more-in Children with autism make progress if they receive appropriate individual attention. There are several therapies such as behaviour, speech, drama, music and dance that would come in handy for parents to help the autistic overcome social difficulties. These were some of the points highlighted by trainer and founder-director of Aarambh Association for Autism J. Sarada on Saturday at a workshop organised by Asha Deep, a parents’ association for the mentally-challenged, to mark Autism Awareness Month. Giving a digital presentation on how to handle children with autism, Ms. Sarada said that her personal experience in dealing with an autistic child made her start an association and help mothers who face similar challenges by sharing insights into handling learning and development disorders of autistic children. “Autistic individuals generally avoid eye contact and the toughest task for parents is to communicate with them. However, visual lessons have a better impact on them and special educators can use this as an effective tool to teach lessons,” said the Rajamahendravaram-based trainer. The workshop roped in several parents who came forward to share their experiences. “It was difficult for us to identify our daughter’s problem for the first six years as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was something unheard of 23 years ago. Once we detected her problem, searching a school for her became another arduous task as not many schools admitted her and even if they did she was sent back later,” lamented P. Madhusudan Rao, a parent who attended the session with her daughter. Social alienation and lack of proper education system often compel autistic children to stay indoor. “This is when they become quite restless and often get attached to a parent. Fortunately, I could identify my son’s interest and teach him what he likes the most - learning new languages,” said K. Lakshmi, another parent at the workshop.

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