World Autism Day

                                                                                                       World Autism Day

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The day I met him, is still fresh in my memory. He was blushing as he greeted me, looking at this I smiled and asked him to take a seat. He sat before me still blushing keeping his gaze away from me. He asked me if I would be comfortable sitting with him, I broke the ice by asking him hope he was not afraid to sit alone with me. We broke into an instant laughter. We discussed at length what brought him there to me and what was bothering him. Believe me, I could not quite lay my finger on what he wanted. The only thing that I noticed, which was obvious was him not looking at me fixedly. He did gaze occasionally not making any eye contact. Finally, he told me that he was Autistic and waited for my reaction. All I responded was, I am very glad to meet you and we again broke into laughter.

The above instance occurred in one of my counselling sessions a long time ago. I still cherish and hold the memory of meeting this sweet person.

There was nothing unusual or difficult about the entire thing, he was just like any other client that I met. However, his innocence in telling me, or rather asking me if I wasn’t afraid to be with him alone since he was autistic, really worried me.

I would like to quote the words of one of my mentors, who always said, “We are all TABs”. Which translates to WE ARE TEMPORARILY ABLED”

How deep is the understanding of my mentor, who himself was a great example of this? He always told us that we think others are different or differently abled, but the truth is that we are all in some way or the other temporarily abled. Some of us are born with a certain condition, yet some get affected in life situations.

This blog is dedicated to all of us who have loved ones who are Autistic, or whom we know, any parents, caretakers and so on.

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What is Autism:

According to the Institute of Autism, Autism is a developmental disorder with symptoms that appear within the first three years of life. Its formal diagnostic name is an autism spectrum disorder. The word “spectrum” indicates that autism appears in different forms with varying levels of severity. That means that each individual with autism experiences their unique strengths, symptoms, and challenges.

Certain tests and assessments are done to describe the intensity or severity of the disorder.

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Symptoms and Behaviours

Individuals with autism may present a range of symptoms, such as:

Reduced eye contact

Differences in body language

Lack of facial expressions

Not engaging in imaginative play

Repeating gestures or sounds

Closely focused interests

Indifference to temperature extremes

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Is Autism different in India as compared to other countries

Data released by the CDC in April 2014 placed the prevalence of autism in the U.S. at approximately 1 in 68 children. No data are available from India to provide an India-specific estimate of the prevalence, While the disorder is not rare, a multitude of people with autism in India have not been diagnosed and -- more critically -- do not receive the services they need.

Typically, in India, we really don’t diagnose children at an early age. When a parent notices that their child is slow or hasn’t met the required milestone, they tend to take their child to the paediatrician. Furthermore, if the child continues to not meet the said milestones, that’s the time they see a psychiatrist. In this sense, the acceptance of understanding that the child is going through something and is not up to the set standard doesn’t ring a bell until the school brings it to their notice.

There are times the parents find it difficult to agree and accept that their ward has learning issues or has developmental disorders and needs a special school or a special education. Due to the impact of the societal pressure they continue to have the child forcibly in a setup which is not meant for him/her.

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Life with Autism

Many of the caretakers, guardians and parents wonder if their child would have a normal life, in the sense be independent to do things on their own. The answer to this may not be a simple one. It’s impossible to say yes or no. some traits of autism are milder while some are severe.

With that said, many autistic children learn to live on their own, get jobs, have children, and more. Others can cook, clean, and care for themselves with some assistance.

According to Very Well Mind, By starting early, you can also ensure your child receives the proper assessments of their existing skills, strengths, and needs, including:

Vocational testing to assess job-related aptitudes and interests

Educational testing, including the functional use of spoken and written language and math

Community-based skills assessment to evaluate their ability to function independently outside of the home

Adaptive living skills assessment to evaluate their ability to function independently daily inside the home

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Tips for Caring for Someone with Autism

Learn how to communicate with them: communication can be challenging. Some autistic children are even non-verbal, so you have to develop creative ways to communicate with them. Many autistic children do well with visual communication.

Be patient: Patience is vital when caring for a person with autism.

Create and stick to a schedule: Autistic children benefit significantly from a structured schedule.

Schedule time for play: It's a great idea to schedule a time to unwind and play.

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Conclusion:

Love is a universal language and there can’t be a better way to understand anyone, so whoever we are let’s TRANSFORM HAPPILY!

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