Poor parents! Father resigns to create Autism Cafe, only to help children learn expertise

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"how much can a father do or give up for his child? "this is a question that most parents cannot answer accurately, or until they find out that their children are special children, they can't believe that they can give up so much and give so much, and suddenly look back and realize that they have come so far.

Adri, a father who gave up the high salary of the bank foundation to open a cafe for his autistic son, launched the Autism Cafe Project (Autism CafeProject,ACP), which not only gives his son a skill, but also gives other autistic people a happy place to work.

Fatherly love, set up an autistic cafe

The Autism Cafe (Autism Cafe) moved to a Malaysian Youth Program Centre (iM4U Sentral) in Puzu, Xuezhou, where it lent space for free last August. Before that, the coffee shop was opened in a home in Subang, but it was not sustainable for various reasons and was not more stable until it settled at its current site. Mohd Adli Yahya revealed that the second cafe will officially open on August 5, "in cooperation with bi JOE x in the Glo Damansara mall, where special waiters will serve guests the signature dishes of autistic cafes such as coconut milk rice and Roti Jala from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. "

The cafe in the iM4U Center is currently only open from 8 a.m. to 12:00 from Monday to Friday, while the second autistic caf é to be opened in biJOEx will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. on average, meaning employees trained in the same store can further experiment with longer and more difficult working hours. Adri said that this is a further expansion of ACP. "parents often ask if they can send their children to training, but because of the limited space and sufficient manpower in the existing cafes, we cannot include more staff, so we hope to expand our operations in cooperation with the state government, the private sector, or public and private universities. "

He added: "the reason why we hope to cooperate with universities is not only to have a relatively safe environment, but also to take this opportunity to expose college students to autistic groups, so that maybe in the future, when they enter the workplace and have some power, they can open a door for this group. "the food of the autistic cafe is currently arranged by Adri's wife. It is open five days a week, matched by high-functioning autistic and low-functioning autistic patients in pairs, and guided and assisted by a volunteer.

Li Weiming, 24, has worked in a coffee shop for more than half a year and is already quite adept at handling the food counter. Yi ran, 28, is quite cheerful and willing to talk to people and is willing to learn from Li Weiming and Elizabeth, a volunteer who is there to assist.

Be proud of independent "students"

Adri has a feeling that, after all, autistic people belong to the weak group, and because of their simple and straightforward personality, they do not know how to protect their own rights and interests, even if they can find a job outside. "it is also easy to be exploited by unscrupulous employers or bullied by colleagues." here (autism cafe), the environment is at least friendly, and guests who come are aware of their situation and are willing to give patience and encouragement. I hope to open up more such places for them so that they can earn income by their own hands in a safe and friendly environment. "

Having said that, Adri also encouraged employees who gradually acquired skills in cafes and wanted to look for jobs abroad. "his name is Hon Kit. After working with us for a few months, he decided to work in the hegemonic market. He did a very good job. I feel very proud. When Adri said this, he was full of pride as he watched his students graduate and enter the workplace.

Li Weiming (Ad am, right) and Imran, who worked on the first day of the day, are waiters in the cafe every Friday. They are responsible for introducing the meal of the day to the guests, confirming the order and serving the food and drink. After the meal is finished, the guests will take the initiative to clean up the dishes and wash them with a big smile.

Gentle father used to be irritable and grumpy.

Adri, 53, has six children and his second son, Muhammad Luqman Shariff, 18, suffers from autism. He couldn't accept it at first, and kept taking the child to visit the doctor, not to find the most suitable way to learn for the child, but to hold a glimmer of hope to hear the doctor say that the child was actually all right. "but I knew in my heart that he was different. When other children cry, he will cover his ears in pain. He can't stand the sun, and I have to drag him out of the car every time. He doesn't make eye contact with you, and all kinds of symptoms are already in front of him. "

Anyone who saw the present Adri would praise him as a great and patient father, but he shook his head and said that he had been irritable and that it was Lockman who softened him and became a patient man. "for example, I was working, and he kept opening and closing the door. I said" Jangan "many times, but he turned a deaf ear. He would feel very irritable and rushed up to hit him, but he was different from other children. You treat him like a lesson to other children, or you really hit him. He still doesn't understand what happened, but he will be afraid and afraid to approach you. "realizing that he is getting farther and farther away from Loman, Adri feels heartache, he wants to change, he wants his child to come back to him.

After accepting the child's defects, he sent Luoman to a private school. At that time, Luoman was about 8 years old. Two years ago, he sent his children to public schools, asked him to make more friends, and arranged for him to help in the cafe for two days. In cafes, expressive staff are generally responsible for dealing with guests, while those who are not good at verbal communication try to do a good job of washing dishes, cleaning and so on. Adri, who opened the cafe to pave the way for his son's future, said with a smile: "I understand that he may not be as successful as other children, but even if he is a dishwasher, I am very proud." He went on to say, "they can actually do a good job of cleaning and cleaning, so why do they have to give it to foreign workers without giving them a chance? "

Cookies, T-shirts and other products made by people with autism in different states are sold in cafes. Adri points out that he actually hopes to have an autism cafe everywhere, but what he can do now is to make better use of the existing space. provide opportunities for people with autism to play.

From "autistic" to "autistic"

After a hundred years of old age, what the autistic child should do is what Adri and his wife are most worried about. "although we have brothers and sisters, we have to take into account the pressure value, we have experienced the stress of being together 24 hours a day. But if he has a job, he will be out for at least eight hours, and after deducting sleeping time, he may only have a few hours of activities at home, so as not to interfere with other people's lives to a great extent. "

At first, it was just for the sake of his son, and things naturally developed, and Adri took on more responsibilities. Giving up his job to manage ACP full-time, he said he had made up his mind and had little struggle, but now he has no regrets. "I have great confidence in this plan. I believe it will succeed. My previous corporate career seems to be preparing for what I am doing now. "his family is also very supportive of his choice," he said, "because they all know what the situation is and how we went through it together. "

Adri has not received any training to guide special children, but his patience and experience with his son Luoman have enabled him to effectively deal with and guide other autistic people, and the parents of other special employees occasionally gather in cafes to exchange lessons. Adri points out that most parents tell their children that they do not need to pay their children, and that their children should be grateful for their training in cafes, but for him, they should be paid, so they insist on paying their employees. After nearly a year of efforts, the cafe's expenditure and revenue have begun to be flat. Adri has always believed that the sustainable way of doing business is not blindly demanding from the outside world, but to provide value for money products and services and earn the income they deserve. at the same time, let the weak stand in a position where they can give full play to their strengths.

The Autism Cafe is located in the I M4U center in Xuezhou. The center lends the venue free of charge and is free of water and electricity charges. The overall environment is very comfortable, with tables and chairs indoors and outdoors, and the monthly operating expenses are about 4000 ringgit. The main income comes from hosting buffets for employees trained in the center to enjoy breakfast and lunch.