Do you have a baby or a toddler in your home?
Don’t let him be on his own all the time and don’t sit the child before the TV because that may be the easiest way to keep him occupied, for those first few months and years are crucial for their brain development, stresses Paediatrician Dr. Sian Hughes from Melbourne, Australia, who was in Sri Lanka recently.
Dr. Hughes should know because she has vast experience and expertise working with children with special needs including autism.
Play with the child, talk to him, take the child when visiting relatives and friends, show him the flowers and birds, she says, explaining that social interaction is of vital importance for the child’s development.
For, if there is a vulnerability or predisposition towards autism, early interaction with the child and intervention may help reduce the effects, the Sunday Times understands.
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| Too much TV a bane to brain development |
If a child just watches TV, such a vulnerability or tendency could tip the scales and exacerbate the condition, says Dr. Hughes, pointing out why social interaction is crucial. It is the essence of mankind’s existence.
Such interaction will also enable a parent to spot if something is not right, paving the way for early intervention, she says, citing the example of an 18-month-old baby. When the mother plays peek-a-boo, usually the child will respond. If he doesn’t then the parents must overact in their play roles and keep doing it.
When a child is two years old, he will be saying one or two words such as….. come and Ammi. If he doesn’t, don’t assume he is a late-talker and do nothing. “Do something. Be aware. Seek medical help because in case something is not quite right, early intervention will help,” she says.
Families with a child with special needs feel devastated, Dr. Hughes says, adding that the parents’ biggest worry will be how the child will cope as an adult, especially when they themselves are no more.
It is also a huge expense because the child may need special attention and certain types of equipment and speech and occupational therapy, in addition to the fact that the carer who is often the mother will not be able to work. Not only the parents but also his siblings have to contend with the emotional trauma.
Dealing specifically with autism, this Paediatrician explains that some may have major disabilities but others not so severe. Those who come under the second category can function well as members of society. “That is why early interventions are necessary,” she reiterates, adding that a disabled child has to be firstly recognized as a human being and supported by society.
The “humanistic principle” should be applied, according to her. “Now that the war is over, concrete steps could be taken to have some good schools to train such children to be independent and do a job that suits their abilities. A start should be made now. It necessarily need not be a school but even a sheltered workshop environment where they first learn the basics such as washing their own clothes, counting money, preparing their meals and look at basic employment opportunities.”
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| Dr. Sian Hughes |
They can take up jobs in a factory that are not intellectually-demanding, but more repetitive in keeping with their abilities, the Sunday Times understands.
Nobody wants to do boring tasks – repetitive ones. These are usually done by machines.
But these children and adults are good at them. So why not put their skills to use while making them become a productive part of society, asks Dr. Hughes, pointing to such sectors as packing airline meals or making Christmas cards.
Then they can earn some money and feed themselves and also feel they are contributing towards society.
Autism on the rise in towns
Indications are that there is more autism in Colombo than in Galle, points out Dr. Hughes who has been visiting Sri Lanka frequently, adding that “when you go to Galle and talk about autism they don’t seem to see much of it”.
Her views need to be taken seriously in the light of concerns being put forward by Neuroscientist Susan Greenfield based in England that modern technology may have a negative impact on child development. Has the world developed too quickly for the human brain to be able to keep up?
There is too much TV watching and computer games and not much socializing, warns Dr. Hughes, adding that in towns this trend is catching on where children are by themselves and have way too much screen time.
Socializing has become less and less in the towns. Congestion is increasing, people have smaller houses and children sit wide-eyed before the TV or the computer while parents are working longer hours. The story is different in the villages where there is more space and children go out to play. That may be the reason that autism is on the rise in the towns, she says.
Don’t let it happen, stresses Dr. Hughes, urging parents not to pursue materialism but work less and take the kids to the park or the beach.
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