Cape Town - A mother of two autistic boys, Liesel Gaffley, has made it her mission to educate people on the Cape Flats about having children with autism and how they can cope with the challenges.
She founded her NPO, the Alexander Foundation, four years ago and has since hosted numerous talks at churches and ministries.
"I started the NPO because my son Alexander needed funds for schooling, the cost was too high," Liesel said.
"I did breakfasts every month and talks to raise awareness about what autism is, also just to bring some positivity with regards to autism," she said.
She added that they as a family face many challenges and that the best thing a parent can do during a meltdown is to remain calm while trying to figure out what it is that's troubling them.
"They go through things much worse than what we do, so I don't tend to look at how I feel... It is difficult and especially when communication is delayed.
"Also, autism has no face. You can't tell by how someone looks or dresses that they have autism," she said.
Liesel has recently written a book called The Adventures of Alex and Adam, which she's hoping to get published soon and use the book sales for the foundation.
"My main aim now is to have the book published, and with those sales, to get the money together so that I can open up a school on the Cape Flats," she said.
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