Autism - A Gift or Crisis ?

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day, when people around the world celebrate it as a festival , as a party rather than a crisis. Either way the intention to create awareness. Today, about one in 68 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a sharp increase from the autism rate just a decade ago. It is the fastest growing developmental disorder. And scientists (MIT scientist Stephanie Seneff ) Predicts that , half of children born in 2025 will be autistic. Strange but yes a concerning matter too. Reason she is pointing out is “glyphosate” - s a herbicide registered for use on a variety of fruit, vegetable, and field crops and widely used to control weeds. 

What is Autism ?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability; signs typically appear during early childhood and affect a person’s ability to communicate, and interact with others. ASD is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum condition” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.

Causes and Diagnoses : 

There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and early diagnosis/intervention and access to appropriate services/supports lead to significantly improved outcomes. Some of the behaviors associated with autism include delayed learning of language; difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation; difficulty with executive functioning, which relates to reasoning and planning; narrow, intense interests; poor motor skills’ and sensory sensitivities. Again, a person on the spectrum might follow many of these behaviors or just a few, or many others besides. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is applied based on analysis of all behaviors and their severity.

Early identification can change lives

·         Lack of or delay in spoken language

·         Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)

·         Little or no eye contact

·         Lack of interest in peer relationships

·         Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play

·         Persistent fixation on parts of objects

How can we help autism children ?

• Learn about autism.
• Help people ideantify the autism earlier
• Do not say, Child will be okay when he/she grow up .
• Accept the children, oddities and all.
• Reward good behavior and appreciate
• Create a home safety zone
• Find nonverbal ways to connect to the autistic children
• Seek help, find support

At the end , All we need is not a party but yes we need a sense of urgency and true crisis. the critical help they require to survive, in the form of social programs, education, safety and employment opportunities worldwide , India is lagging a lot in this area. This awareness will create when we start speaking ,

Let us speak more and educate parents about autism .

Link to read - Helping Autism child 

-Sagaya , eMotion & Me