As Autism Awareness Month approached an end, city-based doctors warned against usage of electronic gadgets by children and stated that early intervention is the key to complete cure and treatment of Autism, on Sunday.
The doctors spoke as part of Apollo Hospitals’ Autism Awareness Programme 2023 for the parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), as part of Autism Awareness Month. A group of medical specialists comprising Paediatrician, Early Interventionist, Paediatric Neurologist, Psychiatrist and Paediatric Dentist provided tips to parents, to handle different challenges that arise while grooming these children. The awareness programme equipped the parents with tips and guidelines to manage their child at home.
Dr A Jagadish, Neonatal and Paediatric Early Interventionist, said that parents should not expose their children below five years of age to electronic gadgets, as they may cause regression of children’s speech, cognitive, social and sensory development.
“Most parents tend to seek medical help only when the child reaches the age of three or four years and their speech starts to develop. But early red flags or signs of autism can be detected when they are an year old. Most children in the spectrum do not respond to physical or verbal cues. Some also indulge in repetitive stereotypic behaviour. These are signs that parents can easily pick up,” said Dr Jagadish.
He further said, “Some of the children with autism are brilliant and exceptional. They exhibit performance which is sometimes far superior to the ones who are not ASD. Such children could be inducted into the normal mainstream with an early intervention programme.”
Doctors said that paediatricians can screen the child with screening tools like M-CHAT for developmental red flags or any developmental deviations, when they come for vaccination or well-baby clinic and can refer for early intervention therapy.
Dr A Ravinder Babu, Director of Medical Services, Apollo Hospitals, said, “Autism is a common disorder, one in every 100 children show some kind of autistic features, in our country. Approximately 18 million people are suspected to be suffering from this problem in India. Unfortunately due to social stigma attached to autism, parents tend not to accept the fact and continue to be in the presumption of delayed growth. In the process they postpone until the problem becomes obvious.”
