Right support, timely intervention a great help
To support World Autism Awareness Day, people around the world wear blue clothes and display their sensitivity by lighting blue lights on landmark buildings. In Lucknow, I Support Foundation Special School, in the presence of district magistrate Abhishek Prakash, illuminated the historic Rumi Darwaza with blue light at 7 pm.
ISF director Bobby Ramani said Rumi Darwaza was one of the most iconic landmarks of the city and it was illuminated with blue light to draw people’s attention, so that they would question about it and come to know about autism. She said, “Autism is not a disease, it is a neurological condition, which is easily manageable through training. These days, people are becoming aware, but still there is a great need for awareness, so that autistic children can get treatment and help.”
Initiative by DOSTI
DOSTI, a unit of Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF), founded in 2005, is among UP’s first and very few schools to integrate children with physical, mental and learning disabilities in the age group of 2-21 years into mainstream education.
Anu Gupta, mother of a student of DOSTI school shared, “I have heard many success stories where the right support and timely intervention helped. My son Arjun has autism and has been with DOSTI School from the very start and has shown remarkable progress both socially and academically.”
Arjun was recently promoted to class 6 at Study Hall School.
She said, “It would be wrong to say his journey till here was smooth but with the right intervention and therapies I saw a lot of positive change in him.”
Focusing on a holistic and well rounded approach to the child’s development, DOSTI offers early intervention, psychological and education assessment, occupational therapy, behaviour therapy, programme planning for special children/ parents and IQ assessment for children with special needs. DOSTI’s early intervention services have supported children with autism to develop the skills they need to take part in everyday activities. Sometimes children who get early intervention need less or no support as they get older. Special educators at DOSTI have created a safe and inclusive space for special children helping them to learn according to their pace, realize their best potential and become independent and integrate into the society.
“I understand that all children are different, and that autism differs from child to child. But the more help and appropriate intervention a child receives, the better off he or she will be. Some children with autism will go far beyond Arjun and others may not achieve what Arjun has achieved. But we all owe it to our children to try,” said Anu.