We all have hopes and dreams for our children’s future. When we look ahead we also envision the natural progression of developmental milestones …
Unfortunately those milestones did not come for my daughter, Ineka, who was diagnosed with autism at the tender age of two. At that time Ineka showed little ability to communicate verbally, had severe behaviourial problems and was developmentally delayed.
In facing my daughter’s situation, I learned that children with autism often understand visual concepts before the spoken word. So in order to stimulate Ineka’s communication skills we used pictures in conjunction with an early intervention learning program. Ineka’s communication skills grew rapidly. From that moment on I felt compelled to maximize her progress with better visual aids.
One challenge I faced was the lack of suitable and consistent visual resources. Eventually, I decided to meet that challenge by creating my own visual cards. Utilizing my graphic design skills, I provided Ineka with the necessary visual stimulus. In this process, ‘Inekards’ was born.
Therese Potma
Director of Inekards
