Transcript

NIROO

Bhavin is 26 years old. He's been living at home until last December. He has autism, epilepsy, and behaviour that challenges.

JIGNESH

One of the first memories I have of Bhavin-- I remember seeing him as a baby and thinking, I'm looking forward to seeing him grow up and to develop into the person that I am. Unfortunately, I wasn't to be. I wasn't going to discover how he was going to learn to speak, and how to understand other people, and the natural development the average individual takes.

NIROO

We're disabled by association because wherever you go, they look at you, you know? We felt we were not part of the community.

JIGNESH

There's many things I would see a lot of my friends and their family’s doing, which actually we as family could never do. We could-- very rarely did we ever go away as a family together.

NIROO

Sometimes he can be very aggressive. He can be very aggressive when he's agitated. And he has obsessions with papers, flowers, collection of key rings. And if he can't get it, if we don't allow him, then mommy gets the kick. You know, it backfires.

WOMAN

I have support. Thank god for that. And they know my daughters for a long, long time. It's not from the first time you can trust people. But when you see they look after your son or daughter, after that, you give your trust.

MAUREEN

We are the thing that changes in people's lives. Families aren't. Families stay. We come and go. Some people come to us in their 30s or 40s. They've had a whole life before they got here. And looking at a social work file can give you so much. But actually sitting down with someone who's been there and been the active and responsible person for that period of time is the best way to get information.

WOMAN

So if you don't take time to find out, you are more ready to jump into conclusions. But it’s you that needs to make effort. When you show effort to communicate with them, they see that you carry them along and they feel valued.