‘Taking care of a child with autism, I learnt things won't always go my way'

Straits Times

14-05-2025

Photographer Bob Lee and his son Jun Le wear matching shirts featuring Jun Le's calligraphy, which has become a symbol of his artistic journey with autism. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
'Taking care of a child with autism, I learnt things won't always go my way' Your Singapore Story: While helping his autistic son find his place in the world, this photographer is also rediscovering the important things in life
Raising a child with autism comes with unique challenges, but photographer Bob Lee, 49, refuses to set limits on what his son, Jun Le, can achieve.
From discovering his son's gift for calligraphy to starting a fundraising campaign for his art, Mr Lee and his wife have dedicated themselves to ensuring a future for their son, who is now 18, to thrive.
Watch their video here.
Their journey has not been easy. They left their full-time media jobs to focus on Jun Le's needs, faced rejection from schools and navigated new challenges when Mr Lee's wife was diagnosed with cancer. But through it all, they have found strength in family.
Mr Lee now uses photography and conducts public talks to raise awareness about autism because, as he says, if parents do not share these stories, who will?
Mr Lee guides Jun Le during a calligraphy session at home.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
'We discovered Jun Le's talent for calligraphy by accident. To keep him occupied during the circuit breaker in 2020, we encouraged him to copy Chinese characters from the ancient Buddhist text Heart Sutra, which he did in a unique style.
We coined it 'Junlefont' and held a fundraising campaign for his creations. Because of their popularity, we have since printed his designs on items like bags, pouches and hongbao envelopes to sell, and also taken on commission requests. Our hope is that this provides Jun Le with a way to support himself after he graduates from school.
We recently partnered with Starbucks on a special collection and are thrilled to see Jun Le's calligraphy come to life in the heart of vibrant Chinatown. This collaboration is a meaningful opportunity to share his unique blend of creativity and tradition with a wider audience.
My wife and I used to work long hours in the newsroom and had very irregular schedules. But when Jun Le was diagnosed with autism at the age of three, my wife took time off to take care of him. Eventually, we decided to quit our jobs and focus on him full-time. We now run our own company offering photography and translation services.
Taking care of a child with autism, I learned things won't always go my way. When I tried to enrol Jun Le into pre-school, I was rejected by all the kindergartens I called. Even though I understood that it was because they didn't have the means to support a child with autism, I still broke down.
But over the years, we've learnt to accept things as they come. I believe that it was also through our experience taking care of Jun Le that we were able to better cope with my wife's diagnosis of nose cancer later. We knew it was okay to slow down, to ask for help, to not be okay. Now, our family bond is stronger than ever.
We spend a lot of time doing things together – whether it's going on long bike rides or making pizzas and chocolate cakes. Regardless of the activity, it's more important that we enjoy every moment together.
Awareness of persons with autism has definitely improved through the years, but acceptance still has plenty of room for improvement.
As a photographer, I often give talks about photography at schools and companies. I always take the opportunity to also draw attention to the topic of autism. After all, if we as parents of children with autism don't tell their stories, who will?'
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