Parents of young children with autism go into denial, refusing to believe the diagnosis,
leading to delays in therapy to help the child integrate into mainstream schooling.
Around 1 in 89 children between the ages of two and nine years in India suffer
from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Based on the 2011 census data, this will mean 2.2
million children in that age group in India are autistic. If extrapolated, this means at least 13
million people in India live with the condition.
But, what is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
ASD is an umbrella term for people living with development disorders that impairs
communication – speaking, gesturing and listening – and makes them have limited interests
or repetitive behaviour.
ASD remains a very misunderstood diagnosis.
“There is a stigma attached to the disorder. What people need to understand is that if
diagnosed early and the child receive adequate help then they can contribute to the society,”
said Shefali Gulati, chief of child neurology department at All India Institute of Medical
Sciences. DO YOU SUSPECT AUTISM? “If a child does not look at playthings being
shown, if they do not smile, if they do not respond to their name, they might be autistic.
Parents must consult their paediatrician,” said Dr Gulati.
“When a baby starts talking late, parents and grandparents explain it by saying that other
babies in the family were slower in development. But they should not keep waiting.
Sometimes parents bring their child to a doctor when they are five years old,” she added.
Early intervention can help children with autism to lead normal lives, experts said. “That
way, children can learn age-appropriate activities from specialists and psychologists,” said Dr
Krishan Chugh, director of paediatrics at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon. IS IT
IN THE FAMILY? The cause of autism spectrum disorders is still unknown, but it has been
observed that boys are 4.5 time more likely to get autism than girls.
The risk of autism also increases if there is one child in the family who has autism. “The risk
of a second child being autistic increases by 7% if a couple has had an autistic daughter and
by 4% if they have had an autistic son. The chances of having an autistic child increases by
25-30% if both children are born with autism,” said Dr Gulati.
“This, however, does not mean that there has to be a history of autism in the family in
previous generations. But, it has been established that in 10–15% of families with autistic
children there is history of behavioural problems,” she added. BARRIERS TO
TREATMENT Awareness, acceptance of diagnosis and receiving proper care at the right
time are some of the barriers to diagnosis and treatment of children with ASD.
“Awareness, even among physicians, was very less even 20 years ago. Also there were
several nomenclatures for various conditions. This has changed over the time. Also, there is
no objective blood test or scan to determine whether a child is autistic. A specialist can just
observe the child and put 2 and 2 together,” said Dr Chugh.
Parents also refuse to believe in the diagnosis, leading to delays in therapy. “The problem is
now there is Dr Google. Many parents Google symptoms and say that their child is not
autistic. However, every autistic child shows different symptoms and parents are not willing
to accept the diagnosis,” he said.
And even after children have been diagnosed, integrating them to the mainstream education
system can be a challenge.
“Special educators are needed and various resources to train the children in areas that they
face difficult in are required. However, there is a dearth of them in India,” said Dr Mukta
Vasal, chief child and adolescent psychologist and co-founder of ‘Mom’s Belief
Source: Hindustan Times
leading to delays in therapy to help the child integrate into mainstream schooling.
Around 1 in 89 children between the ages of two and nine years in India suffer
from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Based on the 2011 census data, this will mean 2.2
million children in that age group in India are autistic. If extrapolated, this means at least 13
million people in India live with the condition.
But, what is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
ASD is an umbrella term for people living with development disorders that impairs
communication – speaking, gesturing and listening – and makes them have limited interests
or repetitive behaviour.
ASD remains a very misunderstood diagnosis.
“There is a stigma attached to the disorder. What people need to understand is that if
diagnosed early and the child receive adequate help then they can contribute to the society,”
said Shefali Gulati, chief of child neurology department at All India Institute of Medical
Sciences. DO YOU SUSPECT AUTISM? “If a child does not look at playthings being
shown, if they do not smile, if they do not respond to their name, they might be autistic.
Parents must consult their paediatrician,” said Dr Gulati.
“When a baby starts talking late, parents and grandparents explain it by saying that other
babies in the family were slower in development. But they should not keep waiting.
Sometimes parents bring their child to a doctor when they are five years old,” she added.
Early intervention can help children with autism to lead normal lives, experts said. “That
way, children can learn age-appropriate activities from specialists and psychologists,” said Dr
Krishan Chugh, director of paediatrics at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon. IS IT
IN THE FAMILY? The cause of autism spectrum disorders is still unknown, but it has been
observed that boys are 4.5 time more likely to get autism than girls.
The risk of autism also increases if there is one child in the family who has autism. “The risk
of a second child being autistic increases by 7% if a couple has had an autistic daughter and
by 4% if they have had an autistic son. The chances of having an autistic child increases by
25-30% if both children are born with autism,” said Dr Gulati.
“This, however, does not mean that there has to be a history of autism in the family in
previous generations. But, it has been established that in 10–15% of families with autistic
children there is history of behavioural problems,” she added. BARRIERS TO
TREATMENT Awareness, acceptance of diagnosis and receiving proper care at the right
time are some of the barriers to diagnosis and treatment of children with ASD.
“Awareness, even among physicians, was very less even 20 years ago. Also there were
several nomenclatures for various conditions. This has changed over the time. Also, there is
no objective blood test or scan to determine whether a child is autistic. A specialist can just
observe the child and put 2 and 2 together,” said Dr Chugh.
Parents also refuse to believe in the diagnosis, leading to delays in therapy. “The problem is
now there is Dr Google. Many parents Google symptoms and say that their child is not
autistic. However, every autistic child shows different symptoms and parents are not willing
to accept the diagnosis,” he said.
And even after children have been diagnosed, integrating them to the mainstream education
system can be a challenge.
“Special educators are needed and various resources to train the children in areas that they
face difficult in are required. However, there is a dearth of them in India,” said Dr Mukta
Vasal, chief child and adolescent psychologist and co-founder of ‘Mom’s Belief
Source: Hindustan Times
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