Expertise to diagnose autism in children and that too at an early age is lacking in the State. Even the statistics on the enormity of the situation is not available, said secretary of the Centre for Autism Therapy, Counselling and Help (CATCH), Reeta Jena.
Speaking at a function organised by CATCH to mark the sixth World Autism Awareness Day on Tuesday, Jena said there are only two centres in Bhubaneswar that specialise in diagnosing children with autism. If this is the situation in the Capital city, the condition in the rural areas can be well imagined, she added.
“Many parents confuse autism with mental retardation and provide wrong treatment to their children. Those children having mental retardation display slow mental growth, while autistic children have uneven mental development and mostly lack socialising skills, but usually excel in some other field,” said Jena.
She further said another major issue is resistance of the families in accepting that their children might be different from others.
Autistic children, parents and members of CATCH had come together to celebrate the achievements of these children. CATCH is looking after around 20 autistic children who performed at the cultural event.
A special presentation by sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo and his group was another attraction of the function. It was followed by a story-telling session.
Addressing the function, Odisha Television founder director Jagi Mangat Panda said teachers play a major role in shaping the future of the autistic children and creating a positive environment for them. “Teachers and parents should work hand in hand to support the special children emotionally so that they understand can their true potential,” said Panda. State Bank of India’s Regional Chief General Manager Praveen Kumar Gupta was also present.