Autism

Autism is a neurological development disorder. It appears in the first three years of life and severely impairs social and communication skills. There is no cure for autism but early behavioral and cognitive intervention can help autistic children gain social, communication and self-care skills.

Discovering that your child has autism can be traumatic. Accepting that the child has a disorder and getting help is just the beginning. Having an autistic child can be embarrassing for some parents as autistic kids lack social skills. Because of their inability to express themselves, they tend to get angry and violent, and this might happen in public much to the embarrassment of the parents. Most people are unaware that autism is a medical condition and hence are likely to make rude or insensitive comments about autistic people. Sometimes they may even stare and ask inappropriate questions.

Some autistic persons despite their functional disability show exceptional talents. Strong memory skills, math skills, amazing musical ability, artistic ability, are some of the few skills that autistic people might possess. They will excel far beyond the average population in these skills.

Social awareness of Autism is the need of the hour. Movies like “TaareZarneen Par” and ‘Rain man’ increase public awareness about autism and when they are endorsed by big stars like Aamir Khan, the message has a way of reaching its target audience more effectively.