if you want to help, write to afa or call: c o n ... - autism 2002 vol. vix, no. 3.pdf · (autism)....

AUTISM NETWORK ~ DECEMBER 2002

DECEMBER 2002 V O L IX N O. 3

C O N T E N T S

N E T W O R K

Action For Autism is a registered, non-profit, national parentorganisation. Autism Network is published by Action For Autismto provide information on education, therapy, care, and to provideinteraction for families and professionals across the country.

Autism Network is a forum for expressing diverse opinions.Action For Autism does not hold itself responsible for opinionsexpressed by individual writers. Publication of any informationdoes not mean support of Action For Autism.

INFORMATIONFor information on receiving the Autism Network write to:Action For Autism, T 370 F Chiragh Dilli Gaon, 3rd Floor,New Delhi - 110 017, Tel: 6416469, 6416470.

Autism Network does not accept advertisements. Expensesare met through donations and sponsorships from our readers,friends and well wishers.

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONSDo you have any comments, suggestions to offer? Information andexperience to share? We look forward to our readers' participation.Send letters, articles, illustrations to:

The Editor, Autism Network,T 370 F Chiragh Gaon,3rd. Floor, New Delhi - 110 017.E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.autism-india.org

Editor: Merry BaruaEditorial Board: Ann Varavukala, Indu ChaswalDesign & Production: Bindu Badshah, Sudhir Pillai

Page OneTeaching Thinking Skills through Playand Drama to Children with AutismHow Do I Spell A.U.T.I.S.M. ?Medication and AlternativeTherapies for Autistic ChildrenParent Accounts: Fear of Flying I...and Other IssuesAutism Week: December 2002LettersTurn Taking (Hindi)The Results of Better UnderstandingSelf HelpWorkshop: Forum for AutismAutism Workshop in KolkataWorkshop: Using Sensory Integrationin Everyday RoutinesHelplineBook Review

Cover Illustration

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If you want to help, write to AFA or call:� Action For Autism Tel: 641 6469/70

� Indu Chaswal Tel: 609 4410� Merry Barua Tel: 6566584

WISHLIST !

This issue of Autism Network is sponsoredby The Danish Society for Autism.

'Maa Durga"by Kunal Sharma who is 9 years old.

FOR ALL STUDENTSo A minibus or van

o Board Markers & Felt Penso Portable Music System/ cassettes & CDs

o Glossy Newspapers: Sundayand Saturday supplements for craftwork

o Children�s tricycles/ slides/ swings/ seesawso Paper to recycle for children�s worksheets:

o A4 sheets of paper used on one side

FOR THE WORK SKILLS TRAINING CENTREo Laminating machine that

can laminate up to an A4 size

FOR THE OFFICEo New keyboard for the office computer

o Two fast printers for computers

FOR THE NATIONAL CENTREo Support for components of the NC Building


PAGE ONE

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And so to the final issue of the year.

A lot of the campaigning and lobbying work we do atAFA can be a slow and drawn out process. But little bylittle we get results and that is what counts!

As most of our readers know we function frominadequate premises in Chirag Dilli village, that affectsour efficiency and possible reach to the many morefamilies and professionals looking for help andguidance.

The good news is that, finally, after years of struggleand chasing applications, the Government hasallotted us land to set up a permanent purpose-builtcentre. Finally, an opportunity to set up an institutionwith the physical capacity to meet our need forexpansion. A centre with a larger, national visioncatering to the ever-increasing needs of the largecatchment of children, parents and families that theAFA family has become the caregiver for.

This is what the AFA National Centre for Advocacy,Research and Training sets out to do.

Before we celebrate one achievement the next battlecommences! We are now embarking on a massive fund-raising programme to meet the costs of the buildingconstruction, equipment and maintenance.

The first stage of this fund-raising took place on2 November at the Siri Fort Auditorium. Entitled �SurMantra�, the evening comprised of a classical concertof Khayal and Thumri-Dadra featuring Shubha Mudgal.We were delighted to have Mrs. Sonia Gandhi presentas Chief Guest. This was the largest event we haveever undertaken and we extend our sincere thanks toall our supporters who helped to make the evening sucha great success. And a huge thank you andcongratulations to the �Open Door� students who sangwith such charm and enthusiasm. I think we were allparticularly moved by their rendition of �We shall notbe moved�! Ironically, we now wish for exactly theopposite! Our wish it to have the new centre up andrunning within a year and a half. We anticipate a hugeamount of hard work and perseverance along the way.

We know you will all support us in making this dream areality.

Another area where AFA continues to campaignactively is professional teacher training for Autism.With both awareness and diagnosis of autism on theincrease, the need for trained teachers is increasinglyurgent. AFA�s year long training course for teachers ofchildren with autism has been up and running forseveral years. This year�s intake began in June and isnow well under way.

As reported in our April edition, the RehabilitationCouncil of India (RCI) -sponsored National Workshopmet in Chennai last December to make a policydecision regarding the need for a separate trainingcourse for autism. The conclusions from this workshopclearly indicated the misconceptions and level ofmisunderstanding that prevails. Our ongoing efforts tourge the RCI to either recognise the AFA course alongwith that of the KPAMRC or introduce a dedicated,special education course for children with autism seemto have had an effect. The RCI have now called anExpert Committee meeting this December to developcurriculum of a Diploma Course in Special Education(Autism). Little by little�

The autism community has been fortunate this lastyear in having the understanding and support of theMrs Aloka Guha, Chairperson of the National Trust, ingetting things moving in what is really a rights issuefor the community.

This issue carries several accounts from parents thatillustrate the value of parent empowerment that iscentral to AFA�s vision. With specific and dedicatedassistance from trained professionals parents can notonly understand and deal with their child�s behaviour,but can also help them to improve and developcontinuously, as well as be an empowering example toother parents.

And so, we prepare to celebrate Autism Week acrossthe country and look forward to 2003 with optimismand excitement. And we wish all our readers a NewYear of Peace and Promise, Hope and Happiness.


Teaching Thinking Skills throughPlay and Drama to Children with Autism

Dave Sherratt is a teacher from the UK and has specialised in teachingchildren with autism to play. He has presented papers on play and affective cognition.

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� Play Structure 4 : DesireThese strategies are suitable for children that canunderstand that people are capable of thinkingthoughts independently (such as through differentperspectives). The teacher asks, �Who wants to playwith the wolf puppet and who wants the first little pigpuppet ? What did she want, can you remember?�During the story the teacher asks the followingquestions. The fox puppet wants to sleep, but theother animals want to take his food, will he havebreakfast or an empty tummy in the morning? Thethree little pigs want a safe house but the wolf wantsdinner. The wolf wants the pigs to come out, but thepigs want to hide. Who had a fierce face was it thewolf or the pigs? Can you show me a fierce face? Whohad a frightened face was it the wolf or the pigs? Canyou show me a frightened face?

� Play Structure 5 : BeliefIn this structure the children are developing anunderstanding that other people have thoughts as wellas desires. These explain some of the wolf�sbehaviour. The first little pig believes that his house isstrong enough to protect him from the wolf. Was hecorrect ? What about the second and third pigs ? Thewolf believed that he would catch the pigs when hedropped down the chimney was he correct ? Was hehappy or sad when he climbed down the chimney ?�He was happy because he believed that he would ..."

� Play Structure 6 : False BeliefThe final structure is designed for children that areable to understand that people can be mistaken ortricked. The wolf finished huffing and puffing andwalked away from the house. Did he look happy orsad ? Was he really happy or sad ? He told the pigs hewas going home because he could not blow downtheir house. Did the pigs believe him ? Where was hegoing really ? Why did he trick the pigs ? The three

Dave Sherratt

little pigs build a big fire, but what did the wolf thinkwas down the chimney ?

AN alternative means to teach thinking skills throughplay and drama in children with autism involvesinteractive mirroring. Interactive mirroring uses non-verbally negotiated imitation and play to create asense of shared attention and a sense of having aneffect on one�s shared environment (agency). This is amethod of encouraging a shared understanding of playwith others and is especially useful in children whofind difficulty in �whistling to anyone else�s tune�.Many children with autism find sharing a mentalworkspace with others difficult and need theconfidence that is provided by this strategy in order toreach out to others.

ALTHOUGH this type of strategy is by necessitydynamic and therefore difficult to describeprescriptively, it is possible to outline the coreprocedures. There are three stages of interactivemirroring. Step One aims to move from the childbeing imitated to the child�s imitation of the teacherand ultimately to an interactive and dynamic mirroredpattern in a restricted and formal setting. Interactivemirroring uses two identical sets of objects. One set isused by the teacher and the other by the child. Eachset might contain a range of objects that include humanor animal figures, some blocks and boxes. The couplesit in a visually definable area, such as at a table or ona carpet in a corner of the room. Both partners in thisprocedure must be able to see each other�s materials.

AS the child touches or moves an object the teacherimitates the child, each using their own set of objects.The child lifts a block and the teacher copies theaction, as if it were an echo of the child�s movement.Although even this low level of intrusion can beuncomfortable for some children with autism, most

(Continued from Autism Network, August 2002)


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children will be attracted if not intrigued by theemerging mirrored pattern. This mirroring iscontinued until the child is comfortable with it andexpects that their own behaviour will have acontingent response from the teacher. At this pointthe teacher initiates a new and spontaneous actionwith the materials. The teacher then looks expectantlyand explicitly at the child�s materials, hoping that thechild will reverse the pattern and imitate the teacher�saction. If this is successful the teacher makes anotherspontaneous action with the objects and againwatches. If the attemptwas unsuccessful theteacher reverts tomirroring and waits for afurther opportunity. Thisstage of interactivemirroring attempts tobuild up conversations ofactions in which theteacher or the childrespond to each other�smovements. The teachermay emphasise thesignificance of their ownactions or those of thechild by making sounds of excitement or approvalwhilst using only the minimum of recognisablewords. The words used must not become a distractionfrom the action but add to it. Step One ends when thechild starts to use spontaneous reciprocal interactionsin other settings.

STEP Two aims to move from the child generatingplay ideas within an open setting to leading and thenfollowing the pretence of others. This is similar to theprevious step but recognises the difficulties that manychildren with autism have in generating andinteracting about shared thoughts in an unstructuredsituation. This step may be brought about by usingchildren�s toys in simple play structures.

THE child may be playing with a train set. Theteacher introduces an additional train to the track.Having been accepted onto the same track, theteacher works to reflect the actions of the child�strain. The teacher then introduces a novel feature.Perhaps the train falls off a bridge or a cow walksonto the line. The teacher then works towards thechild sharing a new focus within the play. If the childis able to respond to this �sabotage of the familiar�

then the teacher can provide resources and otherstructures that encourage the child to introducevariations into the shared play.

IN the final step of interactive mirroring, the child�simaginative play is taken into increasingly socialpeer-group settings. The child is encouraged to beginbuilding collaborative narratives with other childrenaround common interests in the play. A child mayfind a shared interest in trains and work to share aplay episode in which two trains crash head-on. In

this step it is often helpfulif the children involvedhave a wealth of pretendplay experience. Wherethis is not the case, theteacher can provide abackground story thatacts to stimulate ideas,without encouragingsimple replication of it.

USING some of thestrategies describedabove, it is possible forchildren with autism to

learn about the world in more sophisticated ways andultimately about the process of thinking itself. Theseare important aims and some children will only makeslow progress towards them. However using a playand drama approach, some children with autism maymake rapid and substantial progress in an area offunctioning that at first seemed impossibly difficult.

WHICH thinking skills are most important forchildren with autism to develop ? Children withautism have difficulties in social understanding, incommunication and in their rigid thought processes.These produce a pattern of repetitive and narrowbehaviours, impairments in play and creativity andadaptability. Children with autism also finddifficulties in engaging with other people andparticularly with their peer group. The combination ofthese features of autism also reduces the opportunitiesfor children to extend their learning through a sharedfocus, such as discussing ideas with friends. An over-riding tendency to maintain the predictable anddifficulties in accommodating change also reducesopportunities for children with autism to develop the

(cont. on pg 4...)

Excerpt of a conversationbetween Z, aged six, and his mother.

Ma: How will Ma know what Z wants to eat?

Z: I will write.

Ma: Can't you talk and say what you want to eat?

Z: No. I can�t talk because I feel pain in my tongue.

Ma: Would you like to know how to talk?

Z: No. Because I don�t like to talk.

Ma: Why don�t you like to talk?

Z: Because I feel pain in my tongue


4

flexible and fluid thought processes that normallydeveloping children build up through play.

IN using play and drama to develop thinking skills inchildren with autism, it is important for the teacher tofocus upon the most important areas of development.Using the techniques above, the teacher shouldmaintain a focus upon interactivity and collaborationbetween child/adult and later the child with theirpeers. The teacher should structure the play / dramato encourage creativity and imagination, novelty andspontaneity. Finally, the child should be encouragedto apply their creativity and imagination to thenarrative. Without this the child's thoughts are

(...cont.from page 3)

A is for Awe.I am awestruck at what my child is able to DO, despitethe limitations placed upon her.

U is for Universe and Understanding and Unique.My child inhabits a parallel universe that I mustunderstand and help others understand. In the process,

I evolve as a human.

I learn the great lesson that differences in others mustbe appreciated and that uniqueness can carryadvantages as rewarding as similarity.

Fortified with that strong positive message from aparent, any child will very likely make astonishingprogress.

T is for Tolerance.I must tolerate the insensitivity of others and learn totake it not as a personal slight, but as an opportunityto educate.

I is for Incredible.The incredible inner resources I never knew I had.

The incredible ability of a friend, or family member,even if there be only ONE, to be supportive.

How Do I Spell A.U.T.I.S.M. ?By Chitra Raman

The incredible joy in my child�s eyes when sheachieves a breakthrough.

S is for Selective.I must be selective about the episodes I focus anddwell upon, whether they be the behavior of mychild, a setback with the school system, or differenceswith my life partner or a relative.

I must ball up like an armadillo and let those forcesflow over me, to temporarily crush but never toconsume.

M is for Movement and Milestones.I must keep moving.

Moving to find answers, moving to find ways aroundobstacles, moving to harness the energy of well-wishers, moving to enrich the life experiences of mychild.

I can set a distant goal but I must not look beyond thenext milestone. I must never belittle any achievement,any change, any dawning awareness in my child nomatter how small.

Rather, I must celebrate each milestone by throwing awild party even if just for two � My child and I.

difficult to label and communicate and becomechaotic, fragmented and the potential for developmentis lost.

THE teacher needs to recognise that the child who hasautism is an individual who does not share meaningseffectively. These techniques should be used to assistthe child with autism to develop their thinking skillsand a more coherent understanding of their world.

REFERENCES� Sherratt, D. (1999) �The importance of play.� Good Autism Practicevol.1, 2, 23-31.� Sherratt, D. and Peter, M. (2002) Developing Play and Drama inChildren with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. David Fulton Publishers.London.


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The Forum For Autism, Mumbai organised a paneldiscussion on Medication and Alternative Therapiesfor Autistic Children on Sunday 4th August. Thepanelists were Dr. Vrajesh Udani, Consultant inNeurology and Epilepsy, Dr. Sanjeev KotharePaediatric Neurologist and Epileptologist, and Dr.Vibha Krishnamurthy, Pediatrician Specialist inDevelopmental Disorders, all leading professionalswho have been involved with autism issues.

Dr. Udani started the discussion with a presentationdetailing the different therapies currently in use andtheir efficacy. He prefaced it with some commonquestions and their answers.

DATA from western countries suggest a 200-1000%increase in the number of children with a diagnosis ofautism over the last 15 years. Presently one child in150 has an autism spectrum disorder AND ourexperience is similar. The increase in prevalence ispossibly due to increased awareness and expandeddiagnostic criteria, along with environmental factors.The last is not yet proven.

The environmental factors being talked about are:� Vaccinations� Gut hypothesis: Infections, allergies, chemicaldeficiencies, �leaky� gut, excess toxins � for whichthere is only some evidence� Immune dysfunction: for which there is littleevidence.

What underlies the symptoms?� Unable to �read� others minds, expressions, bodylanguage.� Cannot see the �complete picture�, only details� Poor attention, planning, sequencing, impulsecontrol� Cannot integrate touch, visual, sound sensations.

What are the primary concerns as voiced?� Will he be normal?� Will he go to normal school?

Medication and Alternative Therapiesfor Autistic Children

� Will he talk?� How do we get the best out of him?� How do we make him lead an independent life?� Can you do something about his behaviour �hyperactive, aggressive, obsessive, sensitivity tostimuli?

THE answer to these questions supported with strongevidence are:� Intensive early interventions for toddlers� Intensive Home / School based behaviour therapyfor all children� Teaching skills including how to read other�s faces,expressions, �minds'.

SOME drugs which are used today and which aresupported with evidence are mainly used for olderchildren and adults, and helps behaviour but notspeech. Among these are Haloperidol (Serenace),Risperidone, Methylphenidiate (Addwize, Ritalin),Fluoxamine, Fluoxetine (Fludac, Prozac)

VARIOUS Therapies with Weak/ ConflictingEvidence are: Sensory Integration, GFCF diet,Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)/ Magnesium, Vitamin C,other vitamins. Drugs: Valproate, Carbamazepine,Olanzapine, Buspirone, Melatonin, Steroids, IVIG,Antibiotics

THOSE therapies with no evidence or which are stillunder study are: Vitamin A, Urecholine, Mercurydetoxification, Antifungals, Omega oils, Reikimassage, Acupressure, Homeopathy.

THERE is now evidence that Auditory IntegrationTherapy and Secretin do not work.

No matter which drug is used, what is most importantis how the drug is used.� Use with therapy; never alone� Use in older individuals� Use only if there are behaviours that interefere withdaily life

By Chitra Iyer


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� Be conscious of the particular symptom beingaddressed � hyperactivity, obsessions, aggression,sleep problems� Avoid drugs with long term side effects.

Benefits should not be over- or under-estimated.All autism is not the same. When many therapies areused simultaneously, we do not have blood tests tofollow up, checklists are confusing and culture based,there are several opinions, and parents get confusedand follow irregular treatments.

What should the parent do?� Get a full evaluation done � In Mumbai: HindujaHospital, Jaslok Hospital, Ummeed ChildDevelopment Centre. In Delhi: Action For Autism,AIIMS. In Bangalore: NIMHANS and in Chandigarh:PGI.� Get information � from the internet, libraries,support groups� Get early intervention, proper education placement(Strong evidence to support benefits)� Use alternative therapies that have the least sideeffects, and with more published papers on evidencebased on research� Use drugs only when required

DR. Sanjeev V. Kothare, Pediatric Neurologist &Epileptologist next covered Pharmocotherapy forChildren With Autism. He made a detailedpresentation on which drugs are to be used for whatproblems.

DR Kothare made it very clear that these drugsshould be taken only when prescribed by a physicianwho diagnoses autism. The drugs need to be startedand increased slowly to their full dosage and similarlyneed to be tapered off and not stopped suddenly.Every drug has side effects. Only on weighing thepros and cons of whether the child�s conditions issuch that his behaviour is interfering with his day today activities are drugs prescribed to overcome suchbehaviours and help him lead a close to normal life.Normally the body gets adjusted to the side effects ofthe drugs and helps in controlling untowardbehaviours. Usually one should try to avoid drugswith long term side effects.

DR Kothare still strongly advises that none of thesedrugs will help alone. Therapy is what is mostimportant, which along with drugs can help the child

overcome various problems such as hyperactivity,obsessions, aggression, and sleep problems that thechild is facing.

FOR Autism with ADHD the drugs that are presentlybeing prescribed by neurologists are: MethylPhenydate, Dextro-amphetamine, Clonidine,Guanfacine, Buspirone

FOR Autism with Aggressive Behaviour drugs needto be given depending on case to case diagnosis.These are: Propranolol, Risperidine, Valproic acid,Carbamazepine, Naltrexone.

FOR Autism with Epilepsy the following drugs workwell depending on the individual nature of the case:Valproic Acid, Clobazam, Klonazepam, Steroids

FOR Autism with Insomnia if and when doctors feelthe plight of the parents is desperate they prescribethe following drugs which have shown good results:Amitriptiline, Trazadone, Melatonin.

NEXT Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy, PaediatricianSpecialist in Developmental Disorders stressed theimportance of early diagnosis, early intervention andthe effectiveness of therapy. She emphasised thatwhen trying out new alternative therapies one shouldnot stop regular therapy. They could possibly be triedout alongside but not at the cost of regularintervention therapy. She also said that Lovas orABA, which is being looked at very eagerly today,uses techniques of encouraging positive behaviourand discouraging negative behaviour which are partand parcel of all therapies.

SHE also asked parents to be part of parent supportgroups to share their problems and collectivelyorganise such workshops and most importantly tobe well informed. Some regular schools have beenvery forthcoming and have solved issues with parentson integrating high functioning autistic children andsome school counsellors too were working very wellwith children and parents. She emphasized the needin special schools of all involved therapists to work inco-operation with each other to draw up IndividualisedEducation Programmes (IEP) for children and workwith parents to achieve goals together.

FOLLOWING the presentations the panelists tookquestions from the attendees.


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We have two sons. Aman the elder one is eightyears old and Sahil who is six years. Aman wasdiagnosed with Autism four years back. Keeping inmind his complex behaviours we had every year beenpostponing our holidays. But this year we thought ofgoing ahead and taking up the challenge. We were ofcourse very much apprehensive that his behaviourwould be difficult both during the flight, as well as atthe airport when we landed, and he might also findthe hotel and sight seeing difficult to deal with. Someof our fears about the flight were that he may not sit,may start crying, and disturb others if he didn�t sleepthrough the duration of the flight.

I asked AFA�s advice on how I would cope with hisbehaviour during the flight. As always, I was advisedto relax and not to pass the effect of my uneasiness onto my son. I even asked her if any tranquilizer shouldbe given. Merry said that if the tranquilizer did notwork, as it often does not with many children withautism, Aman may then have to battle with hisdrowsiness as well.

AMAN was told about the trip and prepared inadvance for it in a manner that he understood. Aman�steacher Viveka also explained to Aman in a similarmanner that he was smart enough to sit in the aircraftthrough the duration of the flight. So, we landed at theairport on the night we had to leave. Our very firstapprehension about his behaviour in the flight provedwrong as for quite some time he was asleep and therest of the time he enjoyed the flight!

AMAN enjoyed the take off. He didn�t move from hisseat. He took the orange juice from the air hostessnicely. He was exploring new things. He would gazeat the written instruction �fasten seat belt while seated�.It was lovely to see him so calm and peaceful. Weultimately landed at the Kuala Lumpur airport. He wasa bit agitated as his sleep was disturbed. It wasexplained to him that we had reached our destinationand soon he would reach the hotel to relax. To me itseemed that he had understood my point and wasready to accompany us to the hotel.

WE stayed here for two nights and his behaviour wasacceptable. He enjoyed the city tours, long walks,

eating his favourite French fries at McDonalds. Imade him sit in the roller coaster also. He did not likeit because of the speed but he did not cry. He enjoyedthe comfortable rides of the slow giant wheel andmerry go round. Water is fun for Aman and welanded on the Langkawi Island and being on thebeaches must have been his dream come true. He wasso satisfied and enjoyed it lots. He was disturbedsometimes because of the heat. But on return to thehotel he relaxed.

AFTER this our second stop was Singapore whichwas an hours flight away. In Singapore he walkedand walked, got tired, and went off to sleep on hisown. I just had to take care of his hunger and he fullycooperated. We visited the zoo. He would sit (!) andwatch the half-hour animal shows like the elephantshow, sea lion show, polar bear show. He loved towatch the fountain musical show at the Sentosa. Hewatched with his eyes opened wide and big and thenclapped. Once he was disturbed when we had to sit inthe cable car. He pulled my hair. Our tour guide tookhis hand and explained to him not to be afraid of theheight and relax. He understood what was explainedto him. It made him relax and we also feltcomfortable then. He held the guide�s hand whilewatching several other spots. He was interested ineverything there.

OF course before going on the trip everything aboutit had been explained to Aman. He knew for howlong he was going and where. Towards the end of thetrip he was again told about the flight back to Delhi.He was pretty relaxed and enjoyed his flightthroughout, getting up only to go to the toilet.

IN our opinion: -1. Children should be taken out to see the outsideworld to think, to imagine and to understand thingsother than routine.2. We felt the climate played an important role. Heis mostly relaxed when it is not hot. So maybe themoderate climate helps.3. On a trip food should be provided on time, notgiving a chance for a tantrum.4. Things should be explained beforehand.Preparing the child helps a lot.

Minna Wadhwa

Parent Accounts: Fear of Flying I


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THE holiday was an experience in itself for us, andalso him, and we will try it again.

MAYBE, receiving the full time attention of bothmother and father for twenty-four hours a day,something that does not happen on a regular day,also helped. On a holiday, parents are relaxed andthis effect gets conveyed to the child.

My son Rishabh who is 7 years old now wasdiagnosed as moderately Autistic at the age of three.Since then we are in constant touch with Action ForAutism for imparting training and valuableinformation regarding Autism, which made our sonmore socialized and independent. There is lot ofimprovement in understanding and communication.Earlier he was not speaking at all. Now he iscommunicating his needs. Eye contact and interactionhas also improved.

HERE I want to share one or two instances, whichmay be beneficial to others also. My son Rishabhnever wanted to get his hair cut. He used to screamloudly. It was a horrifying experience for both of us.He was scared of scissors. I didn�t know how toovercome this problem.

I tried many different ways e.g. called barber athome, put on music, kept the TV on (as he is fond ofmusic) but in vain. Then last year I attended aworkshop in Delhi, where we were taught how toovercome such a problem. I made a calendar andfollowed their instructions on preparing him for a haircut. I prepared him one week in advance. I preparedand read to him a story that on such and such a datewe will go to barber�s shop. He will put clothesaround your shoulder; will sprinkle water on yourhair. He will cut short your hair and make you smart.I showed him the scissors, and also gave him scissorsto handle. In the beginning, I also rewarded him withchocolates on two, three occasions for sittingcomfortably for the haircut.

TO my surprise now Rishabh has changed. No morefuss. Now he is sitting comfortably for a haircut evenwhen the barber cuts his hair and makes a soundwith the scissors. Thanks to AFA, simply explaining

Krishna Chauhan

�and Other Issues

to him appropriately and in advance and narrating thestory of the haircut solved a complicated problem.

IN the workshop we were also taught how to teach achild to wash his bottom after passing stool. Ifollowed the instructions and taught Rishabh aboutthe up-down movements of the hand. He followed itand was able to clean his bottom independentlywithin a week.

NOW he is able to wash his hands with soapindependently. Thanks to AFA for all these things. Ishare with you all, so that it might help other mothersalso. By explaining or narrating a story in advance tothe autistic child it helps a lot.

BANGALORE

� �Prerna� organized by Asha For Autism.

� Video films on Vitamin B6/ magnesium therapy,

� Rapid Prompt Techniquedeveloped by Soma Mukhopadhyay (Tito's mother)

For details contact Veronica [email protected]

� 15 December: Release of Newsletter�Autism Times� by Movement for Autism

��To live with An Autistic child 'Workshop for parents by MFA

17, 18, 19 December, 2002For details call:

Tel: 080-8391050 or [email protected]

DELHI

� 14 December: Workshop I: Using SensoryIntegration in Everyday Routines � By Dr Anjali Joshi

� Workshop II: Guardianship and Social Securitywith Special Focus on Financial Provisions

� 21 December: Sports Day and Partyfor children, parents, and professionals

� 22 December: Walk for Autism 10:00 am India Gate

Autism Week: December 2002


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LETTERSShortly after my son was diagnosed with autism, I had anurgency to get treatment for the child as soon aspossible. When I became a member of Action for Autism, Iwent through books regarding treatment and prognosis,which includes behaviour therapy, sensory integrationtherapy, Vitamins, Diet, Dance therapy and Dolphintherapy. I am following some of them, but dance therapy,Dolphin therapy, etc. is new to me. When I heard of theopportunity to learn about dance therapy, I was keen tojoin. But I was totally confused what it was all about.

But after attending the dance session with TripuraKashyap I realize that dance can do much more for myson, especially finger pencil, mirroring partner and handgestures are quite interesting. As my son is fond ofdancing, I feel that dance therapy can improve his bodylanguage, eye contact and boost his confidence.

And I personally find that it can act as relaxationtherapy and is very helpful for mothers who are alwaysunder constant pressure and tension

Dr Mala WaliaJULLUNDER

Thank you for publishing my letter. I hope it will be usefulfor other parents also. Mentioned below are some of theminor (of course major for us) improvements in my sonAbhishek, following application of a visual and structuredenvironment.

Earlier when we used to take him out for a walk inside ourcomplex for three rounds, he used to throw tantrums ashe would not understand the meaning of three rounds.Immediately after one round, he used to start crying. Butnow we have overcome that, by showing him a card with 1,2 , 3 written on it. After one round, we strike out 1 andtell him �one round finished. Now there are two morerounds�, and so on. We are just amazed to notice that heunderstands this very well and so we are able to take himfor a three rounds without any problems.

Nowadays, we have started to tell him his programmebefore hand, especially when we are going out. By doingthis we are enjoying our outing and recently for the first

time, we could even watch and enjoy a full Tamil film, whereour son sat between us for three hours. Not only was hejust sitting, but also was jumping up when a favouritesong of his came on the screen.

We have purchased a study unit for him. So we switch onthe study unit light for better focus and switch off thenormal light while teaching, by doing this his concentrationhas improved.

Nowadays we show him beforehand the items he will haveto do or study. We have also introduced a finished tray.This has fetched good results to my son. Also we areteaching him the concept of numbers. Hence your trainingin Chennai has been very fruitful to us. In addition hisspecial educator is also applying all these methods at theschool.

V.Chandrasekhara RaoCHENNAI

I am a special educator working in a regular school. I am atpresent working with three autistic children and trying tointegrate them in our Montessori setup. I had the privilegeof attending your workshop which has helped metremendously. I have implemented many of your suggestionswhich has given such a positive outcome. Thank you verymuch for giving us such wonderful and useful techniques.

Radhika RajCHENNAI

It was a great pleasure sitting through your informativeworkshop. I am with Apoorva Training Centre for Autism,JP Nagar, Bangalore and also the Asst. Co-ordinator forthe Autism Course conducted by KPAMRC.

I am also happy to note that an Indian is an active memberof the World Autism Organisation.

NithyaBANGALORE

I have a child five and a half years old who has beendiagnosed mild autistic. The articles published in yourmagazine are very encouraging and heartening to a readerlike me.

K Kemkar, Sqn LdrNAGPUR


10

vkWfVTt+e ls xzLr O;fDr ds lkekftd dkS'ky esa dehgksrh gS vkSj [kkyh le; esa fdlh fof'k"V fLFkfr esacSBuk ,d pqukSrh gSA vUrjky] unstructured social

free time, muds fy;s bu fof'k"V ifjfLFkfr;ksa esa cSBukdfBu gsA VSEiy xzknhu ds 'kCnksa esa ,sls O;fDr ,slkvuqHko djrs gSa tSls nwljs yksd esa tkus ds leku gSA

tc lkekftd fu;e vkSj lkekftd ekax ds vk/kkj ijijLij lg;ksx ls dk;Z djus gks vkSj vkilh lgk;rkdjuh gks rks mUgsa dfBukbZ gksrh gS ftlls ckjh ysus dsfy;s tks ;ksX; gksuk pkfg, og lhfer jgrk gSA

bl article esa mu cPpksa ij focus j[ksaxs tks viusvkl&ikl vkSj cPpksa dh mifLFkfr dks lg ldrs gSavkSj tks ,d f[kykSus dks nwljs ds lkFk vkil esackaVus dh ;ksX;rk j[krs gSaA gks ldrk gS fd og cPpkviuh ckjh dk bUrtkj u dj ik;s ij nwljs cPpksa dslkFk ,d gh Vksdjh ls f[kykSus ys dj [ksyus ds fy;sjkth gksA ,sls esa ;g dkS'ky (turn taking) lh[kukegÙoiw.kZ gksxkA dSls bl dkS'ky (turn taking) dks lh[kldrs gSa ;g vkxs fn;k x;k gSA

izR;sd cPpk fHkUu gksrk gSA mldh fHkUurk ds dkj.kturn taking ;ksX;rk vkSj {kerk ds vuqlkj dk;Z dksO;ofLFkr djuk pkfg;sA

'kq:vkr cPpksa ds euilan Hkkstu ls dj ldrs gSaAmnkgj.k ds fy;s cPpksa dks chips ilan gSA gecPps dks fu;e ds vuqlkj ckjh ds }kjk chips nsaxsA

Chips dk cM+k iSdsV [kjhnsaxsA cPps dks cksysaxs ^^tcrqEgkjh ckjh gS rqe ,d chip [kkvksxs] fQj eSa [kkÅ¡xhA

mís'; dks Li"V :i esa crkus ds fy;s eku yks fd blarticle esa cPpk jktw vkSj vki vkSj ,d vU; O;fDrr:.k gSA jktw o r:.k ds chp chips dk cM+k dVksjkj[ksaxs vkSj jktw ckjh ys jgk gs rks dgsaxs ^^jktw dhckjh gSA^^ vkSj ckjh ds ckn dgsaxs] ^^jktw dk turn

over gks x;k^^ ;k ^^ckjh finish vkSj vc r:.k dhckjh gSA^^ r:.k viuh ckjh esa ,d chip [kk,xkA fQjjktw dh ckjh gksxhA ;g Hkh gks ldrk gS fd jktwviuh ckjh ls igys gh chips ys rks ge 'kkfUr :ils mldk gkFk chips ds dVksjs ls gVk nsaxs vkSj dgsaxsfd r:.k dh ckjh gSA ;fn og ,d ls T;knk chips

ij >iVs rc cM+s 'kkfUriwoZd <ax ls chips gVk nsaxsvkSj ,d gh mlds gkFk esa jgus nsaxs vkSj cPps dks ;knfnyk,axs ,d ckjh esa ,d gh chips ysaxsA cPpksa dh tksHkh ilan gks ¼gems, pkWdysV] bR;kfn½ bLrseky fd;s tkldrs gSaA

t:jh ugha fd ges'kk Hkkstu ls ckjh dkS'ky dh'kq:vkr dh tk,A dbZ cPpksa dks Hkkstu dh ctk; vkSjdqN tSls rkyh dh vkokt ;k gkFk Vscy ij ekj djvkokt lquuk vPNk yxrk gS] rks blh ls 'kq:vkr djldrs gSaA

tc cPpk ,d O;fDr ds lkFk ldkjkRed :i ls ckjhysuk lh[k ysrk gS rc ge vkSj ,d O;fDr dks turn

taking esa 'kkfey dj ysrs gSaA bl izdkj cPpk viuhckjh dh izfr{kk vkSj yEcs le; rd djuk lh[krk gSAvxj lEHko gks rks nwljksa cPpksa dks bu [ksyksa esa ;kckjh ysus okyh activities esa 'kkfey djsaA

ckjh ysuk vkxs pydj Å¡ps Lrj ij lh[kk tk ldrkgS% mnkgj.k ds fy, tc ifjokj ,d lkFk [kkuk [kkus

ckjh ysukcsfld ysuy esa dkS�ky lh[kuk


11

ds fy, cSBrk gSA ;fn cPps dks dksbZ fo'ks"k pht ilangS vkSj og viuh IysV esa Hkj ds ysuk pkgrk gS -,d gh ckj ,sls esa igys gh mls crk,axs fd lc nksckj ysaxs vkSj nwljs dks ;kfu vius lkFk okys cSBs dkspass djsaxsA ckjh [kRe gksus ij vxj cPpk Hkkstu lkexzhviuh ckjh vkus ls igys ysrk gS rks mls cM+s vkjkels ;kn fnyk,axs fd mldh ckjh ckn esa vk;sxhA

bl izdkj vU; activities ds }kjk cPpk ckjh ysuklh[krk gSA

fØ;kRed izfrfØ;k esa cSBus dh ifjfLFkfr esa Hkh cPpkckjh ysuk lh[k ldrk gSA dqN fo'ks"k rjg dsunstructured social time tSls play time, ckWy QSaduk@idM+uk@ ckWy dks fdlh y{; ij ekjuk] buesa ckjh ds}kjk cPpk lewg esa Hkkx ys ldrk gSA

T;knkrj cPps ,d gh fØ;k ckj&ckj yxkrkj djrs gSavkSj os tkurs ugha gS ckjh ysuk] bartkj djuk ;k [ksyds fu;e ij pyukA blfy, 'kq:vkr esa :fp dsvuqlkj lewg [ksy gksxkA [ksy plan gksxk vkSj lkFkgh nf"Vd Li"V gksxk rkfd cPpk vklkuh ls tku ldsfd D;k gks jgk gSA Visual clarity cgqr egÙoiw.kZgS ftlds }kjk og bu [ksy fØ;kvksa esa lQyrk dkvuqHko djsxkA

mnkgj.k % ,d [ksy ftlesa jktw ¼vkWfVfLrd cPpk½ jsuqvkSj izhrh ¼vke cPps½ ckWy dks Vksdjh esa Mkyrs gSaAge Vksdjh dks cPpksa ds [ksy dh vkjEHk js[kk ls bruhgh nwjh ij j[ksaxs] ftl rd cPps vklkuh ls lQyrkizkIr dj ldsaA

ge ckjh ysus dh fØ;k dks fp= cukdj Li"V djsaxsA

cPps ds uke ds uhps f[kapk gqvk ^ckjh^ dk fpUg gSALi"V 'kCnksa esa dgsaxs & jktw ckWy Vksdjh esa MkyksA tcjktw dh ckjh iwjh gks tkrh gS( rc ge xksyk dkV nsrsgSaA

[ksy dsoy ,d nkSj esa (one round) izR;sd cPps dsfy;s ,d ckjh (one turn).

[ksy ds nks nkSj] gj nkSj esa ,d ckjh (two rounds,

one turn in each round)

[ksy ds nks nkSj] gj nkSj esa ,d ckjh (two rounds,

one turn in each round)

bl izdkj ljy [ksy] gj jkst dh vke activitiesvkSj euilUn Hkkstu@vU; [kk| inkFkZ@f[kykSus bR;kfn }kjkge vkWfVfLVd cPps dks ,d cqfu;knh lkekftd fu;eturn taking ^;k^ ^ckjh ysuk^ fl[kk ldrs gSaA

jktw jsuq izhrh

jktw jsuq izhrh

jktw jsuq izhrh

jktw jsuq izhrh


12

esjk csVk fj'o tks vHkh 7 lky dk gSA 3 o"kZ dhmez esa moderately autistic diagnosis AFA }kjk fd;kx;kA rc ls gh ge ijLij AFA ds lEidZ esa gSAge AFA ds vfr vkHkkjh gSa ftUgksaus gesa autism

lEcfU/kr lHkh tkudkjh o izf'k{k.k fn;k ftllsgekjs cPps ij ldkjkRed izHkko iM+k] og LorU=fuHkZj gksus yxkA lkekftd Lrj ij Hkh dkQh :fpysus yxkA mldh le> o communication Hkhfodflr gqbZA og viuh vko';drkvksa dks izdVdjrk gSA Eye contact Hkh cM+k gSA

;gka eSa vius 1-2 vuqHko vki ls share djukpkgwaxh rkfd nwljs vfHkHkkodksa dks Hkh Qk;nk gksAesjk csVk fj'o dHkh Hkh viuscky dVokuk ugha pkgrk Fkkog lEHkor% dSaph ls MjrkFkkA tksj&tksj ls fpYykrk FkkAcky dkVus ds fy, mls 1-2

vkneh dks idM+uk iM+rk FkkAbl rjg ge nksuksa ds fy, og,d Mjkouk vuqHko FkkA eq>sle> ugha vk jgk Fkk fd bl leL;k dk lek/kkudSls fd;k tk,A

eSaus dbZ rjhds viuk;s tSls fd ukbZ dks ?kj cqyk;k]fj'o dh ilUn ds xkus yxk;s] T.V. pyk;k ysfdudqN ugha gqvkA ogh lc fp[kuk fpYyukA

fiNys o"kZ eSaus Delhi esa AFA }kjk laxfBr odZ'kkiattend fd;kA mUgksaus gesa crk;k fd bl leL;k dklek/kku dSls fd;k tk,A eSaus cky dkVus ds fy,

dSysUMj ds vuqlkj dk;Z fd;k] mls ,d lIrkg igysls rS;kj fd;k vkSj mldks dgkuh lqukbZ fd ge bldate dks ukbZ dh nqdku esa tk,axs vkSj ukbZ vkidsdU/kksa ds pkjksa rjQ diM+k yxk;sxk] vkids ckyksaij ikuh fNM+dsxk] vkids ckyksa dks NksVk djsxkftlls vki (smart) lqUnj yxsaxsA eSaus mls igys ?kjij dSaph Hkh fn[kkbZ rFkk mls dSaph gkFk esa nhA

'kq:&2 dh 2-3 setting esa eSaus mls pksdysV Hkh fn;k]buke ds rkSj ij ;g Li"V fd;k fd cky dkVrsle; vPNs ls cSBk Fkk] bl fy;s pkdysV feykAeq>s cgqr gSjkuh gqbZ fd fj'o vc cny pqdk FkkAog vkjke ls cky dVokus cSBrk Fkk] jksrk ugha Fkk

cfYd galuk 'kq: dj nsrkAtc ukbZ dSaph ls cky dkVrk]eSa AFA dh vkHkkjh gw¡ftUgksaus esjh bruh eqf'dyleL;k dks lqy>k;kA

gesa Workshop esa ;g Hkhcrk;k x;k fd cPps ls

bottom wash dSls djokuk gSA eSaus fj'o dks up-

down movement gkFk dh djokbZA mldk 'kh?kz ghvuqlj.k fd;k vkSj ,d lIrkg Hkhrj gh fj'oLorU= :i ls bottom wash djus yxkA vc oglkcqu o ikuh ls Lo;a vius gkFk ls lkQ djrk gSA

eSa AFA dh cgqr vkHkkjh gw¡A bu lHkh ds fy,cPpksa dks gksus okyh fØ;k ;k ?kVuk ds fy, igys lsrS;kj fd;k tk, (prepare for change/ activities) rks bulscgqr en~n feyrh gSA

lgh tkudkjh dk izHkkod".kk pkSgku

tc eSa dsoy lqurk gw¡rc eSa vDlj Hkwy tkrk gw¡A

tc eSa ns[krk gw¡ rc eSa le>rk gw¡AvkSj tc eSa ns[kdj dqN djrk gw¡

rc eq>s ;kn jgrk gSA


13

I was diagnosed Asperger in September 1992 aged47. I had recently taken a post dealing with asylumapplications in the HomeOffice and was not doingtoo well This body stillemploys me at the otherend of the asylum chaini.e. appeals againstrefusal of asylum.

LIKE, perhaps, a few ofmy colleagues inAspergerdom, I knewnothing about thecondition at the time. Isoon learnt as I joined aSocial Skills Group at theMaudsley HospitalLondon where I had been diagnosed. This group isadministered by Professor Patricia Howlin andMs Pamela Yates.

Purpose of Social Skills GroupThe clear purpose of any such body is to developself-help methods of dealing with our communicationdifficulties . In this context we share personal news ateach of our meetings telling what has happened to ussince the last one. This usually occupies an hour atthe beginning of the meeting. In this section isrevealed the talent of our members as well as theirproblems and difficulties. It displays the wide rangeof interests and variety of IQ levels of the group.Many of us are seeking to improve our education inall senses of the term ,academic ,vocational andpractical. e.g I have just completed the first year of anOpen University Spanish course as well as obtaininga diploma in French from the same body. I have alsofailed in an Immigration law course.

THE second half of this article is a discussion ofspecific problems which may inhibit socialintercourse with the allegedly normal population.

SOCIAL activities have been organised by and forthe Group. These include visits to places of interest

and meals together. Certain members have gone toflower shows and on riverboat cruises in London.

THROUGH our GroupAsperger and Autismhave been brought to thenotice of Parliament. Themother of a past memberof our group is an M Pand minister in the lastConservative governmentwho has attended ourmeetings arranged for usto share tea with her inthe House of Commonsand introduced Autisminto debates on disability.

WE have also hosted conferences in an effort toeducate Asperger people and the professionalsworking with them.

IN 1994 ,a novel idea in inter-Aspergercommunication was conceived. From this was born:�Asperger United'. This name was coined by amember of our group. It is an in-house magazineproduced by the National Autistic Society, containingletters, stories, biodatas, and poetry � all provided bypersons with Aspergers.

THE editor, currently yours truly, vets the articlessent to the NAS before they are published in themagazine.

DURING the summer an anthology of Aspergerwriting and artistic talent was published .We hopethat this will also reappear and even move out of theAsperger clan into general circulation.

FINALLY, if this should be included, I was acandidate for election to our local council in May thisyear and received 305 votes without havingcanvassed my ward, I was therefore unsuccessful .

BLESSED Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.

John Joyce

Self Help

STOP PRESS!!

Congratualtions and a BIG thank youto Abhinav Gupta and his parents for making

a very special donation to AFA.

Abhinav's parents asked family, friendsand relatives to contribute towards the

fund for the building of the National Centreinstead of bringing gifts to the party.

Happy Birthday Abhinav!


14

The Workshop will cover:

� Form vs Function; why many programmes fail.� Using the research to improve treatment.� How to improve the chances of your non-verbalchild speaking.� Positive vs negative reinforcement; which methodis more desirable?� Four rules for effective reinforcement.� Differential reinforcement and its uses.� Extinction vs Punishment.� The Shaping procedure.� Using backward chaining in teaching socialisationskills.� Towards good conversational skills (and whytraditional methods may not work)� Effective data collection.� Escape-motivated behaviour and how to reduce it.� Generalisation: How and why?� The Verbal Operants, and Verbal Behaviour work.

VIDEO presentations will be used throughout. Theprimary goal of this workshop is to help you developskills that will help you teach your child effectively.

Duncan Fennemore is BCABA Director, Centre forEducational Intervention in Early Childhood,London. He has trained in the Young Autism Projectat the University of California in Los Angeles, hasworked as a senior therapist and a programmesupervisor in Canada and the U.S. He has done post-graduate work in Counselling Psychology in Londonand in Educational Psychology through theUniversity of British Columbia. He is also a certifiedBehaviour Analyst.

FENNEMORE consults on thirty-five programmes inthe U.K., Europe and the Middle East, andcollaborates on seven others in conjunction with Dr.Vince Carbone and Dr. Patrick McGreevy. He is also

Training Director of T.R.A.P. (Training Resources forAutism Professionals).

THIS is an excellent opportunity for parents andprofessionals to learn and equip themselves to teachchildren with autism.

Registration Costs:

� Fees for the workshop cover both days and includelunch, tea, and material.� For a parent and members of the Forum For AutismTrust: Rs. 1500/-� For professionals and non members: Rs. 2500/-

For more details write to:[email protected]

forum for autismWorkshop on: Using Verbal Behaviour Analysis

to Work Effectively with Autistic Children

December 14 � 15, 2002 � Time: 8.00 am � 4.00 pmNEHRU SCIENCE CENTRE, DR. E. MOSES ROAD, WORLI, MUMBAI

(Between Mahalaxmi Station and Worli Naka)

AutismWorkshop

inKolkata

5 - 8 December, 2002 SURJO SEN MANCHA, JODHPUR PARK,

KOLKATA

For information and detailsplease contact:

Autism Society, West Bengal� Mrs. Tapati Ghosh: 472-0422 ,� Mrs. Chandra Bose: 417-0860

� Indrani Basu: [email protected]


Using Sensory Integration in Everyday RoutinesA Workshop by Dr Anjali Joshi

Morning: 9:00am � 1:00pm

AUTISM WEEK WORKSHOPS: DELHI

Dr Joshi is an Associate professor at theOccupational Therapy School and Center, K.E.M.Hospital, Mumbai since the last 20 years. She helpedset up the Sensory Integration clinic in K.E.M.Hospital in 1995.

Dr Joshi is a certified Sensory Integration (S.I.)trained Occupational Therapist from the Universityof Southern California along with a Masters inOccupational Therapy (O.T.). She has conductedworkshops for therapists and parents in differentparts of the country and yearly workshops inMumbai.

In addition Dr Joshi regularly lectures on SensoryIntegration at different schools and training centers.Dr Joshi has published papers on S.I. in Indian andBritish journals of O.T.

The workshop in Delhi is planned to be anIntroduction to S.I. where she will cover the sensorysystems, the dysfuctions of the systems, how toidentify the problems in children and incorporatesensory activities in every day routines of the child.

This workshop will be accompanied by videoclippings of therapy and a question answer session.

Ensure our Children's Future

Afternoon: 2:00 pm � 5:00pm

The session aims to tackle the subject of futureplanning for our children's financial well being andthe need for initiating legal guardianship.

Registration Fee� Rs 400/- for each participant� Rs 200/- for Annual and Life Members of AFA

For more information contact:

Action For AutismT370F Chiragh Dilli, Third Floor, New Delhi 110017Tel: 6416469/70 Email: [email protected]

Those who attend both workshops will receive lunch

Name Organisation

Address

Tel:

(Please Tick) Are you a Parent Professional Both Other

Enclosed please find my Registration Fee:� Rs 500/ 300 per participant (morning workshop only) � Rs 900/ 500 per participant

By cash/ bank draft no:

CUT HERE

REGISTRATION FORM

Guardianship and Social Security with Special Focus on Financial Provisions

INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE ANNEXE, LODI ROADSaturday December 14, 2002


16

E L LH ENIP

Q. My daughter Sharon, is three years and sixmonths old, but has still not started communicatingverbally. Non-verbal communication is also limited.A year ago, when we visited the Child Care Centre,Cochin, they felt that she has Attention DeficitHyperactivity Syndrome. But since she shows autisticcharacteristics, I feel that she has Autistic SpectrumDisorder/ PDD at a moderate level. I would like to geta complete diagnosis and to start treatment and earlyintervention for her. In this regard, can you please letme know the facilities available at Bangalore oranywhere in South India for complete diagnosis andtreatment/ early intervention, the special schools, etc.

I would also like to know the sources of websites forinformation regarding GFCF foods in the Indiancontext. I have already seen many websites regardingGFCF in a western context.

A. You are quite right in wanting a diagnosis asearly as possible as early appropriate intervention isalways helpful. Since you indicate that Bangalore is acity it is possible for you to visit, the best place for adiagnosis would be NIMHANS. At NIMHANSfamilies are also provided with a comprehensiveprogram for early intervention.

For information on GFCF diet there are many sitesbut as you have noted they are written by westerners.We do not have information on any Indian GFCF site.If any of our readers have information on such a siteperhaps they could share the information. TheDecember 2002 issue of Autism Network (Vol VIINo3) carried an article on GFCF diets for childrenwith autism which you might find useful.

Q. I am the parent of an autistic boy diagnosed ashigh functional. He is now 13 years old. He isattending a normal school apart from getting trainingin National Institute of Mental Health Secunderabad.Now he is able to understand the basics in science,maths, and social studies. His writing is very poor. Inspite of being given regular writing practice, hiswriting has not improved. I request you to givesuggestions to improve his writing. He is verballygood. He is on GFCF diet.

A. It is good to learn that you have, with supportfrom NIMH, succeeded in helping your son continuein a mainstream school. It is so important that we beable to include our children, yet it is so often hard tofind schools that are willing to do so except with thevery able ones.

Regarding his writing, this is one area that many highfunctioning ASD children have difficulty with, alongwith areas like joint attention, gross motormovements, and social interaction. You could trysome of the following exercises: writing with apaintbrush on a paper stuck to a wall, writing with astick on sand, and of course practice with handwritingexercise books.

If his writing is nearly illegible, and there is not muchimprovement, then perhaps you can persuade hisschool and if they are willing, to allow him to use acomputer. Sometimes schools are unwilling to permitchildren with autism to use computers. If that is thecase you will want to advocate for him. When schoolscan incorporate ramps and other assistive devices forchildren with CP, Braille for the visually impaired,why not computers for children with Autism?

Explain to his school that the computer for him is anassistive device, and as necessary as a ramp for achild with CP.

Q. Though my son�s handwriting is poor, when he isin a good mood he is able to write up to one or twopages himself. That is not permanent because he isoften not in the mood. Shall I introduce a computer ortypewriter instead of writing? Or shall I make himwrite in notebooks when he is in the mood to write?His school is willing to introduce a typewriter.

My son, (though otherwise able) is not able to tie hisshoe-lace and does not show interest in doing it also.Can you give me some exercise to improve his finemotor co-ordination?

A. It is good to know that your son can write up totwo pages on his own. As you might be aware, many


17

children with autism have difficulty in holding a pencilwith a firm grasp and therefore their handwriting maynot be too good.

It is great that his school has agreed to allow him touse a typewriter. But you also need to continueencouraging him to write by hand also. Whenever hehas written work that is not too lengthy encourage himto use his hands and reinforce the effort. Someexercises you can do with him:

� Use his fingers in a variety of activities like fingerpainting, assembling nuts and bolts, zipping-unzippingbags, dialing the telephone.� Hold his wrist very tight so as to exert pressure onhis fingertips. Do this a few times in the day.� Play with kneaded wheat flour or play dough.� For teaching him to tie his shoe lace try backwardchaining. That is you make the loops and let your sondo the last step, namely just pull the lace to tighten thefinal knot Gradually increase his role in the activity.

I watched the movie �Iris� today. Without words,how would I think�is what Iris Murdoch (KateWinslet) says, on the importance words have for her.And, as brilliant as the movie was, for a while all Icould think about, was Temple Grandin, who thoughtonly in pictures.

�Thinking in Pictures, and other reports from my lifewith autism� was the third account of Grandin�s lifethat I read, and no, it wasn�t tiresome. In fact, Ienjoyed it immensely. There is great pleasure inreading a book which discusses, and discusses well, asubject one is interested in.

THERE is something in it for everyone�the animallover, the medical practitioner, the scientist, theOccupational Therapist, the cattle farmer, the familiesof autistic individuals, the Sociologist, and even thespiritually inclined, to name a few. Of course, a bookwith a foreword by Oliver Sacks will have alreadydone half the job of getting me hooked!

THIS book informs theoretically about autism, at thesame time giving an insight into Temple Grandin�spersonal battles and victories over autism. Andvictories they most certainly are. The ten yearsbetween the writing of her first book �EmergenceLabeled Autism� and �Thinking in Pictures�, clearly

shows how much more she understands herself. Moreimportantly, how much more others understand herand the condition of being autistic. She is now aleading figure in the areas of livestock behaviour,livestock equipment designing�and autism.

I feel that she has found a wonderful balance in herstruggle between her autistic self and her strivings tobe her �normal� self, without devaluing either. Sheshows that she has understood what autistic traitscould be made more �sociable�, and is constantlyworking towards that. Thus, she says at the end of thesecond chapter, that her autism is a part of who sheis. She would not like to give up her ability as avisual thinker, which allows her to use her mind likea sophisticated �computer graphics program�, andhelps her in her work. At the same time she urgesemployers of autistic individuals to be aware of theirlimitations in social settings in the chapter entitled�The Ways of the World�. She has managed toimprove the way in which she uses and adds to thelibrary of visual images in her head, which she has toscan through when she retrieves information, but sheadmits that this often takes time.

�Thinking in Pictures�, unlike her first book, isn�t justan account on what she had to (and still has to in

'Thinking in Pictures, and other Reportsfrom My Life with Autism'

Temple Grandin

Published by Vintage Books, New York

Book Review by Shaneel Mukerji

(...cont. on back page 18)


To create an environmentwhere children and adults with autism

and their familiescan live as fully participating members

of their community

Action For Autism now has an e-mail address and itsown Homepage on the Internet.

Our e-mail address and internet access details are:

[email protected]://www.autism-india.org

{

If undelivered please return to:

The Editor, Autism Network,T 370 F Chiragh Gaon, 3rd Floor, New Delhi - 110017

B O O K P O S T

AFA Mission Statement

AFA�S own E-mail and Homepage

18

(cont. from pg.17...)

AFA Tee Shirts for Sale!!

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some ways) deal with and how she did it. It discussesthought, sensory issues, emotion, medication,socialization, and religion from her experiences, withexamples from experiences of other autisticindividuals. Throughout the book there is the �I�, butthere is also the �Many autistic children� and �Tom�soverall sensory processing problems��or the �We�,and she manages to include the entire autisticspectrum in her writing.

OTHER chapters deal with diagnosis and the differentdiagnostic categories in the autistic spectrum, the roleand scope of emotions in animals and humans,animal behaviour and autistic behaviour, genius andautism, and one of my favourite chapters �Stairway toHeaven: Religion and Belief�.

MOST of us enjoyed writing compositions titled �Theautobiography of a tree� or �The day I turned into acoin� when we were in school. Apart from a betterunderstanding, maybe through biographies, moviesabout pigs that can talk, or documentaries on theLives of Otters, we are all fulfilling an urge toidentify more closely to the people, creatures andthings around us. Grandin seems to have connectedherself to so many roles and creatures in the world.She has found links between her life and the geniusesin history, characters in television serials, the grainsof sand that she sifted through her fingers, and thecattle she has worked with.

THROUGHOUT the book it is as though she takes ona range of roles at various times, giving the reader alarge amount of information in a way that is not at alloverwhelming. There are some valuable lessons wecan all learn from reading this book.

� Shaneel Mukerji has worked for a year at aCamphill Community Centre for adults in the UK.She is currently undergoing the one year trainingcourse at Action For Autism.

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if you want to help, write to afa or call: c o n ... - autism 2002 vol. vix, no. 3.pdf · (autism)....

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