AUTISM COMMUNITY

AUTISM COMMUNITY

A neighbourly hand to autism community
Autism symptoms range in presentation and severity. Children with autism frequently have an intellectual disability, but some children with autism will have normal intelligence. Children with autism may also have seizures, motor abnormalities, anxiety, sleep cycle disturbances, gastrointestinal problems, immune dysfunction and sensory disturbances. Not all the features are present in every child. Instead, a subset of features underlies autism in each individual.

Ayalkootam, the self-help groups under Kudumbasree, is expanding to become more than just a means of livelihood support for women.Parents of autistic children are coming forward to set up the third such group in the district.The decision to strengthen the support for these parents through such groups came up at a recent workshop held in the city for parents and teachers of ‘Buds Special Schools’ for autistic children under the Kudumbasree.The success of two such existing groups in the district — Sneha and Souhrutha — has given the confidence for parents to come together to create more such platforms.

According to the district mission coordinator L. Sreelatha, many parents are unaware that forming Ayalkootam entitles them to benefits under the National Livelihood Mission scheme.“Parents and teachers of these children need special awareness and support. The neighbourhood groups are aimed to extend this support so that the community can meet and take decisions that could benefit the children,” she said.Many of these children were very talented in some artistic works, and they could be trained like the women in other self-help groups.“We are looking into the options to set up such training classes,” said the coordinator.But autistic children needed innovative facilities specific to them, including special classes in craftwork, the parents in the groups said.Requesting the officials to offer such classes, they also sought methods that could help to market the products made by the children.However, it is not easy making such groups, says Vijaya Krishnan, a member of Sneha. “The group activities are not the same as those of other women self-help groups. These parents and children need social, financial, and more importantly mental support,” says Mr. Krishnan.

                             Prof. John Kurakar