When Hazel Lim first moved to Swansea with her family, she felt isolated and alone. Following her son's referral for an autism diagnosis by his school in London, Hazel decided to move to Wales with her family, giving up her successful career in translation to better understand her son's behaviours through a Master's in Autism and Related Conditions at Swansea University.
Her son Noah was five at the time. From the way he interacted with his peers to how he responded to instructions, Hazel could tell her son was navigating life differently to others around him. Years of being on a waiting list for a formal diagnosis and a lack of support from friends and family when she tried to discuss her son's behaviour left Hazel feeling disheartened not only by the system but by cultural taboos surrounding autism.
The mother-of-three was looking to her friends for moral support but she realised through her own personal experience with them and her research at Swansea University that attitudes towards autism in Chinese culture were very complicated and people did not want to talk about autism. "I came across the big impact of Chinese culture on how autism is perceived. I was very interested and it was almost like a calling to me. I needed to look into how we can better support Chinese people," said Hazel. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
