By Dr Ganesh Shiwarkar
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects one’s ability to learn, communicate and behave. It makes it somewhat difficult to establish social ties with other people. They may also display behaviour including inability to maintain eye contact, compulsive behaviour, learning difficulty, hyperactivity, speech issues and limited/intensive interest in any particular thing. They may also face depression. These are all indicative of autism in an individual.
Every year in April, we celebrate World Autism Awareness Day to raise awareness about the autism spectrum and its symptoms. On this day, we also seek to enhance the role of individuals on the spectrum in our society and increase acceptance of the condition. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) witnessed a rise from 62 to 100 in every 10,000 individuals in the past decade. In 2019, a study published by Neurology India, highlighted that children in India are afflicted by the disease extensively. It was discovered that one in 100 children in India below the age of 10 are on the autism spectrum.
While the rise in autism is certainly a cause for concern for the parents and the medical fraternity, it is also important for us to remember that this rise could be a result of other factors including increased awareness and regular screenings being undertaken.
Early diagnosis of autism can certainly pave the way for early intervention. This takes the form of therapies that can improve a child's communication and social skills. This may, in turn, improve a child's quality of life as they get older and reach their full potential. As a result of this, the role of the parent or caregiver becomes critical in determining success. It is important for the medical fraternity to undertake counselling sessions with young parents to understand the signs of ASD and intervene by bringing their children for screening.
One of the ways we can undertake screening for autism in children is through the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R). It is essentially a series of 20 simple questions that tests for example whether our child is focused on the objective, whether our child listens, and whether our child picks up the right things when we ask. It is essential that our medical fraternity is also made adequately aware to ensure accurate and timely diagnosis. Efforts need to be made towards information sharing on developmental disabilities, as well as better collaboration between different professionals who may have a role in screening and diagnosis.
There is also of course the issue of societal attitudes towards ADS. It is important we now change how we speak about disabilities from a “problem” a child is facing to speaking of “hope” in treatment available. A critical first step is to raise awareness of the condition. Even today, policy makers and health professionals are not fully aware of the ins and outs of the condition. On the occasion of world autism awareness day, it is important for all actors to raise awareness. If policymakers are well informed, they may be able to make the right decisions through effective framing of policies and their implementation. The need for early detection and treatment can indeed result in a fruitful life for children on the spectrum.
(The author is a Senior Consultant Pediatrics and Neonatology at Surya Mother and Child Super Specialty Hospital in Pune.)
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