Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

In a world of their own

An autistic child can improve through a structured routine

Photo: Bijoy ghosh

REACH OUT To treat autistic children

For most, Dustin Hoffman's Raymond, the elusive "Rain Man", has been our first peek at the world of the autistic.

Raymond, with his savant skills — be it the ease with which he counts the number of matchsticks in a box or calculates the probability of an air crash or his discomfort with emotion — provided one of the more lasting impressions of the disorder in popular culture.

But the final word is not yet out on autism, which, according to a WHO report, is prevalent in one out of every 10,000 people and is found four times more in boys than in girls.

A definition of the disorder becomes dicey as its cause is still unknown. "Autism is a pervasive development disorder that affects all areas of a child's development," says D. Srinivasan, consultant psychiatrist. According to V. Ponni Muralidharan, another psychiatrist, it is difficult to define autism. "It is a delay in a child's ability to socialise," she says.

An autistic child need not necessarily be mentally retarded. "But, among autistic children, only less than five per cent would have near normal intelligence," explains Dr. Srinivasan, adding, "Some may have an attention deficit problem."

Autism being a spectrum disorder, the degree to which the condition is present varies. These children, says Dr. Ponni, have problems expressing themselves. "They are in a fantasy world and are sensitive to order and cannot cope when their routine is interrupted," she adds.

For parents, the warning bells should begin to ring when they find their toddler's behaviour strange. The signs of autism will be visible as early as the eighth month, say doctors.

Warning signs

While most kids would begin babbling by this time, the repertoire of baby talk among these children would be very limited. Another indicator is the lack of eye contact. "When you call out their name, they fail to respond," explains Dr. Ponni. "When the kid fails to respond to sound, the parents usually take it to be a hearing problem," says Dr. Srinivasan.

Mostly, these symptoms manifest themselves by the age of three; rarely do they go unnoticed.

"These children either may have no speech at all or have limited speech," says Dr. Srinivasan. "Their ability to initiate or sustain a conversation will be less; often, it is mistaken for shyness," he explains.

Love for the inanimate

A classic autism symptom is the lack of attachment to human beings and an excessive affinity for inanimate objects. "They are usually attracted to things that spin and have the urge to repeatedly make the same sound or movement," the psychiatrists say.

Once a child is diagnosed as autistic, in the absence of a definite treatment or drug, a multi-pronged approach needs to be adopted.

First of all, parents need to accept the condition. And, integrated schooling, where children with autism mingle with normal children and those with other disabilities, is believed to help the affected kids.

And, learn to identify the strength of the autistic child. "About 10 per cent of autistic children may have one savant skill or the other," says Geeta Raja, who runs a school for autistic children.

Dr. Srinivasan says though an autistic child can never be completely cured, marked improvement can take place if they are subjected to a structured routine.

But, all this is a labour-intensive exercise for parents. Says Geeta: "Patience and tolerance are important. Don't see the autistic child as an embarrassment; work towards its improvement."

ANIMA BALAKRISHNAN

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail