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Revised : 4, Aug. 2010

Louis Program Ministry | Founder's Testimony | Centre's Information

~ A Window Has Opened ~

The Story of a Mother of an Autistic Child

“To avoid hurting him, I gripped his head tight with my feet. Yet, sometimes his strong resistance pushed my feet to towards the table. He even banged his head against mine, causing me so much pain that tears would roll out from my eyes."

This was a true story of mine. If you are also a mother or father in pain, like I was, may my story bring comfort and hope to you.

Endless suffering

I was born in Hong Kong. When I was eight, my father sank into depression because of business failure. He died the next year. By the time I was in form four (year 11), my beloved mother passed away. Grief-stricken, I blamed God for being so unfair to me. Ever since, I stopped going to church or attending any church activities.

With my parents gone, I had to survive on my own. I believed that people should be independent and self-reliant. So, I supported myself by working and studying at the same time. That went on until I finished my secondary school education and nursing studies. I managed to find a stable job after I graduated from nursing school and that was the period of time when I felt greatest about myself. I also decided to believe in Christianity again but honestly, I did not live a life of faith.

Shortly after I got married, my eldest daughter, Rina and younger son Chak Lam (Louis) were born. Louis was born in 1985, with a cleft lip and cleft palate. He cried in a low voice - not in the same way as other babies. I had come across babies like Louis when I was working as a nurse. However, I could not accept that my own child was also the same as them.

Everyday, I was exhausted from taking care of Louis. It took me one and a half hours just to feed him with milk. Some friends who visited, asked me if I had engaged in some ominous act during pregnancy, like using scissors in bed. Saddened, I did not know how to respond to them.

When Louis was three months old, he had a lip operation. Afterwards, we bound his hands to the bed to prevent him from touching the wound. But he cried and struggled so intensely that his wound bled. Seeing that, I was so heart-broken. All I could do was cry and cry to myself each day. There was no one to share my deepest feelings. A year later, Louis underwent an operation on his palate. He looked good after that. Our whole family resumed going to church. But that was not it. As a young child, Louis was extremely active and exhibited erratic behaviour. Eventually, he was diagnosed with mild autism.

I continued to take my children to Sunday service until comments from people in the church about Louis became unbearable. I started questioning the existence of God; if He were there, why would He treat me like that?

The child who could not speak a word

In July 1992, our whole family emigrated to Perth, Australia. Louis soon enrolled in a special school there. Due to a change of environment, he became very irritable and kept banging his head against the wall all the time, and punching his hand against glass. He began causing more problems in public places, screaming and kicking things uncontrollably. After six months, when he was eight, he was finally diagnosed as an autistic child "with impaired intelligence and lacking the ability for verbal communication." The diagnosis landed us in great trouble with the immigration authorities. We faced an eighteen-month long legal battle over our eligibility as "qualified immigrants".

As a result of the prosecution by the immigration authorities, my "astronaut"(see the note below) husband, who was working in Hong Kong to support our family, had to return to Australia. We could not work nor leave the country. During those eighteen months, we went back and forth among the Immigration Office, lawyer's office, and schools to seek help from councilors. We were under tremendous pressure. The night before a court appearance, we felt very tensed and worried that we could not sleep. My husband, SK suggested we prayed together to ask for God's protection. I refused right away. I said to him: "I can't! I have left the church for eight years. Even if there is a God, He will not care about us anyway. We have to rely on ourselves to survive.”

In January 1995, we won the legal battle but at the cost of all our savings and energy.

Soon after, my husband returned to work in Hong Kong. My life went back to normal - I would look after the household on my own. In February, Louis' teacher wrote in his school report card: "He does not have any capability for learning words." That was the third time I had received such comments from his teachers. In previous times, we had been preoccupied with the litigation and could not pay any attention to them but that time, I had to face up to the situation. I thought to myself: if the teachers said time and again that my son lacked the ability to learn words that would mean they were not going to teach him any.

I would not take their word for it. Louis was going to be 10 and still could not speak a word. He could not even hold a pen. I felt I could not let him waste time anymore. So I decided to find an expert who teaches autistic children and could design a curriculum for Louis with the help of a psychologist. But that expert failed to come up with any curriculum; he quit after having come to our place three times, with the excuse that he was too busy.

An endless struggle

What else could I do? I began teaching Louis myself. From March 1, 1995, I made picture cards, vocabulary cards etc. I spent more than 10 hours a day preparing the materials, going through reference books. But the most draining thing was the daily, lonely struggle with Louis. Because of his weak concentration, it was difficult to get him to sit still for 10 to 15 minutes. I tried to draw his attention by frequently changing the arrangements of the teaching materials on the table, whether it be their colour, combination or the pictures used.

When he behaved, I would encourage him, calling him "good boy". But sometimes he burst into temper, banging his hand against the table and was not willing to follow my instructions. I held tightly to his hand and forced him to follow me. To avoid hurting him, I had to grip his feet with mine. Sometimes, his strong resistance pushed my feet away and banged them against the leg of the table. Sometimes he banged his head against mine, causing me so much pain that it brought tears to my eyes. No matter what, I had to try to get a hold on him to make sure he learned what I had planned for him each day.

There were numerous times after going through the struggle with Louis, I went back to my room and cried. My husband was worried that my efforts and energy would be futile and I would be disappointed, so he repeatedly asked me to further my studies and earn a degree instead. But I retorted angrily every time he made that suggestion: "I am his mother, I have no other choice!"

After more than a month of training, Louis was able to sit still for half an hour to 45 minutes. He was making much more progress than I had expected. In three months, he learned to write his name "Louis". In another month, he could write his surname "Wong". By October, he was able to write simple sentences. On October 20, he wrote "Daddy I love you!". I immediately faxed it to my husband. Upon seeing it, he burst into tears, realizing that our son had emotions though he could not speak. My husband called me and told me he felt more excited than getting a promotion or pay rise.

Learning 10 numerical figures in one year

I taught Louis words, as well as counting and numerical figures. It took him almost a year to pick up 1 to 10. He learned much more quickly afterwards, being able to count from 11 to 20 in only one month. In August 96, he learned simple mathematics like 1 plus 2. On September 14, I gave him more complex calculations to do, like 9 plus 2, 4 plus 8 etc. and he managed to give the right answers. Then I continued to give more double-digit calculations, and he knew their answers still. Around 1 or 2 October, I gave him questions with double, triple-digits, some of which, involved multiplications or deduction, like guessing the next number after 5, 10, 15, 20. He got the answers right. Each time, I only had to hold his hand lightly to help him concentrate on the task in front of him. I was overjoyed with his progress.

Not long after, my friend Rex came visit us from Canada. Rex is a dedicated Christian. During his few days with us, he kept asking me to read the Bible. I did not want to hear that and turned him down by saying I was too busy. During our conversation, I kept complaining to him that God was so unfair. He left a few days later to visit his brother who lived in a small town 400 km away. Still, he called every other day to remind me to read the Bible, to get close to God. I hardly listened to him.

Was I out of my mind?

On October 24, I suddenly realized I had never taught Louis multiplication, so how did he know how to multiply? That day, I gave him similar mathematical problems. With little effort, he managed to come up with the right answers. The following week, I experienced the most exciting moment in my life. Everyday I came up with more difficult problems for him; to my amazement, whether they be additions, subtractions, multiplications, divisions, fractions, decimal points or sqaure root to grade eleven algebra, he managed to solve them in a few seconds.

I was at a loss to know what to do. My husband was on business trip in eastern Australia then and would call home every other day. When I told him about Louis' progress in mathematics, he was thrilled. But he was in disbelief when I said Louis could even tackle algebra and square root. As an electronic engineer, he was used to taking a rational approach towards things. Challenging me, he raised a host of questions and said I must have gone out of my mind arising from an intense desire for Louis to learn. Flabbergasted, I asked him to come home and see for himself. When he got home, he was shocked to find what Louis was capable of. He decided to videotape Louis working at the problems and show the tapes to families and friends in Hong Kong. As he was doing the shooting, he murmured to himself: "It's a real miracle."

The principal of Louis' school called a meeting with autism experts, including psychologists, linguists, pediatricians and special education teachers, to discuss transferring Louis to another school. I showed them the tapes. None of them could account for what they saw. I was delighted, thinking that my son could be a mathematics genius though he could not speak.

Answer Begins With The Figure "5"

On November 21, 1996, Rex called again and asked me to read the Bible. This time I said I would. He suggested I first looked at Proverbs. The next day I read the following in Proverbs 22:17: "Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge."

It was past 11pm when Peter, an old friend of mine, called from Hong Kong. Peter, a doctor, had a calm disposition and analytical mind. He told me that he and his wife had not been able to sleep after seeing the tapes my husband brought them. They did not think Louis was a genius because a genius was someone with exceptional wisdom and talents and capable of acquiring knowledge at a much faster rate than others. In Louis' case, he worked out solutions to problems that he had never been taught before. They thought it was a miracle. He suggested that I gave him more complicated problems: trigonometry、 geometry or sequence in algebra. He said: "If you give him a problem like 1 + 2 + 3 + ...... + 1000 = ? and his immediate answer begins with the figure 5, then I would take my hat off to him. If that happens, you should have no more doubts but take him to church right away. I am not a Christian, but I am sure that would be a miracle." He also asked: “Were you a Christian before?" This question touched a nerve. Embarrassed, I answered: "I have not been to church for more than 10 years."

Who taught you this?

I told my daughter Rina and foster-son Jason about Peter's words. They both agreed he had a point, then helped me figure out some mathematical questions for Louis, including the one suggested by Peter. On November 24, I showed Louis the questions. I was particularly nervous that day when I saw Louis working on them; anxious to see the result, I watched his hand closely. Then I saw that on the question suggested by Peter, he first wrote the figure 5 as part of the answer. Scared, I shouted out to my daughter. Then I wrote down a supplementary question asking Louis who taught him to do that question, he wrote clearly before me and my daughter's eyes: "God." I was shocked and shuddered at the spot.

All along I considered myself a confident person. Yet, when faced with all those things that happened, I was lost and had no idea at all about what to do. In two years, I painstakingly taught him simple calculations of additions and subtractions, and about 500 individual words. I kept a record of what I had taught him. There was nothing on trigonometry, geometry, algebra, so how could he possibly answer those questions without thinking? Neither had I taught him any religious words, so how could he put down the word God? Honestly, even the silliest person should come to his senses now. God had shown himself to me through the miracle. Yet having had a callous heart for a long time, I could not bring myself to bow before God. The first two people who came to my mind were my husband and Rex. I wanted to fax the questions and Louis' answers to them and seek their views. So I asked Louis to write down on an A4 sized paper who taught him the answers to those questions. He complied, and wrote down again on the paper that it was God.

Following that I called my old schoolmate Ko Mei-wan, who had always encouraged me to go to church. Before I used to feel pestered whenever she asked me to go to church, but at that moment I desperately needed help from her. After I shared with her what happened in my family, she was thrilled and confirmed that it was a miracle. She also rushed to my home to share my joy.

Then I called Rex. But this time, instead of his usual pleasant tone, he spoke in a subdued mood. He told me he and his brother had just had a traffic accident. They could have died if not for God's protection. Suddenly I realized life's fragility; men's lives were not even in their own hands. I did not tell Rex about Louis because I felt that I could no longer rely on myself or anyone else. I must face up to God, the one who is in control of our lives.

When I decided to return to Him, it ached within myself when I recalled how I had rebelled against God and boasted of my own strengths. After putting down the phone, I gathered my three children together and asked them whether they knew a miracle had happened at our home. They all said, "Yes". They agreed to pray with me together. That afternoon was the first time our whole family prayed together to God. Tears gushed down my face as I held Louis and prayed openly to God. I confessed to God my sin and offered my repentance. I also asked Lord Jesus to be the Lord of my life, to guide the path of my family ahead. I began to calm down emotionally gradually after the prayer.

What all the messages pointed to

Mei-wan arrived a while later. She came forward to embrace me once we saw each other. We decided to ask Louis to put answers in the blanks to the questions: "Who loves Louis the most?", "Who is God's son?". Louis wrote "God loves Louis the most", not "Mama"; he also wrote "Jesus is the son of God."

A few days later, we found that Louis knew a lot about the Bible. My niece who was staying at my home at the time thought that God might have passed on a lot of knowledge to Louis. She suggested that we gave him a test. Out of curiosity, in the following month we gave him lots of questions sourced from the encyclopedia. It turned out that whether the topic was about natural sciences or social sciences, he gave the right answers. He even could understand the languages he had never learned, Chinese, Japanese and French. With our limited knowledge, my family and I could not fathom how much he knew.

In February 1997, I went back to Hong Kong for a visit, taking Louis' exercises with me. I told the miracle to my relatives and friends, some of who remained skeptical. They asked: "How would Louis follow Jesus as he said repeatedly in his writings that he would?" Some thought no matter whether it was Buddhism or Christianity, both pointed people towards a virtuous life. This is something I most disagree with. All the messages I got from God through Louis invariably pointed to Jesus, hence I insisted to them that Lord Jesus is our sole saviour, as Louis had written.

March 2, 1997, upon my return to Perth I asked Louis who Jesus was. His answer: Jesus is our Lord. When I asked him how he followed Jesus, he wrote succinctly: "I will tell the world that Jesus loves us and died for us. We will follow Jesus. Lord, I walk with thou. Love God!"

The next day, March 3, I asked Louis one last question on behalf of the others: "What is Buddhism? " He answered: "Buddhism is a kind of philosophy." I had never taught him the word philosophy and yet he could explain the nature of Buddhism so succinctly.

From then on, I understood that God had clearly revealed himself to me. I dared not challenge Louis anymore in any way.

Curses to Blessings

Because of my unfortunate childhood and Louis' problem, I left God and tried to overcome hardships through my own abilities. I had isolated myself from external help and suffered silently in pain without anyone to share my feelings with. I looked normal but mentally, I was like an autistic person because all along I had failed to see the Lord's mighty power, nor could I hear His loving voice. I was like a lone, runaway sheep both lost and injured, helplessly trapped by thorns. But my Lord had not forsaken me. It was He who sought to have me back, heal my wound and let me experience His love again.

In the past, I used to complain about what had happened in my life, a life I thought was cursed. It was as if all misfortune had befallen me. But now, I feel that the curses have turned into blessings. Had I not have experienced a tough life during childhood, I would not have had the perseverance in teaching Louis. Without Louis, I would never have returned to the Lord and enjoy His love.

My life has undergone a big change. Like what Louis had written, he is a tool of God. Yet he remains an autistic child. Everyday, I have to deal with him, and the same amount of difficulties. However, due to my deep awareness of the Lord's presence and the support of brothers and sisters, I no longer feel alone. No matter what happens, deep within me lies the peace that nothing can take away from me.

For the past several years, I have been invited to share my experience in evangelical meetings in Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, China, Malaysia, US and other places. As a result, thousands of people have been converted to Christ. My family's story has been widely circulated through the videotapes, VCD, DVD made by Godnews Communication. I have been helping families with similar fates to regain hope, smiles and get to know the meaning of life. It is for this purpose that I have taught the Louis Program training course to parents of autistic children in places such as Hong Kong and Canada, as well as provided individual counselling. With God's grace and guidance, Louis Program has developed rapidly: In March 2000, Breakthrough Publishing put together my home-based training materials with the publication of Breaking Through Barriers. In January 2002, an audio version of the book was produced while a resource centre and the Louis Programme Training Centre were officially set up. To bring blessings and help to more families, video, audio and other training materials were produced.

In the past, I often cried and griped, being filled with unspeakable worries and pain inside. I still cry today occasionally, but that is because I am moved by the love of our Lord. Dear readers and friends, I truly hope you can experience the Lord's love just like I have. As written by Pastor AuYeung of the Perth Alliance Church in the preface of my book Supernatural Testimony: "Stories need not necessarily come with teachings nor can they necessarily be replicated. But may this true story open up a window in your life, letting in some fresh air. May He also create a miracle in you!" This is my hope and earnest wish for all of you too.

Yolanda Wong Yim Lai-chi

Louis Program Training Centre
(Translated from Overseas Campus 49)

Note 1:		Autism is a form of physical disorder of the brain. Those afflicted have impairments in learning, communication, verbal ability, cognition, senses and developing personal relationships. Proper diagnosis is usually possible only after a child turns two. More than half of autistic children have no verbal ability or are not capable of making functional speech. Those with verbal ability also have great difficulty with grammar, personal expression and comprehension.
Note 2:		"Astronauts" refer to the people who have emigrated with their family abroad and yet continue employment in their home country to support their family, shuttling back and forth between both countries. Such phenomenon is common among Chinese migrants in North America, Australia, New Zealand etc. who are from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland.