I understand
By Limana Solaiman Mridha
People tend to be scared of things that are different from what they know. Perhaps, that is the reason our society is yet to open its mind to the possibility that just because a person does not interact the way one is used to, he or she is not lacking. They are not. Many of them are highly intelligent individuals who just see things differently, as they live with autism.
A shining example of a person dealing with autism and breaking all social taboos surrounding the condition is Temple Grandin, an American inventor, professor and best-selling author. She has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry. Until the age of three, Grandin did not talk, instead, she expressed her frustration by screaming or humming, and once she was diagnosed, doctors suggested that she be institutionalized.
There are several myths regarding this neurological condition circulating around, such as: autism is a mental disorder; individuals with autism are violent; autism is caused by poor parenting; it is a result of childhood vaccines; people with autism do not want friends, etc. These are all misconceptions and the way people behave due to such prevailing fallacies cause much distress to a person with autism and to his or her family.
Ahead of World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, Weekend Independent talked to a number of people working with children with autism to learn about the treatment they get from society and what kind of sensitivity people should cultivate to avoid hurting their feelings.
Mahbub Khan, general secretary of Foundation for Autism Research and Education (FARE) located in Chittagong, shares his experience:
There are a total of 33 fulltime students in our school and 21 part-timers. Ours is a parent-based organisation and we have two facilities, one in Chittagong and one in Dhaka. Parents whose children attend our schools go through extensive training programme to learn how to deal with and educate their child. Every parent is required to volunteer at our facilities. We bring in trainers from all over the world to help us train teachers and parents to acquire the skill sets necessary to help children with autism. FARE has an agreement with West Bengal Autism Society, and they send in trainers quarterly to work with the volunteers and teachers of our school.
Before, people did not know much about this condition but after the UN announced World Autism Day, people at least know what it is. But still, more can be done to spread awareness. My son goes to this school we have founded in order to improve the life of children with autism. He likes to stay isolated and does not play with other children. He has problems with his diet as well.
Sometimes, it is painful to hear the remarks people make when we take our child to a social gathering. For example, when a child with autism attends a marriage ceremony, we often hear people saying, they could have left him/her back home or why did they have to attend? etc. It would be great if people were more considerate and develop tolerance for someone different from them.
Dr Fahmida Islam Chowdhury is a doctor who has a child attending Chittagong FAREs Spectra School of Autism, and she is also chairperson of the school. She told the Weekend Independent:
I have seen parents unwilling to take their child for outdoor visits as people might pass insensitive comments because of the way the child expresses his or her excitement. Sometimes, they move their hands vigorously if they want to express excitement or happiness, but this action of theirs lead to their isolation and it is just sad. I have also seen parents of children with autism avoid social gatherings because they are afraid of what people might say about their child. Once, my son took a candyfloss from another child and his parents came down on us heavily. I tried to explain that he is still developing these social skills but they refused to understand. I even offered to buy their child another one. Sometimes we take the children of our school to the playground so that they can interact and play with other kids. That is very important and a part of transition for children with autism into mainstream schools. We have faced reluctance from parents of other children. They do not want their son or daughter to play with a child with autism. People do not want to be considerate and patient.
Denial is very common among parents whose child has autism. Therefore, mainstream schools should have in-house psychologists who should break the news to the parents. Schools should maintain behaviour charts and should refer to that while talking to parents about their child. Almost every school in India has special educators to help a child with autism learn better. Our schools should have similar facilities.
I see development in my son. I am happy with his progress. He likes sewing and is good with operating his iPad.
Aminul Haque Chowdhury is a director and an occupational therapist at International Specialized School in Uttara. He shared stories of children he works with:
From social point of view, I have seen children with autism often being neglected by family and friends. Their parents hesitate to take them for visits to relatives as often they hear negative comments about the improvement in their child. Relatives time and again point out that even though their child is attending a special school, they do not see any noticeable progress. Another thing I have seen quite frequently is the reluctance of parents to let their child get acquainted with a child with autism. Many I have spoken to said that they are afraid that their child might be affected somehow.
Many students come with tabiz (talisman) hanging around their necks. They have educated parents and they are from well-to-do families. Many even believe that people whose child has autism must have done something bad and that is why this is happening to them. These notions need to be changed, and people should also work towards changing their attitude and develop sensitivity and tolerance towards people with autism.
Also, mainstream schools lack the necessary understanding and skill sets required to help a child with autism fit in. Recently, two children who are brothers started schooling with us as their parents were made to change school due to frequent complaints about the elder childs behaviour. The teachers of his previous school complained that he was not paying attention and would push around other children in his class. Such complaints would cease to exist if teachers in mainstream schools are made aware of the conditions of autism and undergo special training sessions. It is very important for the development of a child with autism to be incorporated into mainstream schools.
Photos: Courtesy
