Marijana Mikulić spoke about the challenges faced by a mother of a boy with autism in HRT's programme 'Spica'. She described an unpleasant experience at a Christmas performance where her son Jakoz was almost denied the opportunity to participate, as well as the daily struggle with institutions and the obstacles faced by parents of children with developmental disabilities.
Jakoz had been attending a music and drama group for over a year, but just before the Christmas performance, one of the educators suggested that Jakoz should not participate in the performance. 'Well, you know, maybe you should sit in the audience with him, or perhaps it is best to stay at home,' said the woman in the group. Marijana admitted that in the past she might have withdrawn in such a situation, but this time she decided to stand up for her son. 'I would previously have reacted by saying: Okay, I will withdraw and go home crying. But this time I said: No. He will participate, I will sit in the front row and if he disturbs the other children and ruins the performance, I will take him out,' the actress recounted.
She emphasised that it was a group where children danced, jumped and played, and she did not see a reason why Jakoz should not be given the chance. 'Give him a chance,' she said. Jakoz ultimately participated in the performance, had a great time and delighted the audience. 'He danced so much, was happy, constantly waving to people, and afterwards everyone came up to us saying: Wow, how great he is, how well he fit in. Even that woman [the educator] was impressed,' Marijana recalled.
However, she asked why she constantly has to fight. 'Why do I constantly have to fight? Why do we constantly have to go through such situations? He cannot do everything and cannot participate everywhere, we are aware of that. But let us look at what he can do and give him a chance where he can, include him so that he can enjoy himself with other children,' she said. Marijana had spoken previously about her youngest son, who was diagnosed with autism. During an appearance on the programme 'Nedjeljom u 2' last November, she revealed how much Jakoz had progressed thanks to therapy and daily work at home.
She recalled that at first Jakoz did not respond to his name, did not look others in the eye, and had difficulty making contact with his surroundings. Today he can communicate with others and say what hurts him, but there are still challenges, especially when it comes to socialising with peers. 'Jakoz does not play with other children because no one invites him over,' she said. She described how they used to invite children to their home to play together, but Jakoz would often be left alone on the trampoline. 'He does not know how to talk, he does not know how to play, but he can jump on the trampoline. Then he would pull those children, and they would scream. It was hard to watch. Then we stopped inviting people, and people stopped reaching out,' said Marijana Mikulić.
