Srinagar: Over 400 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were registered at the Child Guidance and Wellbeing Center of Institute Of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) Kashmir.
According to the official data, 37 children with ASD were registered in the last three months from January to March 2023.
As per a recent report by CGWC-IMHANS which was sponsored by UNICEF, the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is about 2.34 percent among children under the age group of four to six years in the Kashmir valley.
Dr Zaid Wani, Professor, Psychiatry department at IMHANS, who is also heading Child Guidance And Wellbeing Center ( CGWC), told Greater Kashmir that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurological condition that manifests in early childhood.
“We are receiving children affected with ASD from four to six years of age. So, it is very important to detect this disorder as early as possible. If parents can detect ASD at an early age then these children can respond to the treatment well,” he said.
Dr Zaid said that the Center also receives autistic children who don’t get the attention of their parents and are more inclined to the virtual world-smartphones, TV and other mediums.
He said that it is very important for parents to give attention to their children and maintain a healthy and active environment.
“ASD is a Disorder which is linked to genetics but autistic children can be treated and take six months to one year to recover. ASD takes a long time but if this disorder can be detected early, it can be treated well in time, “he said.
According to the doctors, the Child guidance and wellbeing centre plays a crucial role in providing intervention services to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
CGWC main objective is to support the affected children and their families to improve their quality of life. One of the significant roles of the center is to provide psychological services through community outreach, schools, and policy interventions. By doing so, the center is creating awareness about ASD, addressing the needs of affected children and their families, and providing them with necessary support to help them cope with the condition.
Another critical role of the center is to screen children for ASD using standardised psychological tools. The screening helps in the early diagnosis of the condition, which is essential for providing timely intervention to minimize the severity of symptoms.
The center provides psycho-education for parents/caregivers, which is crucial for helping them understand the nature of the illness, its treatment, and ways to support their child’s development. Parent Management Training (PMT) sessions are also held with parents/caregivers to work on behavior intervention.