LAHORE: `Recovery of young people with autism is possible if diagnosed early,` said Dr Aniga Haider, the head of paediatrics department of Wapda Teaching Hospital Complex (WTHC), Lahore, at an awareness seminar at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Tuesday.

`Every child with autism has the potential for growth,` says Dr Aniga who is also mother of a child with the neuro-developmental disorder, characterised by difficultiesin social interaction and communication as well as repetitive behaviour and hyperactivity.

However, a majority of cases in Pakistan don`t even get diagnosed.

Doctors lack the expertise to diagnose autism and associated disorders and family members usually deny the existence of any brainrelated disorder to avoid social stigma.

`Though autism is linked with early brain development and its symptoms usually exhibit during the first three years of life, scientists have not yet completely pinned down a cause for the disorder,` she says.

The symptoms of the disorder included difficulty in mixing with other children; insistence on sameness; resists changes in routine; inappropriate laughing and gig-gling; no fear of dangers; little or no eye contact;sustained odd play; apparent insensitivity to pain; echolalia (repeating words or phrases in place of normal language); prefers to be alone; may not want cuddling or act cuddly; spins objects; not responsive to verbal cues; acts as deaf; inappropriate attachment to objects; and difficulty in expressing needs.

Dr Aniga says therapies that deal with behaviour modification, speech, social skills and motor movements are the best available approaches for the treatment of autism and 90 per cent treatment is based on visual aids.

`Parents or other people who work with these children need to have lots of tolerance, patience, empathy and understanding their needs. These children need struc-ture and need to break activities down to smaller, more manageable tasks and if we can provide them that structure then they are great at doing things,` she says.

Dr Aniga says in Pakistan parents of children diagnosed with autism have to grapple with challenges such as lack of awareness, a dearth of professional medical expertise, almost non-existent health care and, most of all, social stigma.

These challenges lead to denial and the isolation. These social attitudes must change.

`Parents should never give up on the education of their child and should try to connect with other families or networks so they don`t feel alone in this struggle. Caring for children with autism is a fulltime job and requires great moralcourage and stamina on the part of the parents,` she says while adding that teaching and training of these children require thorough professionals and specialised equipment.

`Unfortunately, in Pakistan there exists very little awareness about autism and there are very few places where these children can be managed.

`Young people with autism see life differently than we do. They are straight forward, need to do things in an orderly way and are wonderful people. These kids are wonderful and extraordinary.

Please do not label them as `mad` In fact, children with autism have recovered and gone on to become excellent artists and musicians.

Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, Newton and George Bernard Shaw were autistic,` she says.