Autism is just another word for many parents till their child gets diagnosed with it. Their immediate response to the shocking news is – ‘absolute denial’. They enter into the denial mode and further they decline to accept the child’s present health condition. They begin to feel anxious and depressed and some parent may even feel angry and resentful; others totally feel helpless and defeated. They start worrying about the child’s future and his ability to live normal life. Living with autism pose several new challenges for the person afflicted with it and along with him - his parents, family members and friends.
Identifying Autism
Behavioral characteristics: For onlookers it’s not easy to figure out if the child is Autistic. Instructions like ‘be quiet’ or ‘behave properly ‘holds very little meaning for an autistic person. Petty day to day task such as going to park or shopping may present difficulty for parents and friends. Some of the behavioral characteristics of autistic children are – delayed or no response to stimuli , repetition of certain words or activity, use of reversal pronoun such as ( calling ‘you’ in place of ‘I’) etc.
Diagnosis: For identification of any disease proper diagnosis is essential. One of the major hurdles faced by parents of children with autism in India is to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Presently, there are no sure shot medical tests for Autism. A general diagnosis is based on observed behavior and psychological analysis. Moreover, they are to be to be done in the presence of team of specialists consisting of a pediatric neurologist, a psychiatrist, etc. Also, team may include an audiologist, to test if there is any amount hearing loss, a speech and language therapist to determine language skills, an occupational therapist to evaluate motor skills.
Understanding Autism
Autism, also known as pervasive developmental disorder (PDO) majorly affects social interaction communication and reciprocity, ranging from mild to severe. Autistic disorder begins early in childhood and it starts becoming apparent from the age of two or three and becomes noticeable as the child grows. Basically, Autism results because of neurological problem affecting the brain.
Curing Autism
Autism unlike other developmental disorders does not have a proper cure. There are varied therapies and programmes meant for healing Autistic persons. It is important for the parents of autistic children to be informed of issues related to the disease. Parents and family members should seek advice from professional team of doctors for their child’s treatment. They must address and communicate their concerns to counselors from time to time.
