be autistic when his daycare teacher mentioned it to me. DJ had been showing signs of autism so she suggested I have him checked for a neurological evaluation. About two weeks after that he was diagnosed with nonverbal autism “.

After such a swift evaluation I was curious to find out Cindy’s feelings and how the assessment went?

“ I believe the word is devastated. I was really at a loss. I had never heard of autism before DJ and now my first born son was diagnosed with the spectrum. I cried a lot and blamed myself for not taking better care of myself when I was pregnant. It’s not that I did anything wrong but at the time I just blamed myself “.

But since then she has reached  acceptance and understanding, how did she come to this peace within herself?

“ After a year of searching the internet for possible cures and basically driving myself crazy I realised that I had a beautiful baby boy that needed my attention. Once I started noticing all the wonderful things that DJ was capable of I stopped worrying about autism and started focusing on just loving my son. It’s not always about the cards you’re dealt but how well you maintain your hand “.

And the hand Cindy and indeed his father Michael reached prompted them to write a book which led me to my query of how she came to the decision to co author and publish.

“ I always wanted to write a book about DJ since he was six years old. Finally, I asked my husband, Michael, if he would help me write a book and he said, yes! It took a lot of soul searching but we managed to get through it. Some things made me laugh, other things made me cry but in the end I was delighted to relive the journey. And the book is doing fantastic. Better than I expected… I think a lot of people have been waiting for a book like this. THAT”S MY DJ is not a book about negativity, controversy, or a bunch of medical solutions… This book is simply about my personal journey with my son and how we live as a family “.

I had to ask how DJ himself feels  now he’s famous? And if Cindy has any advice and tips for other parents of autistic children?

“ I wouldn’t exactly say DJ is famous… At least not yet. But DJ is definitely enjoying the extra attention and I’m happy to be able to speak to other people about Autism Awareness. A few years ago I had nobody to really turn to. Now, it seems everybody is talking about autism in their own way. The best advice I can give any parent is to always love your child or children in their own unique way. I don’t care how many children you have, love them individually for who they are as a unique person. And for my autism moms, and dads, I know it’s tough but you have hang in there. Also, make others aware of autism so that they will be able to understand and accept your child. We all have to play our part “.

It was a pleasure to interview Cindy and she closed with this lovely message.

“ Thank you Emma for this wonderful interview. Your questions were very well thought out and appropriate. I hope my answers were helpful and I look forward to speaking with you in the future “.

I’ll be sure to check in with her in the future.