‘Autistic children have potential for growth’

LAHORE

Young people with autism are wonderful people. They see life differently than we do. They are straightforward and need to do things in an orderly way, said Dr Aniqa Haider, Head of Paediatrics Department, Wapda Teaching Hospital Complex (WTHC), at an awareness seminar at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Tuesday.

She added: “Parents or other people who work with these children need to have lots of tolerance, patience, empathy and understanding their needs. These children need structure and need to break activities down to smaller, more manageable tasks and if we can provide them that structure then they are great at doing things”. 

UHS VC Prof Muhammad Aslam and senior faculty members were present. 

Dr Aniqa, who is also mother of a child with this disorder, said in Pakistan, parents, whose children are diagnosed with autism, have to grapple with challenges such as lack of awareness, a dearth of professional medical expertise, almost nonexistent healthcare and, most of all, social stigma. These challenges lead to denial and isolation, she added. 

“Every child with autism has the potential for growth,” she added. “Parents should never give up education for their child and should try to connect with other families or networks so they don’t feel alone in this struggle,” she said. 

Dr Aniqa said autism, a neuro-developmental disorder, the symptoms of which usually exhibit during the first three years of life, is characterised by difficulties in social interaction and communication as well as repetitive behaviour and hyperactivity.

She added although autism is linked with early brain development, scientists have not yet completely pinned down a cause for the disorder.

She said that caring for children with autism is a full-time job, and it requires great moral courage and stamina on the part of the parents.

However, a majority of cases in Pakistan don’t even get diagnosed. Doctors lack the expertise to diagnose autism and associated disorders and family members usually deny the existence of any brain-related disorder to avoid social stigma, Dr Aniqa maintained.

She said teaching and training of these children requires thorough professionals and specialised equipment. 

The symptoms of the disease included difficulty in mixing with other children, insistence on sameness, resists changes in routine, inappropriate laughing and giggling, no fear of dangers; little or no eye contact, sustained odd play, apparent insensitivity to pain, echolalia (repeating words or phrases in place of normal language), prefers to be alone; may not want cuddling or act cuddly, spins objects, not responsive to verbal cues, acts as deaf, inappropriate attachment to objects, and difficulty in expressing needs. 

“Therapies that deal with behaviour modification, speech, social skills and motor movements are the best available approaches for the treatment of autism, said Aniqa, adding 90 per cent treatment is based on visual aids.

She explained that recovery is possible especially if the disorder is diagnosed early. “In fact, children with autism have recovered and gone on to become excellent artists and musicians. Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, Newton and George Bernard Shaw were autistic”, she said.

Most importantly, social attitudes must change. These kids are extraordinary, please do not label them as “mad”,” Dr Aniqa concluded.

renovated: Punjab Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department is paying special attention to improving service delivery standards in Dental Hospital Lahore and new equipment and machinery is being provided for this purpose. Repair and renovation work of the hospital building has been completed at a cost of Rs 10 million. 

According to a handout issued on Tuesday, Principal of De Montmorency College of Dentistry/ Dental Hospital Lahore Prof Waheed-ul-Hameed said repair and maintenance work of the hospital building has been completed and Secretary Specialized Healthcare Najam Ahmed Shah has issued instructions for provision of digital x-rays to the hospital. He said 23 new dental units will soon be provided to the hospital. 

Prof Waheed-ul-Hameed said installation of latest autoclaves has been completed at a cost of Rs 300,0000 and the government is utilising maximum resources for upgrade of the hospital. Principal Dental College said the government had allocated 55 new posts for the hospital and appointments have been made. He said new scheme worth Rs 25 million has been approved for the hospital.

Prof Waheed-ul-Hameed said new transformer for the hospital has been purchased while new compressors have been installed.

He said due to new medical equipment and machinery, the performance of the hospital has substantially improved and better facilities are available to the patients.

Nankana Sahib university: Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) on Tuesday vowed to organise ground-breaking ceremony of much-awaited project, Baba Guru Nanak University, Nankana Sahib, in November this year.

This was announced during the 304th meeting held with ETPB Chairman Siddiq-ul-Farooq in the chair at his official residence, 22-Zaman Park, Lahore.

The board members decided to complete all the work for the ground-breaking ceremony of this historic step by the end of October.

According to a press release, the board members also congratulated Siddiq-ul-Farooq on completion of his two years in the office. They said the board had overcome a number of issues it was facing before he assumed the charge as its chairman. They said the board now was earning hefty profits.

The next meeting of the board would be held on October 10 in which pending matters would be taken up for consideration.