Menka Mishra opened a center named Interactive Autism Centre in the city.

She is a woman of grit and determination. An advocate of autism research and education, she is also the parent of a five-year-old autistic child.

Soon after the birth of her son, Menka Mishra realized he was unlike a normal child. Her husband Prakash Mishra, a doctor (rehabilitation medicine expert), also realized that their child was different and needed special care. It was actually around age 3 when he started reacting poorly to other kids around him. He was bothered by the noise, wouldn't play on the playground and had problems with certain activities. He was also poor in eye contact, resistant to new clothes and had poor gross motor skills.

"I started with his paediatrician and progressed quickly to an occupational therapist, who diagnosed him with sensory integration disorder, and a physical therapist who diagnosed him with hypotonia (low muscle tone) and delayed gross motor skills. He has been in one therapy or another since then. In fact, I travelled right from Mumbai to Bangalore for treatment of my child and then slowly learnt the skills of how to groom an autistic child," says Menka.

"My son's autism inspired me to help and groom other autistic children, especially those coming from the underprivileged section of society free of cost. Soon I opened a centre named Interactive Autism Centre in the city for such kids with the active support of my husband. Initially, there were six kids. But now I groom 24 autistic children who come from different strata of society," she added.

Financially, I had to face many challenges, but with the active support of my husband and some of the parents I managed to overcome all the hurdles, said Menka. She also has six experienced trainers trained in various aspects like speech therapy, occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy and pre-skill learning therapy.

When asked which parental qualities work best with an autistic child, she quickly said that acceptance is the most important quality that parents of an autistic child need to have.

Early detection and intervention has a positive impact on children with autism. Unfortunately, there is still very little awareness about autism in our society. Similarly, there are very few places where these children can be managed, she sad.

"Learn as much as possible about autism and the different kinds of treatments, so you can see what works for your child. Make sure that the school is able to provide appropriate education. Parents must be their child's advocate in this area. I would advise families to use whatever funds are available to them to get care at home. One-on-one attention for autistic children not only helps them progress, but also gives family members a break," said Dr Prakash Mishra.





















source :TOI