Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 2: They are precocious, studious, and often widely misunderstood; children affected by autism are more often than not misunderstood to be mentally-challenged, but the truth is far from it.
It is in fact a disorder of neural development characterised by impaired social interaction and communication and marked by restricted and repetitive behaviour.
On the eve of World Autism Awareness Day April 2, the Department of Occupational Therapy, Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR) organised an awareness programme in the city Thursday.
“As a parent, you would never want to believe that your precious bundle has a ‘problem’. But when it comes to autism, identifying it early makes a huge difference. The younger the child, greater is the impact of treatment on symptoms of autism and other developmental problems. So, watching out for signs is definitely very vital here,” experts said.
Early signs of autism include not making eye contact, not smiling back when smiled at, failure to respond to one’s name when called, no eye-tracking of moving objects, no use of gestures and many more. The symptoms of the disorder include problems with social interaction, trouble communicating, and repeating patterns of behaviour.
According to studies, early detection and effective treatment immediately helps in treating the disorder. Different types of therapy might even help greatly in curing autism, say experts.
“The treatment for autism is a team effort that comprises doctors, mental health specialists and mainly guardians. People with autism can also be benefited by occupational therapy, both at home and at school as people with autism often have trouble in their interests, activities and play skills. Occupational therapists are the experts in this field,” said a doctor present at the event.
Based on a task analysis of autistic children, occupational therapists are able to prescribe an early, structured, individualised care system which can work best for the child. Occupational therapists combine a variety of treatment strategies to help these children respond better to their environment.
