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SET APART Today is the first World Autism Awareness Day. Here’s how to help your child out of the pervasive disorder Autism somehow never got the awareness diseases like AIDS got. But that was till December 18, 2007. For, that was when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. Through this, the global agency hopes that the pervasive disorder gets the attention it deserves, since it affects tens of millions. We asked Dr Seema Hingorrany, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, to share with us tales of some the families who've come to her for counselling and treatment. Read on… IS YOUR CHILD… gradually becoming passive and you’re thinking he/she’s just ‘reserved’? Gautam initially became concerned when he noticed that his toddler had not begun to respond and interact like other children his same age. Isolated in the world of his own, five-year-old Aryan would resist affection or passively accept hugs and cuddling. Aryan might spend hours repeatedly flicking or flapping fingers or rocking back and forth. He developed troublesome fixations with specific objects, which eventually led to unhealthy behaviors too. Aryan was diagnosed by his neurologist as an autistic child. DEALING WITH IT Aryan’s parents need to understand the importance of 'routine' in autism treatment. Keeping children's routine as close to the same as possible on a daily basis will increase his security. Autistic treatment fails if the child is trying to make sense of his surroundings each day. Also, it is difficult for near ones of autistic children to not have the strong emotional attachments they had hoped for. But that doesn’t mean they do not need the love and respect of those who care for them. Awarding accomplishments is important. Autistic children may need encouragement to join in on group activities and they can be very nervous if put into large crowds. IS YOUR CHILD…
demanding precision in mundane things like the temperature of his bath water; and you're thinking he/she's just being 'fussy'?
Reyna, mother of three-year-old Rohan, realised he had developed a tendency to be physically aggressive at times, making daily interaction more and more difficult. Apart from this, he took longer to learn, to interpret what others are feeling. Subtle social cues – a smile, a wink or a grimace would have little meaning in his life. Most notably, something as simple as a bath would only be accomplished after the precise amount of water had filled the tub, the temperature was exact, the same soap was in its assigned spot, and the towel was in the same place. A break in the routine provoked a severe reaction in him and put tremendous strain on her. "We never went on vacations or to restaurants because Rohan would get overstimulated by noise," she shared. DEALING WITH IT Repetitive behaviour even in normal children is a challenge to handle. As for autistic kids, they might go further, like demanding pizza from a particular place. Not much can be done here, since they might create a ruckus if their demands are denied. Let them indulge in repetitive behaviour and co-operate. But also, enforce positive reinforcements in return for these ‘favours’. If they have things their way for sufficient time, they would respond positively. IS YOUR CHILD… shying away from physical love and not maintaining eye contact; while you decide its just a ‘phase’? Rakesh and Isha bought expensive toys to pamper their 2-year-old son Vedh. Him being 'shy', they expected him to get attracted to them and start interacting. But all their efforts failed. Says Isha, "He would refuse my touch, would be in his own world – happy with himself." Vedh also refused to maintain eye contact while communicating. After wondering what was amiss with their son for a long time, they saw a psychologist, who revealed that Vedh was Autistic. Vedh still has a strange behaviour of lining up his pencils before lunch .He flaps his arms to tell others that he is happy, or hurts himself to tell us that he is not. DEALING WITH IT Take time for yourself and other family members. Caring for a child with autism can put stress on your marriage and your whole family. To avoid burnout, take time out to relax, exercise or enjoy your favorite activities. Try to schedule one-on-one time with your other children and plan date nights with your spouse – even if it's just watching a movie together after the children go to bed. Also, Vedh may have areas that need intervention but every child also has special areas of strength. Focusing on his areas of strength can be used to improve areas of weakness.
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