Autism somehow never got the awareness diseases like AIDS got. Butthat was till December 18, 2007. For, that was when the United NationsGeneral Assembly adopted a resolution which declared April 2 as WorldAutism Awareness Day. Through this, the global agency hopes that thepervasive disorder gets the attention it deserves, since it affectstens 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’? Gautaminitially became concerned when he noticed that his toddler had notbegun to respond and interact like other children his same age.Isolated in the world of his own, five-year-old Aryan would resistaffection or passively accept hugs and cuddling. Aryan might spendhours repeatedly flicking or flapping fingers or rocking back andforth. He developed troublesome fixations with specific objects, whicheventually led to unhealthy behaviors too. Aryan was diagnosed by hisneurologist as an autistic child. Dealing with it Aryan’sparents need to understand the importance of 'routine' in autismtreatment. Keeping children's routine as close to the same as possibleon a daily basis will increase his security. Autistic treatment failsif the child is trying to make sense of his surroundings each day.Also, it is difficult for near ones of autistic children to not havethe strong emotional attachments they had hoped for. But that doesn’tmean they do not need the love and respect of those who care for them.Awarding accomplishments is important. Autistic children may needencouragement to join in on group activities and they can be verynervous 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 tobe physically aggressive at times, making daily interaction more andmore difficult. Apart from this, he took longer to learn, to interpretwhat others are feeling. Subtle social cues – a smile, a wink or agrimace would have little meaning in his life. Most notably, somethingas simple as a bath would only be accomplished after the precise amountof water had filled the tub, the temperature was exact, the same soapwas in its assigned spot, and the towel was in the same place. A breakin the routine provoked a severe reaction in him and put tremendousstrain on her. "We never went on vacations or to restaurants becauseRohan would get over-stimulated by noise," she shared. Dealing with it Repetitivebehaviour even in normal children is a challenge to handle. As forautistic kids, they might go further, like demanding pizza from aparticular place. Not much can be done here, since they might create aruckus if their demands are denied. Let them indulge in repetitivebehaviour and co-operate. But also, enforce positive reinforcements inreturn for these ‘favours’. If they have things their way forsufficient 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’? Rakeshand Isha bought expensive toys to pamper their 2-year-old son Vedh. Himbeing 'shy', they expected him to get attracted to them and startinteracting. But all their efforts failed. Says Isha, "He would refusemy touch, would be in his own world – happy with himself.." Vedh alsorefused to maintain eye contact while communicating. After wonderingwhat was amiss with their son for a long time, they saw a psychologist,who revealed that Vedh was Autistic. Vedh still has a strange behaviourof lining up his pencils before lunch .He flaps his arms to tellothers that he is happy, or hurts himself to tell us that he is not. Dealing with it Taketime for yourself and other family members. Caring for a child withautism can put stress on your marriage and your whole family. To avoidburnout, take time out to relax, exercise or enjoy your favoriteactivities. Try to schedule one-on-one time with your other childrenand plan date nights with your spouse – even if it's just watching amovie together after the children go to bed. Also, Vedh may haveareas that need intervention but every child also has special areas ofstrength. Focusing on his areas of strength can be used to improveareas of weakness. Group Moderator for [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Connect your World with Us join Now - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dimpill_gang/join Affiliated group from dimpill_gang for Only Adult Mails - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fantazies/join Affiliated group from dimpill_gang for Only Health and Food Mails - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Health_and_Gourmet/join Share files, take polls, and make new friends - all under one roof. Go to http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/
