Dealing with autism
WAFA LATHEEF
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Maybe, we as a society never realised that we could make a difference
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What is autism? People asked Geetha about her son and she could never find words to answer. They say he looks so normal yet they labelled him “abnormal”. Geetha’s heart broke down when she heard her son had a problem. The doctors diagnosed him with Autism or let’s say people called him “abnormal.” Her world seemed so confused, crushed. Geetha then never knew the intensity of the shaky road that lay ahead of her. From then on, it was a jo
urney from one psychologist to another, one school to another. A journey never meant to end.
Impact of the stigma
Autism, recognised as the third most common developmental disorder, is characterised by abnormalities in social interaction, communication, and motor skills. These persons have unusual interests and behaviour. Some have a mania for spinning objects while some flap their hands. Geetha’s world now just exists with her son and autism. She represents every mother sitting in a consultation room with her baby in her arms and listening to the doctor, every word crushing her.
How many of us really know what autism is? We talk about terrorism, economy, corruption, trafficking and making a difference. But when will the time come when we start talking about children with special needs? When will society stop isolating them or saying “oh that boy is mental”….when will we? When? It’s not just the whens but whys too. What is the stigma attached to abnormalities? Aren’t they human beings like us?
They breathe the same air we breathe, they are created by the same force that created us. Then, why do we look at them with different eyes? So many questions remain unanswered. Maybe, we as a society never realised that “we could make a difference”. Yes we could and we will make a difference.
Making a difference
First of all, they are not children with special needs but children who are special. They have every right to live like us. Why isolate them and their families, or stare at them and whisper that something is wrong with that child? Why not give a smile instead that says, ‘You are wonderful?’ Most of us don’t understand how it feels until we are a part of it.
Usually after diagnosis, parents are confused and even shattered as most of them wouldn’t have even heard the word ‘autism.’ Then the journey starts with questions in their minds and desperation to find answers. Even after 10 years of diagnosis, Geetha has never been able to come over the fear of what will happen to him after her. How many mothers live every second of their lives without this fear? I remember one of the mothers saying, “I hope that not even my enemy’s child have autism.”
Autism is not a disease or a curse it is a fact we have to deal with. Every parent feels that why my child is chosen to be autistic but remember if someone above has chosen you there would be reason, a blissful reason.
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