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  • Autism
    Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is a complex neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain and, in particular, the processing of social information.  Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 21 January 2016

Diagnosing autism 
At present, there is no definitive medical test to identify individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Professionals diagnose autism spectrum disorders through the presence or absence of certain behaviours, characteristic symptoms and developmental delays. ASD is diagnosed through an assessment which includes observing and meeting with the individual, their family and other people who interact with the child. Information is gathered regarding the individual’s strengths and difficulties, particularly in the areas of social interaction and social communication as well as restricted and repetitive interests, activities and behaviours.

There is no single behaviour that indicates ASD. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and can change as the child grows. No two children with ASD are alike. This makes understanding the condition and finding the best therapies difficult.

There are no blood tests that can detect ASD. Developmental pediatricians, psychiatrists and psychologists with experience in assessing individuals with ASD are qualified to make a diagnosis.

Condition

Stories

  • How Dance and Movement Therapy helped a Young Girl on the Autism Spectrum
    Tripura Kashyap, founder-director of Apoorva Dance Theatre in Bangalore and one of the pioneers of Creative Movement Therapy in India writes about how Dance and Movement Therapy helped Sheela, a 12-year-old girl on the Autism Spectrum in multiple ways. Read on: Movement and dance have the power to reach out to anyone. Dance Therapy cuts across socio-cultural-linguistic divides and impacts even those who we think are unreachable, living in their own realities. Sheela* is one such person that I…
  • ‘Amma, I want to Stay and Enjoy the Festival Forever’
    The Velvi Art for Autism Festival is a unique and exciting confluence of nationally and internationally renowned artistes and the autism community to celebrate talent and culture, make friends and have fun. We bring you feedback of the participants - youngsters and their parents - and details on this year’s Festival held over three days in Bangalore recently. Like every year, the Velvi Art for Autism Festival 2017 held in Bangalore recently was ushered in with much anticipation and fanfare. The…
  • Are We as a Community Failing Special Needs Families?
    The recent incident of a mother in Bengaluru causing the death of her disabled child has stirred many reactions and caused a lot of introspection in families with disabled children. But what of the larger community? Did we give it a moment? What can we do? What should we do? During a conversation in a little cafe in Chennai with some of the early contributors of PatientsEngage, people associated with VidyaSagar, an organisation for children and adults with special needs, the commonly held…
  • A Friendship Haven for Parents and their Children with Special Needs
    Mitr is a vibrant community centre in Chennai for parents who have children with special needs, where you can bond with like-minded families, sit back and relax at the Special Needs Mitr Cafe, or engage in an exciting range of vocational classes and activities held for both parents and kids. Parents of children with special needs may feel isolated and disheartened coping with medical, financial, educational and emotional issues. Mitr is a centre in Chennai for serving parents of children who…
  • Caring for a Son with Autism and Schizophrenia
    It can be formidable task to raise a child with either autism or schizophrenia. But when the two come together, the challenge escalates. Deepak Srivastava, recounts how his wife grapples with his 22-year-old son, Soumitra’s impulsive aggression. Our second son, Soumitra, was born autistic. We did not realize it initially; it was only when his growth milestones like walking or talking were not being met that we sensed something wrong. His behaviour pattern too was odd. He would stare awkwardly…
  • I Am His Sister And He Loves me Only For That
    On Fragile X Awareness Day, Avanti Balachander,18 shares her insights of living with her brother who has Fragile X and ADHD. And her three wishes.  16 years ago my brother was born. 14 years ago he was diagnosed with Fragile X and ADHD. I would like to say it was all dandy. And that once we knew what the issue was we could work on it. But man it was difficult. No one knew anything about Fragile X back then, we had to figure it out as we went.  We were so lucky Dhruv was even verbal…
  • The Relevance of Adapted Physical Education in Schools
    Shaloo Sharma, the head of a school in Gurgaon committed to inclusive education and Sunil Bhatt, a certified physical instructor for children with special needs from Ancramdale, New York share their views on the importance of Adaptive Physical Education for children with disabilities. Adaptive Physical Education - A rights-based approach to accessible play. Every child has the right to play. According to the Right To Education, it is mandatory for every school to have a robust Physial Education…
  • 24 or more hours with the Autism Community in Delhi
    Madhusudan Srinivas, parent of a 24 year old autistic boy, Abhimanyu, shares the surprises a day throws up for families of people with autism. His life's vision is to ensure enjoyable evenings for all people with special needs, especially the community of young adults with autism.  Blips on a screen, jumble of words for you, but way beyond reality bites for me, and for us in the autism community.  Hi all, this is Madhusudan Srinivas, father of Abhimanyu  24 and autistic, and…
  • Tips for the Special Needs Parent - A Parent Shares
    Janaki Balakrishnan is not just a parent whose son has multiple disabilities, but also a Special educator and an active member of parent support organisations. She shares her observations of parents who are in similar situations and what they should ideally avoid for stress-free caregiving roles I am a parent of a young adult with special needs and live in Chennai. My 22 year old son (only child), is deaf and mute and has multiple issues such as cerebral palsy, seizures, profound mental…
  • Importance of Diet Control for Autism
    Saswati Singh, Trustee member with Navprerna Foundations, a welfare organisation for the training and rehabilitation of persons with Autism and other developmental disabilities, talks about how important food intake can be for people with autism as well as other disabilities Autism is a developmental disorder, which affects social skills, communication, thought and behaviour. This is more of a neuro-physiological disorder and affected persons have difficulty in processing and integrating…