Through a Different Lens…

 

April is celebrated as the ‘Autism Awareness’ month the world over. Even in our country, there are various NGOs holding events to create awareness about Autism. Autism is not a disease. It is not something that can be cured by prescribing an antibiotic, nor is it something that can be detected by doing some laboratory tests. It is just a way of being. Some people have sexual preferences that are not what is considered ‘normal’ or typical, and there is nothing much that they can do about it. After a lot of struggle, they are slowly being acknowledged by society but they still have a long way to go to become a part of the mainstream. Similarly, a child with Autism cannot help himself, his brain is wired differently and this causes him to behave differently. They see the world through a different lens, a foggy, fuzzy lens. And the world looks at them through a different lens, a child who is crazy, even mad maybe, and who needs to be institutionalized. But they are just like everyone else, somewhat different, but no less.

A child who is on the Autism Spectrum exhibits one or all of varying symptoms. The first signs of Autism are, that the child does not make eye contact, has little or no language or repeats words and sentences, is lost in a world of their making, has repetitive behaviors like flapping of arms or rocking, is hypersensitive, gets upset with loud noises, crowded places, is fixated on certain items, is clumsy….the list is endless. The ‘All’ is still not known to us and it is difficult to draw up an exhaustive list of the symptoms and with experience we just keep adding to the list. A child could just exhibit one or two symptoms, or all the symptoms, that is why it is said to be a ‘Spectrum’. One could be anywhere on the spectrum. In fact, most of us exhibit Autistic features at some point or the other in our lives. There are times when we don’t want to meet anybody, not socialize, or when we just want to get away from the noise. These are symptoms of Autism.

It becomes very difficult for parents of children with Autism to take them out for social events and gatherings because they often exhibit socially unacceptable behaviors and our society is still not sensitized enough to accept these behaviors. The parents then feel extremely embarrassed and at times helpless. So, when I received an invite for a musical program ‘Tuning Folks’ organized by MFA for creating awareness about Autism on the occasion of Autism Awareness month, I jumped at the chance to take my daughter for it. It was one of the best events that I have attended.

Here was a band of doctors who were very much in-tune, singing for our ‘out of tune’ children, and an audience that accepted them completely. So, when a small boy ran up on the stage a couple of times, it was perfectly normal; the show just continued. My daughter had the time of her life. The show was superbly curated, a mix of old and new songs sung by exceptionally talented doctors. Each one of them is a highly successful doctor, accomplished in their own fields. There were urologists, a gynaecologist, an ophthalmologist, an interventionist cardiac specialist, an onco- surgeon, an ENT surgeon, a Covid Warrior to name a few, all super specialists. What was even more commendable is that, in spite of being in such a noble and grueling profession, they still want to contribute in some way to society and they do so by spreading joy in the form of these entirely pro bono performances. I am sure they must have put in a lot of additional hours of their free time practicing for this event. Hats off to these doctors; my admiration and respect for this noble community grew multi-fold in that one evening.

Today Autism is becoming more and more prevalent. Forget the statistics, take my own example, when I was growing up, we had not even heard of Autism. This term did not exist, at least in our country. Today, I know of many children on the Autism Spectrum, and not just because of my profession. No one knows what causes it. Some say it is genetic, some say environmental (increased toxicity and pollution), while some even believe that the vaccinations given after birth are to be blamed as one does not really catch the symptoms till the baby becomes a toddler. If the parents are vigilant, they will catch it early; while others might attribute it to the fact that no two children are alike. Some children might seem perfectly normal as babies but could start exhibiting signs as they grow older, beyond two years of age. Some children are even known to develop symptoms almost overnight. If you feel your child is exhibiting even one of the symptoms, please seek help immediately. Do not wait, thinking that the child will outgrow the symptoms. As the child grows, the symptoms will only increase, get aggravated and become more pronounced. Instead, if you seek Early Intervention, that could help in curbing the symptoms or even reversing them at times. It is important to take action as early as possible. Better safe than to be sorry. One cannot wish away the symptoms or hope that they will go away by ignoring them. It is very important for the parents to accept and move on and not be in a state of denial. 

Autism is a result of faulty wiring in the brain, and though we now know the principle of Neuroplasticity, that the brain can change and grow at any age, the growth is exponential in the early years of one’s life. So, the earlier you start with the intervention, better the chances of success.

Today there are many therapies that could help the child on the Autism Spectrum. Conventional therapies like Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Sensory Integration and unconventional therapies like the Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement or ABMNM, the SonRise program, CBD oil, etc.

My personal experience with a three-and-a-half-year-old girl has been very heartening. She came to me for ABMNM lessons soon after she was diagnosed to be on the Autism Spectrum. Within a few days the parents reported improvements on various fronts; she was speaking more, was less distracted, more active, but not hyperactive, less cranky, showed improved eye contact, and also started speaking her mother tongue and replying to questions. Icing on the cake was when she made her parents sit at the table and served them imaginary tea.

To be continued…