Speaking Autism to an ignorant society
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 02, 2012 -

Judging from the number of queries pouring in; printing the front pages of the three Huieyen Lanpao dailies in blue colour on their April 2 editions seems to have caught many people by surprise.

There is no question of black ink in stock running out, as some avid questioners have hinted.

Nor it was an attempt to promote blue colour as a fashion statement for the season or a gimmick to grasp the attention.

Blue is the colour of World Autism Awareness Day ribbon and we printed the front pages in blue as part of the global effort to spread awareness on Autism, which is a brain development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviour, all starting before a child is three years old.

The efforts of Autism Speaks, an advocacy group created to fund research into the causes, treatments and effective diagnostic tools for Autism, led UN General Assembly to adopt April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day.

On this day various events were organised world-wide to spread awareness on this 'relatively new but potentially dangerous' developmental disability which is rising at an alarming rate among children all over the globe.

The magnitude of the problem is such that it is the only third disease, after Diabetes and HIV/AIDS, that has been given official recognition by the United Nations for setting aside a day in a calendar year for observance.

Even as World Health Organisation (WHO) and Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network have recognized Autism as the fastest rising developmental disability in the world today, a latest global survey has revealed that one in every 88 children is born with autism now, as against the ratio of one in 150 till a few years ago.

In India, a staggering six-fold increase in the number of Autism cases is said to have witnessed from 20 lakh cases in 2003 to 1.36 crore cases at present.

Though official figure is not available, Manipur is no stranger to Autism and the challenges it posed on the health of children who are the future pillars of the society.

In her article in the special feature on World Autism Awareness Day carried by this paper, Executive Director of Spastic Society of Manipur Laishram Sushma Rajput succinctly pointed out that more and more cases of Autism are being identified specially in urban areas of Manipur over the last few years.

This, however, does not mean that there are no such cases in rural areas. More cases have been identified in urban areas simply because there is comparatively better access to health care facilities in urban areas.

Apart from uncertainties enveloping over the causes, symptoms and treatment of Autism; majority of autistic patients in Manipur have not yet been diagnosed properly due to lack of trained professionals to handle these cases and the lucky few who have been diagnosed are not receiving the services require.

There is also tremendous lack of awareness and misunderstanding about Autism among medical professionals and most of the times Autism is misdiagnosed or remained untreated.

Most importantly, many of the rehabilitation professionals and special educators are not fully equipped with knowledge and strategies to intervene and manage children with Autism.

With ignorance ruling the roost, autistic children have been equated with mental retardation in Manipur and the parents curse their fate over giving birth to such children.

Astonishment of the people over the blue-coloured front pages of the three Hueiyen Lanpao dailies has only shown that we still have many miles to go to become a supportive community towards the cause of autistic children in Manipur.