Director’s Message
I take pleasure in announcing that CADRRE is hosting an International Autism Conference, from August 16 to 18 this year. At the conference we hope to bring together professionals and experts in the field of autism from around the world to share their valuable experiences with us. The conference will revolve around the theme, ‘Accountability and Evidence Based Best Practices in Autism’ and touch upon four verticals mainly:
- Advances in Diagnostics and Intervention
- Advances in Research in Autism
- Advances in Technology for Autism
- Complimentary Medicine and Ayurveda for Autism
We will also use this opportunity to have a session with parents of autistic children to express their experiences on the challenges they had to overcome and what they had to do to make their child independent and successful. I request each one of you to join us in making this conference a great success.
– G. Vijaya Raghavan,
Hon. Director CADRRE
GIVING WINGS TO INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM…
A niggling worry among individuals with autism and their families is whether the person with autism can cope with his / her surroundings and lead an independent life. Keeping this in mind, CADRRE recently organized a meeting attended by Dr. Arun Pillai Sasidharan (Consultant Child Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist in Australia) and G. Vijaya Raghavan (Hon. Director, CADRRE) wherein they discussed with parents of autistic children about posibilities in starting skill development centres that would generate employment for individuals with autism and focus on imparting functional academics and vocational skills to autistic children above the age of 14 to empower them to live life independently and fruitfully. CADRRE has promised to support such centres if parents take the initiative to set them up.
Tips for parents
Change begins at home
Don’t get over–emotional, panicky or depressed. Spend ample time with your children; only time and care will aid healing. For therapy and medication to have the best impact, it needs to be followed at home as well. A happy and peaceful environment is crucial to any treatment. This is my learning through fifteen years of working in this field. Parents need to prioritise their needs and actively take part in all activities of their children and give their children ample opportunity to communicate. I quote Malayalam actor, Mohanlal who said “life is no cinema, there is no room for retakes in life”. Strike when the iron is hot!
”Dr. Vaidya M. Prasad, Principal-Ashtamgam Ayurveda Chikitsalayam & Vidyapeedham at Palakad, in Kerala /Director & Honorary Physician, Sunethri Ayurvedashram & Research Centre, Thrishur
Music that heals
An age-old evidence-based practice, the use of music to heal people with trauma and anxiety is not new. The impact music has on an anxious or troubled mind is enormous.
Spend time with your children singing and listening to music. Play music that is familiar to the child. You could also dance along. Dancing allows children to express emotions, create more body awareness and improves coordination skills and strengthens their muscles.
The rhythmic pattern of music helps the child focus and encourages the child to tap or clap to the rhythm of the music thus developing coordination skills in them.
Listening to classical Instrumental music like the veena, flute or sitar is always soothing.
Sudha Ganesh, Music Teacher with CADRRE
The power of touch
At some point all of us have had that itch to peel off the crumbling plaster off a wall or burst the bubble wrap used for packing or had an aversion towards walking on gravel or touching slimy substances. This response towards different textures can be pushed to extremes in an individual with autism. Individuals with autism might have a dysfunctional sensory system. A classic example of this would be a person withdrawing when touched, refusing to eat certain textured food and/or to wear certain kinds of clothing, aversive response to one’s face or hair being washed,avoiding getting one’s hands dirty (i.e., glue, sand, mud, finger-paint), and using one’s finger tips rather than whole hands to manipulate objects. A dysfunctional tactile system may lead to a misperception of touch and/or pain (hyper- or hyposensitive) and may lead to self-imposed isolation, general irritability, distractibility, and hyperactivity.
The sensory wall at CADRRE
Done up with various textures, a sensory board has a specific purpose. It is designed to aid autistic children with tactile hyper sensitivity as well as children with tactile seeking behaviour (playing with saliva, mouthing toys, self stimulatory behaviours etc). This reduces the hypersensitivity in children with tactile defensiveness (tactile hypersensitivity) and reduce the seeking behaviour of the seekers.
Author of seventy – five research papers, Dr. Vinod Gopal from Griffith University visits CADRRE
Dr. Vinod Gopal addressing the staff
Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist in Australia and a member of the Advisory Board to CADRRE), Dr. Vinod Gopal was more than happy to visit CADRRE and share his inputs on the way forward for research at CADRRE. His approach to research and arriving at solutions to problems, inputs on the various research methodologies and need for timely reviews were well received and highly appreciated by the CADRRE team
Unsung Champions
Tim Sharp with his sketch
Laser Beak Man
Quirky Laser Beak Man in his vibrant attire has travelled the world and won the hearts of many! Born in Australia, Tim Sharp, Laser Beak Man’s creator, is a super–hero himself in every way.
Diagnosed with severe autism at the age of 3 followed by a discouraging prognosis, Tim has come a long way.
Tim’s mother, Judy, introduced him to drawing as a means to communicate with her son. Using stick figures, Judy began explaining various situations to her son through them. It was not long before Tim started responding and grasping words, and gradually his speech began to improve.
His mother spotted a quirky and vibrant style to his drawings and kept encouraging him. Propelled by his fascination for super heroes, at the age Tim Sharp with his sketch Laser Beak Man of 11, Tim illustrated his wacky two– dimensional superhero Laser Beak man. His quirky character inspired an eight-part television series that was later sold to Cartoon Network.
Laser Beak Man resonates with Tim’s sharp sense of humour and his interpretation of pop culture. His paintings are much in demand by collectors all over the world and his exhibitions are all sellouts. Adorning the William Jolly Bridge in Brisbane, Tim’s work spreads awareness on Autism.
A finalist of the Young Australian of the Year and a speaker at the 2014 TEDx, Tim is a recipient of many awards. ‘A Double Shot of Happiness’, a memoir of Sharp’s life was published in 2015. Through his art Tim aims at spreading awareness on autism and make his dream of an inclusive society come true.
Art Corner
WOW! Moments
No matter how small the gesture; a smile, a touch or sometimes even just a nod can make a teacher’s day! This section will highlight the best moment
from a compilation of few that were recalled by teachers every day before they began classes.
It is a red-letter day for a teacher when her student does well, even more so for a teacher at a school for autistic children. So, anyone can imagine the burst of joy when our six-year-old student, reminded the teacher what exercise came next, during a session of brain gym exercises when she paused between the routine.
Considering, he was a child who had to be coaxed to do his exercises, this will remain a moment to be cherished.
Thought for the month
“With regards to my identity, I see myself as a part of humanity, so therefore I am a person first – personally, my autism affects my visual and auditory perception, language processing, cognitive processing, learning difficulties etc. but these are PART of me, not the totality of my BEING.”
– Paul Isaacs, Autism advocate, trainer, and public speaker from England. He is also a published author and blogs at ‘Autism
from the Inside’.