Click to play videoChennai: Most of us would help a blind person cross the road. But when it comes to an autistic child, people turn indifferent.
In an age where communication is the most important of all skills, how does an autistic child cope with a communication disorder?
Tamil actor Prithvi Raj’s 11-year-old son Ahed was not allowed to board a plane in Bangalore because airport security seemed to think that his disability made him dangerous.
"Our struggle is to make my son acceptable in the main stream society. We don't want special privileges, don’t make his life miserable please," Prithvi Raj says.
Autistic children like Ahed face insensitivity and discrimination almost everyday. When an autistic child does not make eye contact, or doesn't return a greeting, people think he's either rude or indifferent.
While the truth is that autistic children find it difficult to communicate verbally or even through gestures.
"For our children, just to look, to blow, to turn around when called. Each and everything needs to be worked upon," 'We CAN' Resource center for autism founder Hema Jairam says.
A popular misconception about autism is that it is a disability of the super intelligent and that all autistic children have a special talent.
However, therapists say that such cases are extremely rare, and most autistic children are like regular kids who could love music, hate math and be great athletes.
AUTISM TRAITS |
|
 Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language.
|
| Laughing or crying for no apparent reason or showing distress for reasons not apparent to others. |
| Preference to being alone. |
| Little or no eye contact. |
| Unresponsive to normal teaching methods. |
| Obsessive attachment to objects. |
| Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain. |
| No real fears of danger. |
| Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity. |
| Non-responsive to verbal cues, acting as if deaf, although hearing tests in normal range. |
But the challenge for an autistic child lies in overcoming his disability and making an effort to be the part of mainstream – be it education or interaction.
Life for disabled children in India is hard, the society is cruel and the government callous. Do you know of disabled children who have been discriminated against or harassed? Do you know of disabled children who are winners? Write to us or send videos through MMS to 9873544444 or e-mail at citizen@ibnlive.com
For them going to a regular school, or even playing in the park is not simple. It's a big step in their learning.
Thirteen-year-old Teja, an autistic child managed to overcome his disability by his mother’s help. He has always gone to a regular school and is a perfect example of what the combination of intense therapy at home and an understanding school can achieve.
Teja’s social skills improved to such an extent that he started participating in mainstream education and social events. Today, he plays the perfect host at his birthday parties.
"I call all my friends, enjoy, eat and give chocolates to all," says Teja. “Do actors act in serials? I would like to act in a serial someday," he says.
"I think everybody. Your family, relatives, neighbours, they should all know that your child has a disability. I mean it's not a curse or a sin or something. Ok, a child is born like this, so what can you do about it? All that you can do is to help," Teja's mother Rekha Kumar says.
Though most autistic children are misunderstood and are often considered mysterious by a largely insensitive society, with some care, understanding and awareness they can overcome the complex disability.
Life for disabled children in India is hard, the society is cruel and the government callous. Do you know of disabled children who have been discriminated against or harassed? Do you know of disabled children who are winners? Write to us or send videos through MMS to 9873544444 or e-mail at citizen@ibnlive.com
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