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Characteristics of Autistic Children
Gayatri was a very pretty five-year-old girl when I first met her. She held her mother's hand and walked into the room, murmuring something to herself. Whatever she was saying was inaudible to everyone and it was just a group of words that she kept repeating to herself. When placed, she would just sit on the chair, rocking back and forth and murmuring to herself. She refused to look up at the person talking to her; she refused to do any table work given to her (like a 4 piece puzzle maybe,). If left outside, she would just run round and round in circles, and if someone interfered with what she was doing, she would scream indefinitely. A couple of play schools sent her back saying that she didn't 'fit in'. But the saddest part was that in all her five years, she did not utter a single word meaningfully. Her mother was still waiting to hear “mama” from her. If she needed something, she would grab her mother's hand and take her physically to whatever it was that she wanted. This is Gayatri. Personally, the most rewarding part of being a mother has been seeing my two children take every tiny step towards growing up and achieving success. The first time they looked into my eyes, the first time they held my finger in their tiny trembling hands, the first time they called me 'mama' in their own unique way! The way they expected me to answer to their every call was a little taxing but in the long run, when I look back, everything seems like a blur. This being the case, it is very heartbreaking to think of a mother who, in spite of having children, might never have experienced even one of these things. Yes, this is what happens in a family with autistic children. Years ago, a child with autism was considered as being 'mentally retarded', as the symptoms could not be classified definitely. Autism is said to be a developmental disorder that usually originates in children before the age of three. In these children, the development in the areas of social interaction and communication is impaired. They also display stereotypical behavior such as repetitive activity or speech. The most basic sign that the child is not able to communicate properly is the fact that these children will not have eye contact with anyone. They might look at you for a second, that too in passing. A child with autism has poor impulse control, hyperactivity, aggression, a poor attention span. Many children have sensory issues too. For example, some children may respond only to deep pressure on their skin, while some may be over sensitive to light touches. Loud noises may bother some children while some other might prefer loud noises to whispers. Some children may learn better with visual aids like pictures, while some may learn better by listening. Another symptom or characteristic of autism is that these children mostly like order, be it in things they do or even objects. They always have a set daily routine in their minds, and any change in this routine will be faced with anger, protest and temper tantrums which may last from minutes to even hours. Many children spend a great deal of time lining up objects such as cars in a row, or other toys too. Some of them may be obsessed with certain colors, like my autistic nephew, who mostly wears clothes of the color yellow. Making him wear another color is a tedious task. Even among these special children, there are quite a few gifted ones, who are geniuses. At very young ages they may be able to do big calculations, write poems etc. and it is seen that they are able to observe and grasp all the happenings around them but are not able to express any kind of response. In simple words, it can be called 'a short circuit in the brain,' where the link between the input of information into the brain and the output is interrupted. No one definite cause for autism has been discovered as yet. I have seen multiple theories on the causes of autism – from environmental exposure to plastics to environmental influences to genetics. But it is proved and often seen that there is a strong correlation between autism and some other organic or biological conditions such as tuberculosis, sclerosis, Down's syndrome and epileptic fits. There is some speculation that autism may be linked mercury exposure, which is mostly present in some vaccines that are given to the child. But the most current studies consider autism as a neuro-immunological disorder, meaning, it is related to changes in the chemical or biological make-up of the nerves, brain and chemical structures of the body. There are many more proposed causes for autism but none have been proved and as a result, there is no cure. The only way out is to give these children, therapy and training as early as possible, so that they learn to live a better and independent life with their disability. It takes a lot of time, effort and patience to understand them, but in the end it will all be worth it, even if it is just to get a look in the eyes from them or even a smile aimed at you. The resulting feeling is very rewarding.
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