New Delhi: April is the Autism Awareness month. Parents and professionals in this field use this as an opportunity to make society aware of the struggles of the Autism community. This year, the theme is ‘Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic World’.
Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong neurological condition that manifests during early childhood, irrespective of gender, race, or socioeconomic status. Autism is mainly characterised by its unique social interactions, non-standard ways of learning, keen interests in specific subjects, inclination to routines, challenges in typical communications and particular ways of processing sensory information.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Autism does occur more often in boys than girls, with approximately male to female ratio of 4:1.
Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Children with Autism are not able to do proper emotional reciprocation with other people. At the age of 0-3, parents identify this disorder, it’s not always necessary that the child have brain fever, or he/she has an injury and in most of the cases, parents identify after 1 or 2 years.
Psychologist, Dr Niharika said, “Many times we see that a child with Autism has a savant ability but it is very difficult to identify at a young age, most of the children have the ability to do those things which are not possible for us like in mathematics, paintings, etc.”
“There is no medicine to cure Autism but most of the time, a child will be hyperactive and self aggressive. However, certain medicines are given to control them. Autism can not be cured 100 per cent, it’s a myth,” she added.
Treatment of Autism is only therapy, we can only work on the symptoms slowly and gradually through different therapies like occupational therapy, speech therapy, education therapy and behavior therapy. Parents have to do all this therapy for a long time. So that the child at least behaves or understands the things in school, in class, etc.
