AUTISM SPEAKS-it is time to listen!

Dan and Patricia made such a beautiful couple and when their son Mike was born, their family became just perfect. Mike was one of the most adorable kids in the city and Patricia was so proud of him. But on his first birthday, when Patricia went to hug Mike, he wouldn't let her! Dan brushed it off as a minor issue and Patricia too forgot about it eventually.

      Now, Mike had this habit of arranging his toys in a specific order. Also he ate the same brand cereal everyday for breakfast. He never spoke to any one and never made eye contact. The slightest sound of a person tapping his feet would irritate Mike to such a level that he would start yelling. But what worried Patricia most as a mother was that Mike didn't let her hug or kiss him. By now Dan too realized that the issue was getting serious and it wasn't Mike’s naughtiness but something else.

      Mike was referred to a Psychologist by a local doctor and on examination the psychologist told them that Mike showed signs of Autism.

What it autism?

Autism is a neural disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive behavior  One in every 88 children is born with autism spectrum disorder in India, and about 10 million people diagnosed with autism in India. The earlier the diagnosis, greater the quality of life. 27% children remain undiagnosed till the age of 8.

  Few people with autism whom the whole world knows are Sir Isaac Newton, Mozart, Michel Angelo, Pablo Picasso and Lewis Carroll. Like them, Mike also had a special gift. He can replicate and play a piano piece by just hearing it once. That made him an ‘Autistic Savant’.

Dan and Patricia realized that Mike was different. They took Mike to a psychologist. The understood the situation and most importantly is that rather than crying over their fate, they decided to face the disorder with open arms. They didn't give up on their kid. They were not narrow minded.

Now I am a true Indian but I still feel that the awareness about mental disorders is very less in India. In India autism is mental retardation. A person with autism is permanently tagged as ”PAGAL” and socially outcast. No thought is given to how the kid can be helped, how the situation can be tackled but the kid is rather tortured more.

   So today, on World Autism Awareness Day, let us give a thought to Autism and lets try our level best to make people aware about Autism and tell them that Autism and Mental retardation are not the same. Being health professionals, we should shoulder the responsibility of accepting, loving, educating, and advocating autism to the world!!

Nirja  Kaplay

BPT 1st year