Skip to main content
Home The New Paper
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team

Popular

  • COURT & CRIME
  • Food & Drink
Singapore

Her son put his fingers in stranger's mee goreng

This article is more than 12 months old
Her son put his fingers in stranger's mee goreng
TNP FILE PHOTO

Zachary Soh
May 15, 2016 06:00 am
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • 0 Engagements

When Madam Aw Bee Koon takes her autistic son Zachary Lim, 17, out for meals, she often keeps a close eye on him as he has a habit of staring closely at other people's food.

Madam Aw, 51, a pharmacist, says whenever it happens, she worries that people will lash out at him.

She recalls one incident where she had to face an irate man after Zachary stuck his fingers into the man's plate of mee goreng before walking away.

Speaking to The New Paper on Sunday, she recounts: "The man said, 'Do you know what your son did? Buy me a new bowl, I am not going to eat this.'"

Zachary, a student at Pathlight School, was behind his mother when the drama ensued.

She says: "I apologised and explained that my son is autistic. I said I would buy him another plate of mee goreng, but he was still furious.

ACTING: Maxi Lim (right) playing an autistic man in a short film called I Believe.
Singapore

Actor Maxi Lim takes on autistic role for new short film

May 27, 2016

Related Stories

His 'disability' helps him 
excel in mathematics

Man locks wife, son in cage for years

"It was only when I was queueing for his food that he calmed down and apologised for his outburst."

Madam Aw is married to an information technology director, and they also have a 19-year-old daughter, who is studying at Nanyang Technological University.

She says it is challenging having Zachary out with them on family outings.

She says: "When we are at restaurants, he tends to spin around or peer closely at other people's food.

"We get smiles from understanding people. But other times, we get disgusted looks."

She wishes people would be more accepting of older children with autism.

She explains: "People tend to be more forgiving towards autistic children than autistic teenagers."

UNDETERRED

Madam Aw says she will still take Zachary out to public places as it will help him adjust better to other people.

"I want him to be desensitised to public spaces so that he can learn how to behave appropriately," says Madam Aw.

"Some families might feel ashamed for taking their children with special needs out.

"But taking them out shows people that autistic people exist, and that they should be accepted."

When asked what she wishes for her son, she says: "My aim for him is that he will be independent one day.

"I hope he will be able to buy his own meals and go out on his own.

"In the meantime, I will love him no matter what."

Couple misread autistic son's intentions

Zachary Soh

Her autistic son's obsession with opening car doors recently landed him in trouble.

Ms Choo Kah Ying recounted in a Facebook post that she was at Bishan Park on May 7 with her son Sebastien for him to go skating.

The 20-year-old was doing laps around the park as Ms Choo waited for him.

While doing the laps, he approached parked cars and fiddled with the doors.

A couple misread his actions and contacted the police.

Ms Choo, who is in her 40s, wrote: "When the police approached to talk to him, Sebastien moved away."

When the police reached out, he reacted aggressively.

Ms Choo said: "That was when they handcuffed him and put him in a police car."

In her post, Ms Choo expressed her frustration at the lack of understanding of people with special needs.

"While one can just dismiss this episode as a lesson learnt and my opportunity to educate the policemen (who turned out to be nice and apologetic) and work with them to avoid future incidents, I knew we got lucky that no one got hurt, but I shudder to know when our luck would run out."

Her post has since garnered more than 3,000 shares.

Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now

austisticdisabilityFamilyUncategorisedSingapore Police Forcefacebook

Zachary Soh

Read articles by Zachary Soh
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • Newslink -  Purchase this article for republication

Top Stories this Month

Let’s cancel Chinese New Year
Lifestyle

Let's cancel Chinese New Year

Jan 25, 2021
After one year of Covid in Singapore: Case 38
Singapore

A year on, recovered virus patient still can't taste or smell

Jan 22, 2021
Let’s cancel Chinese New Year
Lifestyle

Let's cancel Chinese New Year

Jan 25, 2021
Home
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contact TNP
  • About SPH
  • Privacy Statement
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Member Terms & Conditions
  • Website Terms & Conditions
SPH Digital News Copyright © 2021 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn No. 198402868E