THE GOAN
Autism is the name given to a range of conditions characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication. It is a genetic disorder, and in recent decades, research has been focusing on whether environmental toxins or viruses in food allergies have anything to with the problem.
According to the World Health Organisation, about 1 in 160 children worldwide suffer from autism. Up till now, the problem could be diagnosed at the age of 3 or even later, but now it is possible to detect it earlier and receiving treatment earlier is crucial. The definition of autism has been expanded in the past decade to include a wider spectrum of problems with communication and social interaction. Around 17 million children in India are estimated to be suffering from autism.
Today, the people who face such challenges have found more acceptance. Autism is being diagnosed sooner and the education system too has responded by offering the required facilities for kids who face such issues. However, many issues still persist.
Saligao based teacher Eunice D’Souza whose school deals with autistic students notes, “We deal with many children facing severe life-challenges. We have good facilities at the school but the issue is that our teachers aren’t permanent. The state policy of Goa lays down the 1:5 ratio of teachers and establishes permanent posts for the teachers. The policy was drafted in 2012, but hasn’t been passed yet.”
On the other hand, parent of an autistic child, Preeti Asthana from Panaji feels that the advancement of facilities for autistic kids has been pretty limited.
“It is true that my child is accepted and can avail the right facilities and training to have an almost normal education in school,” says the parent. “But there is a lack of such special facilities at the college level. There should be some professional courses for these kids in colleges. Also, another serious question is how an autistic person will cope with the professional world.”
Dr Vandana Parulekar, a parent from Vasco feels that there has been some advancement on this front in India.
“Autism is a spectrum disorder, and those who can go through schooling can avail of some professional courses and also earn a living in future, but there are no facilities for the ones who face severe problems. One of the biggest questions is ‘what after parents’? How does a person facing extreme challenges survive after their parents have departed this world? In the West, there are special hostels and centres to accommodate and help such people. It is yet to happen in India,” she notes.
