This article talks about the concept of Autism, a speech disorder.

1. My Child has been diagnosed with Autism. What should we do now?
An Autism diagnosis can have a varying impact on many parents’ life. Many questions come up in our
minds:
When will my child be cured of Autism?
Will my child lead a normal life?
What will his future be like?
What is the best treatment?
Let’s understand what Autism is and what are the first few things to do after your child is diagnosed
with autism. A child is a child first; the diagnosis does not define a child.
What is Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder, usually recognisable by the first 2 years
of a child’s life. Children with Autism may have difficulty with social interaction and communication
skills. Some common symptoms observed are
Lack of eye contact
Have difficulty in using gestures or understanding gestures
Difficulty staying on topic when talking or answering questions might be difficult for some children
Repetitive behaviours like hand-flapping, rocking, jumping, etc
Fixations on certain activities or objects
Some children have specific routines or rituals, and they get upset when a routine is changed
Extreme sensitivity to touch, light, and sound
Fussy eating habits
Lack of coordination, clumsiness
Impulsiveness (acting without thinking)
Aggressive behaviour, both with self and others
Short attention span
What are the things to do after your child is diagnosed with Autism?
Understand your child’s communication – observe your child and see how he communicates his
needs. Some children drag the parent or caretaker to the place where snacks or toys are kept, while
some kids may point to the items they want. Every time the child tries to communicate his needs,
name them and give them to them. Create needs for the child to communicate and help him
communicate in a more meaningful way. You can speak to the speech therapist about how to work
on improving your communication skills

2. Understand your child’s sensory needs – Children with autism perceive things differently. Their
senses are normal but may be over-sensitive or under-sensitive to certain senses. Our understanding
of the child’s sensory needs helps us to know why the child reacts to certain stimuli differently.
Structure the environment – A child with autism will work well if the environment is structured. Use
a lot of visual schedules to let them understand what they are expected and get them to visualise
what we communicate with them.
Early Intervention – Many pieces of research have proved that early intervention for children with
autism has shown improvement in communication and behavioural problems. Most of the Early
Intervention program follows a multidisciplinary approach where 2 or 3 professionals work together
towards the development of the child. Parental involvement is also integral in Early intervention
programs.
Do not wait – I have seen many people waiting and hoping that the child will outgrow the problems
and get better as he grows older. The earlier you meet the specialist, the better the pace of
development
Keep the faith and do not give up – It may not be possible to predict how the child will be 10 years
from now or 20 years from now. Each child will learn at a different pace. It’s important to focus on
one skill at a time and be consistent.
Common interventions that are recommended are:
ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) – ABA uses evidence-based techniques to improve socially
appropriate behaviour. ABA therapy helps in improving communication skills, social skills, play skills
and daily living skills.
Speech Therapy – The speech therapist will focus on developing communication. Inability to
communicate leads to many behavioural problems in children with autism. A speech therapist will be
able to help you work with your child to develop communication and developing social skills
Occupational Therapy – The occupational therapist works on improving functional living skills, fine
motor skills, gross motor skills, play skills, and visual skills.
Sensory Integration Therapy – Sensory integration therapy involves working towards the imbalances
in the senses and integrating the senses to aid n better learning and development
Play Therapy – A child learns through play and the play therapist work on teaching the child to play
appropriately. It helps in improving social and emotional skills
RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) – RDI works much better when started very young.
They start with developing a social relationship with the parents and other family members.