‘SHARING THE NEWS HELPED’

When Ninam was still not responding to his name at 18 months, Sarita consulted a paediatrician, who suspected autism spectrum disorder and referred her son to a psychiatrist. “I had no clue what autism was, so I went home and Googled to read up,” says mother Sarita Lama. “The next day, we went to a therapy centre to get a psychiatric diagnosis for our son.”

While many prefer to keep such information to themselves, Sarita looped in her friends and family on the day of diagnosis.

“I mailed them reading material so they would be sensitive to Ninam’s needs. Since I was proactive, my friends have also started forwarding interesting information they come across,” says Sarita, who now actively uses Facebook and WhatsApp to spread awareness about autism.

“I also regularly share updates on my son’s progress. I know he will never outgrow it; but I want him to be independent.”

The biggest parenting challenge for her is that Ninam has trouble sleeping, which also affects her sleep. “There are days when you feel very down but then you push yourself, especially when you hear about children who’ve overcome challenges,” says Sarita, who gave up her job as a teacher in Delhi’s Nirmal Bharti School to spend time with her son.

With therapy, Ninam can now communicate his basic needs. “He comes to the kitchen and says ‘I want food’, which is a huge achievement,” she says.