Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD), known more commonly as Autism, is a group of complex disorders of the
brain which can be noticed from early childhood but mostly goes ignored before a
child actually starts going to school. It is characterized by a child’s
difficulty in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, forming
relationship with others using language and abstract concepts. Autism
can be associated with intellectual disability, motor coordination difficulty,
attention issues and various sorts of physical health issues like sleep and
gastrointestinal disturbances.
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This is an incurable disorder, not a disease, but an early
detection is important for a child to realize his or her full potential and
lead a life with dignity. Due to lack of awareness, misunderstandings about the
disorder, improper diagnosis and absence of basic equipment for detection the
number of people with the disorder in India is increasing alarmingly.
Though there is no clear statistics, many sources indicate that it is as
prevalent as 1 in every 130 persons in India.
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Image Courtesy: newshopper.sulekha.com |
Some people with Autism
excel in Math, Music, Visual skill and Art. They are not “Disable” but are
“Specially Able” people who need proper care, encouragement, love and affection
from the society to stand out with their “Special” skills. Parents should take
benefits from the advancement of technology, to get the disorder detected at
very early age. With right frame of mind in dealing with the disorder and using
the right set of aids and tools will
definitely give the child opportunity to bring out the best from within.