What you need to know:
- Autism is not a taboo. It should be embraced.
- These children should be accommodated in regular schools and treated as normal children.
April 2 is observed as World Autism Day.
It is a day where people create awareness about the disease and build acceptance. Children with autism often find difficult to interact and communicate with others. They do not make eye contact with people and are sensitive to sound. Some have behavioural problems.
Parents often find it difficult to take such children to public places as they often attract the attention of those around them, because of their behaviour. However, such children can excel at different fields and may have special talents. They are often multitalented and can be honed and identified at an early stage.
These children should be accommodated in regular schools and treated as normal children. Extra care should be given to keep them on a par with others.
Children who have extreme behavioural issues are treated with medicines to calm them.
There can be internal as well as external triggers of autism. The symptoms can also vary from person to person. As there is an alarming increase in the number of autistic cases, more research should be invested in this direction and awareness should be created. They need to be integrated into society.
Many eminent people in history have shown symptoms of autism like Albert Einstein and Mozart. As you can see these people have made a name for themselves and excelled in their respective fields despite their disability. This is encouraging for children who fall into this spectrum. Let the world be more tolerant of such children and accept them wholeheartedly.
- The reader is a logistics manager based in Dubai.
