Developmental Challenges

If your child is behind on the developmental milestones, it is important to act as early as possible. Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, a Special Educator and Rehabilitation specialist, tells you why and what it involves. Human learning and development is most rapid in the preschool years. This is the time of ‘Maximum Readiness’ and is very important, especially if the child has a delay in development/a disability/high risk of attaining a delay or disability. If the ‘most…

What do you do and where do you start when you get a diagnosis for autism? Hear it from Juhi Ramani, co-founder of I Support Foundation, which offers education for special needs children and the underprivileged.  “I remember all the hard days spent in that small town with people having no knowledge about autism and about what Shivam was going through.” Their brother Shivam’s autism, and the family’s struggle to find the right support for him, inspired Juhi Ramani and…

Born with Down’s Syndrome, Dev, now 10, leads a life full of activity and learning. His mother, Parul Kala, shares their journey towards self-reliance.  Dev came into this world on June 29th, 2005. At birth he was diagnosed with Trisomy 21, commonly called Down’s Syndrome (DS), a common genetic birth defect. He had a flat bridge of a nose and small stubby digits on his hands and feet. The diagnosis was further confirmed by genetic testing. All through my pregnancy…

What does it take to bring up a child with Asperger’s Syndrome? Mousumi Dutta shares her experience - straight from the heart. Aria, my second child, was due in mid January 1999.... but due to my blood pressure fluctuations, and a bit of kiasu-ism (Singapore-style, about January-born children losing a whole academic year) prompted us to induce pain and complete delivery before the end of the year. I had completed 37 weeks and my gynaecologist suggested that this was the…

What are Autism Spectrum Disorders Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of complex disorders with three core features: Qualitative impairment in social interaction Qualitative impairment in communication Restricted, repetitive and stereotypic patterns of behaviour, interests and activities. It is a complex neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain and, in particular, the processing of social information. This affects how a person sees and understands the world…

Maveen Pereira is a mother of a young adult on the autism spectrum. She tells you what to do when your child seems to be acting out tantrums or seems to be out of control. TANTRUMS: 1.       Be Prepared for one: It is important to know what triggers a tantrum, how long these normally last, how it is manifested (violence to self, violence to others, jumping,…), what would prevent one from happening (e.g. preparing the child for a change in the routine if change…

Margaret and her family moved from one continent to another in search of a better life for their autistic son. Here, their life-changing story – a testament to what the right kind of support can make possible. When was your son diagnosed? Brian, who is 19 today, was diagnosed in his 3rd year. We consulted two consultants to confirm the diagnosis, though it was quite obvious.  What were the early signs/symptoms? We adopted Brian when he was 3 weeks old and all his physical…

His parents were told he was mentally retarded, but Siddharth Jayakumar – bank manager, motivational speaker and award-winning role model for the disabled – proved them all wrong. Here, his life and learnings. 1.  Please tell us briefly how you developed Cerebral Palsy (CP). What was your physical condition - your abilities and your limitations?  I developed CP following an attack of jaundice when I was a few days old. This affected my physical movements and clarity of speech. It also…

As we wait for Kalki Koechlin’s portrayal of a gutsy girl with Cerebral Palsy in the award-winning film Margarita with a Straw, we find out more about the condition from rehabilitation specialist Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan. The film releases on 17th April 2015.  Cerebral Palsy is a birth-related disorder that affects the brain and nervous system. The nerve damage causes difficulties in the child’s movement, coordination, posture and ability to walk. It can also affect speech,…