About Autism
Autism is a developmental disorder that typically appears during the first three years of life of the individual.. Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions and imagination. It is a spectrum disorder.
CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM :
Autism is characterized by a marked impairment in the following areas:
• Social skills: Kids with autism have difficulty in initiating and sustaining relationships with their peers. It is not that they do not relate, it is that they relate in a different way. It is not that people with autism do not want to make friends, but often they do not know how. Thus, it becomes critical to teach them social skills. However, some social difficulties remain throughout life. These social deficits are the most difficult to overcome.
• Communication skills: Individuals with autism have their core difficulty in the area of communication. Many of them do not develop speech; even the ones who have a relatively good language development do not use it effectively for communication. Individuals with autism also have difficulty in using and comprehending non-verbal modes of communication like gestures and facial expressions.
• Play skills: A marked absence of pretend and imaginary play is one of the key features of autism.
Autistic individuals may show abnormal responses to sensations. Any one or more of the senses may be affected. All these difficulties manifest themselves in behaviours i.e. abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events in the environment.
Why an Awareness Week
In the recent years there has been a marked increase in the incidence of autism. Studies have shown that I in every 500 people may be autistic or have autistic features. However, lack of awareness about the condition, leads to misdiagnosis and hence wrong intervention. It has been established that early detection and intervention can make a remarkable difference to the child’s life.
Through the Awareness programme we seek to educate and empower parents, who we believe, are the first and the best resource for their children. AIKYA seeks to create awareness in the community about autism, because an accepting and understanding environment can go a long way in rehabilitating an individual.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Autism Awareness day - April 2nd
AUTISM: Are You Aware?
April is Autism Awareness Month, check your awareness level on Autism.: understanding certain facts about this condition is extremely important.
Autism is no longer an obscure, rare thing. It's all around us, and we need to be tolerant, supportive, and vigilant in searching for answers so that we can eventually shed some light on what is causing this mysterious disorder.
• Are you aware that autism has now been deemed a worldwide epidemic?
• Did you know that one in one hundred fifty children has autism in the United States? (That's a whole lot.) .We do not have figures in India
• Did you know that a child is diagnosed with autism every twenty minutes?
• Are you aware that autism is more prevalent than breast cancer, leukemia, juvenile diabetes, and many other conditions?
• Did you know that autism is not caused by bad parenting or a lack of parental bonding?
• Did you know that the symptoms of autism vary greatly from child to child, with some being severely affected and others only mildly?
• Experts now say that children with autism have a genetic predisposition to the condition, but it is set in motion by some sort of mysterious environmental trigger. (This is the same explanation experts are giving for juvenile diabetes, too--genetic predisposition plus environmental trigger.)
April is Autism Awareness Month, check your awareness level on Autism.: understanding certain facts about this condition is extremely important.
Autism is no longer an obscure, rare thing. It's all around us, and we need to be tolerant, supportive, and vigilant in searching for answers so that we can eventually shed some light on what is causing this mysterious disorder.
• Are you aware that autism has now been deemed a worldwide epidemic?
• Did you know that one in one hundred fifty children has autism in the United States? (That's a whole lot.) .We do not have figures in India
• Did you know that a child is diagnosed with autism every twenty minutes?
• Are you aware that autism is more prevalent than breast cancer, leukemia, juvenile diabetes, and many other conditions?
• Did you know that autism is not caused by bad parenting or a lack of parental bonding?
• Did you know that the symptoms of autism vary greatly from child to child, with some being severely affected and others only mildly?
• Experts now say that children with autism have a genetic predisposition to the condition, but it is set in motion by some sort of mysterious environmental trigger. (This is the same explanation experts are giving for juvenile diabetes, too--genetic predisposition plus environmental trigger.)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa awareness month
February is retinitis pigmentosa awareness month.
Learn more about this potentially disabling condition characterised by night blindness and "tunnel vision”.
What is Retinitis pigmentosa?
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an eye condition characterised
by progressive loss of visual field, diminished dark adaptation (night blindness)
and damage to the retina. In patients with retinitis pigmentosa, peripheral
(side) vision is lost, making moving around safely difficult. Thirty million people
worldwide are afflicted with age-related macular degeneration
and retinitis pigmentosa.
What causes Retinitis pigmentosa?
Retinitis pigmentosa is caused by mutations in genes that are
active in retinal cells. Gene mutations are programmed into cells at the
time of conception. Retinitis pigmentosa is not caused by injury, infection or
exposure to any toxic substance.
What Are the symptoms of Retinitis pigmentosa?
Many people with retinitis pigmentosa disease retain some sight all their lives. Others may go completely blind from Retinitis pigmentosa, in some cases as early as childhood. Patients with Retinitis pigmentosa have trouble adjusting well to dark and dimly-lit environments. They often experience vision loss in their mid-periphery with some vision in their very far periphery.
In some forms of Retinitis pigmentosa, prolonged, unprotected exposure to sunlight may accelerate vision loss.
However, since Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited disorder and runs in families, the disease is not preventable. Therefore, if someone in a family is diagnosed with retinal degeneration, it is strongly advised that all members of the family contact an eye care professional. There is no known cure at present.
What Are the Symptoms of Retinitis pigmentosa?
Normal visual acuity in early stages, possibly progressing to no light perception
Visual field loss progressing to loss of peripheral vision
Night blindness
Decreased response to magnification
Need for more light
February is retinitis pigmentosa awareness month.
Learn more about this potentially disabling condition characterised by night blindness and "tunnel vision”.
What is Retinitis pigmentosa?
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an eye condition characterised
by progressive loss of visual field, diminished dark adaptation (night blindness)
and damage to the retina. In patients with retinitis pigmentosa, peripheral
(side) vision is lost, making moving around safely difficult. Thirty million people
worldwide are afflicted with age-related macular degeneration
and retinitis pigmentosa.
What causes Retinitis pigmentosa?
Retinitis pigmentosa is caused by mutations in genes that are
active in retinal cells. Gene mutations are programmed into cells at the
time of conception. Retinitis pigmentosa is not caused by injury, infection or
exposure to any toxic substance.
What Are the symptoms of Retinitis pigmentosa?
Many people with retinitis pigmentosa disease retain some sight all their lives. Others may go completely blind from Retinitis pigmentosa, in some cases as early as childhood. Patients with Retinitis pigmentosa have trouble adjusting well to dark and dimly-lit environments. They often experience vision loss in their mid-periphery with some vision in their very far periphery.
In some forms of Retinitis pigmentosa, prolonged, unprotected exposure to sunlight may accelerate vision loss.
However, since Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited disorder and runs in families, the disease is not preventable. Therefore, if someone in a family is diagnosed with retinal degeneration, it is strongly advised that all members of the family contact an eye care professional. There is no known cure at present.
What Are the Symptoms of Retinitis pigmentosa?
Normal visual acuity in early stages, possibly progressing to no light perception
Visual field loss progressing to loss of peripheral vision
Night blindness
Decreased response to magnification
Need for more light
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Aspergers Syndrome
ASPERGERS SYNDROME
What is Asperger Syndrome?
Asperger syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder. It is an Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication skills, as well as repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior.
The most distinguishing symptom of Aspergers Syndrome is a child’s obsessive interest in a single object or topic to the exclusion of any other. Children with Aspergers Syndrome want to know everything about their topic of interest and their conversations with others will be about little else. Their expertise, high level of vocabulary, and formal speech patterns make them seem like little professors. Other characteristics of AS include repetitive routines or rituals; peculiarities in speech and language; socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and the inability to interact successfully with peers; problems with non-verbal communication; and clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements.
Children with AS are isolated because of their poor social skills and narrow interests. They may approach other people, but make normal conversation impossible by inappropriate or eccentric behavior, or by wanting only to talk about their singular interest.
Children with AS usually have a history of developmental delays in motor skills such as pedaling a bike, catching a ball, or climbing outdoor play equipment. They are often awkward and poorly coordinated with a walk that can appear either stilted or bouncy.
An effective treatment program builds on the child’s interests, offers a predictable schedule, teaches tasks as a series of simple steps, actively engages the child’s attention in highly structured activities, and provides regular reinforcement of behavior. It may include social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy
With effective treatment, children with Aspergers Syndrome can learn to cope with their disabilities, but they may still find social situations and personal relationships challenging. Many adults with AS are able to work successfully in mainstream jobs, although they may continue to need encouragement and moral support to maintain an independent life.
What is Asperger Syndrome?
Asperger syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder. It is an Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication skills, as well as repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior.
The most distinguishing symptom of Aspergers Syndrome is a child’s obsessive interest in a single object or topic to the exclusion of any other. Children with Aspergers Syndrome want to know everything about their topic of interest and their conversations with others will be about little else. Their expertise, high level of vocabulary, and formal speech patterns make them seem like little professors. Other characteristics of AS include repetitive routines or rituals; peculiarities in speech and language; socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and the inability to interact successfully with peers; problems with non-verbal communication; and clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements.
Children with AS are isolated because of their poor social skills and narrow interests. They may approach other people, but make normal conversation impossible by inappropriate or eccentric behavior, or by wanting only to talk about their singular interest.
Children with AS usually have a history of developmental delays in motor skills such as pedaling a bike, catching a ball, or climbing outdoor play equipment. They are often awkward and poorly coordinated with a walk that can appear either stilted or bouncy.
An effective treatment program builds on the child’s interests, offers a predictable schedule, teaches tasks as a series of simple steps, actively engages the child’s attention in highly structured activities, and provides regular reinforcement of behavior. It may include social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy
With effective treatment, children with Aspergers Syndrome can learn to cope with their disabilities, but they may still find social situations and personal relationships challenging. Many adults with AS are able to work successfully in mainstream jobs, although they may continue to need encouragement and moral support to maintain an independent life.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
TO ALL WHO ARE / COULD BE CONCERNED
Did You Know?
- Mental Retardation is different from Menal illness and children with Mental retardation are not mentally ill. Persons with mental retardation are called persons with Intellectual Challenges.
- Down Syndrome condition is caused due to the presence of an extra chromosome in some cells in the body
- Autistic Children are not schirzophinic.
- Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders of movement and posture
- ADHD – Children with Attention Deficit Disorder have problems in learning,memory & attention
- Dyslexic children have problems in reading and writing
- Learning-disabled children will have difficulty with the mechanical aspects of writing,and problems with spelling, punctuation, and handwriting
- Mental Retardation is different from Menal illness and children with Mental retardation are not mentally ill. Persons with mental retardation are called persons with Intellectual Challenges.
- Down Syndrome condition is caused due to the presence of an extra chromosome in some cells in the body
- Autistic Children are not schirzophinic.
- Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders of movement and posture
- ADHD – Children with Attention Deficit Disorder have problems in learning,memory & attention
- Dyslexic children have problems in reading and writing
- Learning-disabled children will have difficulty with the mechanical aspects of writing,and problems with spelling, punctuation, and handwriting
Autistic Savant
'Autistic savant' means a person with Autism who has a special skill. 'Savant' comes from the French word for 'knowing' and means 'a learned person'. A person with this condition was once known as an 'idiot savant', since 'idiot' was an acceptable word for mental retardation in the late 19th century, when the phenomenon was first medically investigated. Around 10 per cent of people with autism show special or even remarkable skills. For example, a person with autism, who may be intellectually disabled in most ways, could have an exceptional memory for numbers.
A range of savant abilities
Around 10 per cent of people with autism show special or even remarkable skills. The skills range includes:
Splinter skills - the most common type. The person, like an obsessive hobbyist, commits certain things to memory, such as sports trivia.
Talented skills - the person has a more highly developed and specialised skill. For example, they may be artistic and paint beautiful pictures, or have a memory that allows them to work out difficult mathematical calculations in their head.
Prodigious skills - the rarest type. It is thought that there are only about 25 autistic savants in the world who show prodigious skills. These skills could include, for example, the ability to play an entire concerto on the piano after hearing it only once.
Specialised skill
In all cases of savant syndrome, the skill is specific, limited and most often reliant on memory. Generally, savant skills include:
Music - the piano or keyboard is the most popular instrument. For example, the skill may be the ability to play the instrument without being taught.
Art - such as the ability to draw, paint or sculpt to high standards. For example, Richard Wawro is an autistic savant who is also blind, but his crayon drawings command up to $10,000 each.
Mathematics - for example, the ability to work out complicated sums in their head, or to calendar calculate (for example, work out what day it was on 1 June1732).
Language - in rare cases, the person may be unusually gifted in languages.
Other skills - such as knowing the time without seeing a clock, untaught mechanical skills, having an unfailing sense of direction or the ability to commit maps to memory.
The brain's right hemisphere
Autistic savant behaviour is so far unexplained. However, researchers think it might have something to do with the right hemisphere of the brain.
The brain is divided into two hemispheres, left and right, bridged by a thick band of nerve fibres called the corpus callosum. While left hemisphere skills are involved with symbolism and interpretation (such as understanding words and body language), the skills of the right hemisphere are much more concrete and direct (such as memory).
CT and MRI scans of the brains of autistic savants suggest that the right hemisphere is compensating for damage in the left hemisphere. It seems that the right hemisphere of an autistic savant focuses its attention on one of the five senses - for example, if it concentrates on hearing, then the autistic savant may have a special skill in music. Research is ongoing.
Their skills may be reinforced
It is thought that habitual memory centres of the brain take over from higher memory centres, which helps to explain why some autistic savants are like obsessive hobbyists who do the same thing over and over. Apart from habitual memory, other factors that may help an autistic savant to hone their special skill could include:
The ability to focus and concentrate
The desire to practise endlessly
Positive reinforcement by family, friends and caregivers.
A range of savant abilities
Around 10 per cent of people with autism show special or even remarkable skills. The skills range includes:
Splinter skills - the most common type. The person, like an obsessive hobbyist, commits certain things to memory, such as sports trivia.
Talented skills - the person has a more highly developed and specialised skill. For example, they may be artistic and paint beautiful pictures, or have a memory that allows them to work out difficult mathematical calculations in their head.
Prodigious skills - the rarest type. It is thought that there are only about 25 autistic savants in the world who show prodigious skills. These skills could include, for example, the ability to play an entire concerto on the piano after hearing it only once.
Specialised skill
In all cases of savant syndrome, the skill is specific, limited and most often reliant on memory. Generally, savant skills include:
Music - the piano or keyboard is the most popular instrument. For example, the skill may be the ability to play the instrument without being taught.
Art - such as the ability to draw, paint or sculpt to high standards. For example, Richard Wawro is an autistic savant who is also blind, but his crayon drawings command up to $10,000 each.
Mathematics - for example, the ability to work out complicated sums in their head, or to calendar calculate (for example, work out what day it was on 1 June1732).
Language - in rare cases, the person may be unusually gifted in languages.
Other skills - such as knowing the time without seeing a clock, untaught mechanical skills, having an unfailing sense of direction or the ability to commit maps to memory.
The brain's right hemisphere
Autistic savant behaviour is so far unexplained. However, researchers think it might have something to do with the right hemisphere of the brain.
The brain is divided into two hemispheres, left and right, bridged by a thick band of nerve fibres called the corpus callosum. While left hemisphere skills are involved with symbolism and interpretation (such as understanding words and body language), the skills of the right hemisphere are much more concrete and direct (such as memory).
CT and MRI scans of the brains of autistic savants suggest that the right hemisphere is compensating for damage in the left hemisphere. It seems that the right hemisphere of an autistic savant focuses its attention on one of the five senses - for example, if it concentrates on hearing, then the autistic savant may have a special skill in music. Research is ongoing.
Their skills may be reinforced
It is thought that habitual memory centres of the brain take over from higher memory centres, which helps to explain why some autistic savants are like obsessive hobbyists who do the same thing over and over. Apart from habitual memory, other factors that may help an autistic savant to hone their special skill could include:
The ability to focus and concentrate
The desire to practise endlessly
Positive reinforcement by family, friends and caregivers.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Thursday, February 5, 2009
National Award
Prabhakar, former student of AIKYA received "National Role Model Award" of Government of India on world Disanility day on December 3, 2008 at Vignan Bhawan, New Delhi.
view the video here
http://gallery.me.com/shyamsubramanyan#100001
view the video here
http://gallery.me.com/shyamsubramanyan#100001
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
CREEDA - SPORTS CLUB FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
CREEDA - Sports Club of AIKYA
AIKYA offers special coaching in extracurricular activities like Indoor and Out door sports
AIKYA offers special coaching in extracurricular activities like Indoor and Out door sports
Sporting Activities include :
Track and Field Events
Football
Handball
Volleyball
Bocci
Cycling
Trekking
Camping
Adventure Sports
For more details call AIKYA at 2461 2668 /9444 960643
Track and Field Events
Football
Handball
Volleyball
Bocci
Cycling
Trekking
Camping
Adventure Sports
For more details call AIKYA at 2461 2668 /9444 960643
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AIKYA is a comprehensive resource center on all matters concerning
children requiring special attention
AIKYA is a comprehensive resource center on all matters concerning
children requiring special attention
Importance of Extra Curricular activities in Schools
Exposure to a wide variety of activities contributes to learning in fun and non-stressful ways. It can give the students a sense of belonging and confidence. This is all the more true with and important to students with learning difficulties. The schools can help these students gain some perspective, and a self-esteem boost, by guiding them toward activities that play to their strengths and offer opportunities for success. The extra activities does not force the student to excel, but let him enjoy many new experiences. Help him set realistic goals and celebrate the small achievements. With each success, the student gains confidence that will spill over into other areas of his life.
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