• Anjalena Beshpatty is urging parents to seek answers early, inspired by her journey raising a child with autism through “Sameir Uniquely Me.”

When Anjalena Beshpatty noticed her son was not meeting developmental milestones at just over a year old, she did not yet have the language to describe what was wrong, only a growing sense that something wasn’t right. There was no diagnosis, no clear answers, and little local understanding of autism at the time. What followed was a years-long journey marked by uncertainty, denial, and relentless searching, from medical outreaches to late-night research in internet cafés.

But out of that experience emerged something far greater than a diagnosis. Beshpatty is the founder of “Sameir Uniquely Me,” an initiative born from her son’s needs but now serving countless families navigating similar realities. Today, she is urging other parents to trust that instinct and seek answers early, drawing from a journey that began with uncertainty and led to the creation of a support system for families navigating autism.

Speaking to the Pepperpot Magazine earlier this week, as the world observes Autism Awareness Month, Beshpatty shared that her journey into motherhood with her second son, Sameir, was like any other. A planned pregnancy and Sameir’s healthy birth, in itself, contradicted many misconceptions that autism is caused by something that happens during pregnancy. Recounting Sameir’s birth and early years, Beshpatty shared, “He was a planned pregnancy, so I did everything I was supposed to do—eat well, drink milk, stay healthy, attend all the check-ups,” she said. However, when Sameir was around 18 months old, Beshpatty began to notice developmental delays. As she added, “We noticed delays, and even my father advised me to seek help. At the time, I was working, but he told me I might need to stop and focus on finding out what was happening with Sameir.”

Beshpatty began with speech therapy; however, she soon noticed developmental differences beyond speech. As she explained, Sameir also struggled with motor deficiencies and aspects of interaction such as eye contact. While some early interventions, like physiotherapy, helped with walking, his development remained delayed in other areas. At the time, more than twenty years ago, information and medical expertise on autism in Guyana were limited. In the face of this, Beshpatty left work and stayed home to care for her son and search for answers.

“There was no doctor at the time who could diagnose him. Physically, he looked fine, so no one could tell me what was happening,” she added. “He did not have eye contact. He did not cry. My mother said he was a very content child—he would lie in the cradle and play by himself. He did not mind not being engaged. He would smile, but not really with you. I didn’t know these were signs of autism, but I knew something wasn’t right.”

The first hint of an answer came through Beshpatty’s experience at a medical outreach, where she first heard about autism. This was the first step, she explained, as she began doing her own research at a local internet café. Here, she was able to put a name to the number of seemingly random characteristics of her son. However, while she could now identify it, Beshpatty said she was still in denial, unwilling to accept that her son could possibly be autistic.

“I stopped at an internet café in Georgetown and searched for autism. I printed out checklists and went through them repeatedly. I did that sheet about six times, erasing and redoing it, because I was in denial. It took me about two months to really come to terms with what was happening and accept that the signs were there,” she added.

“When I looked it up, I saw all these examples of geniuses on the spectrum, but I didn’t see the reality of children who needed significant support. Sameir had sensory issues, eating sensitivities, motor challenges, and he was non-verbal with intellectual challenges.” Even with this information, Sameir received his official diagnosis eight years later.

Sameir’s early years in school were particularly challenging. When he was enrolled in school at 4 years old, Beshpatty spent most of the day with him, helping him navigate a new, unfamiliar environment and teaching other children how to interact with him.

“He couldn’t function in a traditional classroom environment, so the focus was just helping him interact—being around other children, going on slides, playing, and learning from the environment.”

Sameir spent two years in preschool before transitioning to nursery school, where he, with his mother’s help, continued working on interaction, following directions, eye contact, and imitation. This made an incredible impact on Sameir, as Beshpatty explained, “Through that environment, he developed functional play—running with other children, throwing a ball, engaging more.”

The interaction and understanding from other children were also significant, says Beshpatty, not just for Sameir personally but also regarding stigma.

“I also had to guide other children on how to interact with him. Children tend to imitate so that they would mimic his non-verbal sounds. I would teach them to speak normally to him because he had receptive language, even though he couldn’t express himself. Teaching children to accept and interact with those who are different is very important. If we want to change society and reduce stigma, we have to start with young children.”

Sameir received his official diagnosis at age eight through a connection with a clinical psychologist from Boston. By that time, Beshpatty was already deeply involved in his development and learning how to support him. This involvement, coupled with her son’s diagnosis, inspired her to found “Sameir Uniquely Me.”

Officially started in 2020, it was created in Beshpatty’s home as she sought to create a space where she could implement the skills she was teaching Sameir and provide an environment for other children who were isolated at home to receive support.

Over the years, “Sameir Uniquely Me” has grown into a foundation dedicated to supporting children with autism by providing screening, oral language development, motor skills support, school preparation, after-school assistance, classroom support, and early intervention services.

“The idea was for Sameir also to be part of that space, interacting, assisting, and growing alongside other children. As more children came in, I began bringing in teachers and training parents,” she said. Over the last five years, “Sameir Uniquely Me” has worked with thousands of children with autism, supporting their parents in their own journey.

Today, Sameir is 23 and looking forward to his birthday in May. While today Beshpatty describes her son as a happy young man with a passion for gaming and fashion, she said that for her, one of the hardest parts of the journey has been acceptance.

For many years in Sameir’s early life, she struggled with accepting his diagnosis. She admitted that accepting that her son’s life would not be what she had envisioned, or what her siblings’ lives were like, was difficult.

“Acceptance was difficult for me because of expectations. When you have a child, you already imagine their future—school, university, career, and family. When a diagnosis comes, all of that becomes uncertain, and that uncertainty makes it hard to accept.”

But once she was able to accept his diagnosis, Beshpatty says she was able to emphasise his happiness above her ideals. It is still a continual challenge, however, as she shared, “I still have moments. I see my daughter driving and think, my son may never have that. I think about things he may never experience. Those thoughts are hard. But he is happy. He enjoys his life. It is my expectations that create that struggle.”

This is the message that Beshpatty is trying to push, particularly through this year’s awareness event happening this Sunday. Beshpatty believes that parents are the most vital players in the development of a happy child with autism, not only in the areas of care or teaching, but in the often-overlooked area of awareness.

Urging parents not only to support their children in private but to raise awareness for them in public, Beshpatty emphasised that awareness works. One example of this is the recognition of invisible disabilities in policy, which was not the case before. This step has been incredibly impactful for children like Sameir. Continued investment, such as time, energy, and awareness, by parents will continue to make an impact.