April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. This gives us the chance to introspect and act on increasing understanding, acceptance and awareness about autism, about how we can help break the hurdles that stop the community from leading their best lives. The HEALTH PIONEER presents a macro view of the condition that affects 1 out of 89 children born in India
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a collection of disorders defined by issues such as social interaction and communication difficulties. It is the quickest-expanding developmental disorder in India, affecting one in 125 children between 2-6 years and one out of every 80 kids aged 6-9. As per INCLEN studies, one child out of 89 is generally on the autism spectrum. Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism. There is no medical cure for autism, but early diagnosis and intervention helps a person to adapt and function better.
Children with Autism frequently exhibit behaviours such as difficulties transitioning from one task to another, a focus on minutiae. It’s believed to be caused by environmental and genetic factors. Those with autism find social interactions difficult as well as have repetitive behaviors and focused interests. Autism is also a spectrum disorder, meaning the severity and range of symptoms are different from person to person.
As such, healthcare systems are not only failing to provide appropriate care to autistic adults, but also that these failures may be detrimentally affecting the length and quality of life of autistic individuals.
In India, it is estimated that around 18 million people have autism. Statistics further reveal that the number of children diagnosed with autism in India is increasing. Low awareness, a lack of basic services, and poor diagnosis, among other factors, have all led to the country's astonishing surge in the number of autism cases.
One of the main reasons why many parents keep diseases like autism hidden is a lack of information about mental health. Many individuals are unaware that such illnesses can affect children as early as a few months old. Such individuals exhibit abnormal behaviours, and a lack of public awareness of the disease makes society less compassionate and stigmatizes the disorder. In their growing years, these children are subjected to bullying, filthy remarks, and humiliation, which drives them to seek refuge in their families.
There is no 'cure' for autism. There are, however, ways that can help people with autism learn and perform more effectively. Because there are so many options to select from; individual viewpoints and experiences, as well as diverse research showcasing varying results, deciding on the best intervention for an individual with autism, may be complicated and often overwhelming. Autism patients benefit substantially from cognitive behaviour therapy, behavioural management therapy, occupational therapy, social skills training, and physical therapy. Furthermore, educational and school-based therapy, medication treatment, and nutritious food should be provided to such persons. Parents might also enrol in speech-language therapy.
Dr Deepak Gupta, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and Founder Director of Centre for Child and Adolescent Wellbeing (CCAW, says, “Autism is one of the most misunderstood neurodevelopmental conditions. A peculiar trait of children with Autism is their concern with social communication difficulties.
“This, however, does not mean that they lack abilities to perform daily functions in life. On the contrary, some of the children with autism are brilliant and exhibit performance which is sometimes far superior to ones who are not on the Autism spectrum. With understanding and compassion for their special needs, we can surely induct them into the mainstream.”
Agrees Dr Alok Kumar Bhuwan, Managing Secretary, Manovikas Charitable Society. While explaining stigma around children who are neurodiverse, he suggests that the strategy to help and build confidence, self-esteem, motivation and resilience is very important when we think about such kids. “Every autistic child has individual strengths and needs. We can help these kids with the concept of Universal design of learning (UDL) which can benefit them with learning and thinking differences. In fact, UDL uses a variety of teaching strategies to remove barriers to learning especially those with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.”
Autism is the world's third most common developmental disability, a neurological illness that usually manifests by the age of three, says Bhuwan.
K. Nageswara Rao, President, All India Disabled Rights Forum, opines that autism affects early in childhood and needs to be addressed soon. “It varies in type and severity, but therapy can improve the ability of the person the function.”
In a nutshell, people with autism can live a better life if they are raised in a happy and healthy environment. Today, the only requirement is that they be accepted totally and that they not be demeaned or discouraged at any cost.
