(Animal therapy works wonders…)
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Here's how one-year-old labrador Simbaa helps eight-year-old Jiyon Ganguly cope with autism.
Eleven months after he was born, Jiyon Ganguly's mother Parama
Bhattacharya was overjoyed to see him stand up and walk by himself at an
age most kids do. That he hadn't picked up lingual skills didn't worry
Bhattacharya initially. The 38-year-old single mother enrolled
three-year-old Jiyon at a playschool in Kandivili (E), close to their
home.
The feedback
from Jiyon's teachers, however, was not encouraging. Bhattacharya, a
media professional, was told that her son found it difficult to pay
attention to what was going on in class. He'd avoid eye contact with
playmates, mutter instead of talk and remain caught up in his own
thoughts. That the other kids laughed when Jiyon got scared of loud
noises — the school bell — didn't help. Within months, the
playgroup's principal called Bhattacharya and suggested Jiyon be
examined by a doctor.
Struck by autism
A behavioural expert from the Andheribased organisation Drishti Centre diagnosed Jiyon with autism. A second opinion by Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy, founder and medical director of Ummeed, a non-profit in Delhi set up to help children with developmental disabilities, confirmed autism.
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in children by the age of three. It affects communication, socialisation, cognition, imagination and intuitive thought, and severely inhibits a child's repertoire of interests and social interaction. The degree varies from mild to severe and is, thus, known as Autism Spectrum Disorder. At the lower end it is known as Classic Autism and at the upper end it is called Asperger Syndrome. Jiyon was diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism, in which the patient's motor skills remain fine but language skills are inhibited. Jiyon could walk, run and cycle.
He disliked being smirked at or being told 'NO'. He would have trouble understanding what another person felt. Peers and teachers said he would often walk out of conversations.
Bhattacharya says, "Jiyon would get aggressive when he didn't get what he wanted. If children were playing at the swing, he wouldn't know how to wait for his turn. He would get angry and would get into trouble."
Discovering hope
With the extended family living in Kolkata, there was almost no one who could help Bhattacharya take care of Jiyon. Few wanted to make an effort. She shifted him to a school for the differently-abled where he received the focussed attention of one teacher.
There were days when he would run about their home breaking things, sulk, play in front of the mirror, wet the floor without communicating his need to urinate, and mutter through the day.
Bhattacharya had a five-day work week, which would extend to six days on most. She'd spend most of it worrying about how her son was faring at home. "I'd sit up nights and weep. I didn't know how to cope," she admits. Often, she'd clam up, leaving him miserable and aggressive. Medication and therapy did not lead to remarkable improvement. In July 2012, Bhattacharya decided to take a sabbatical from work to find a long-term solution.
At the school, she was introduced to 'dog therapy'. Here, an autism assistance dog would be trained to meet the needs of the child and help change its behaviour by introducing routines, interrupting repetitive behaviour and helping him cope with unfamiliar surroundings.
Struck by autism
A behavioural expert from the Andheribased organisation Drishti Centre diagnosed Jiyon with autism. A second opinion by Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy, founder and medical director of Ummeed, a non-profit in Delhi set up to help children with developmental disabilities, confirmed autism.
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in children by the age of three. It affects communication, socialisation, cognition, imagination and intuitive thought, and severely inhibits a child's repertoire of interests and social interaction. The degree varies from mild to severe and is, thus, known as Autism Spectrum Disorder. At the lower end it is known as Classic Autism and at the upper end it is called Asperger Syndrome. Jiyon was diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism, in which the patient's motor skills remain fine but language skills are inhibited. Jiyon could walk, run and cycle.
He disliked being smirked at or being told 'NO'. He would have trouble understanding what another person felt. Peers and teachers said he would often walk out of conversations.
Bhattacharya says, "Jiyon would get aggressive when he didn't get what he wanted. If children were playing at the swing, he wouldn't know how to wait for his turn. He would get angry and would get into trouble."
Discovering hope
With the extended family living in Kolkata, there was almost no one who could help Bhattacharya take care of Jiyon. Few wanted to make an effort. She shifted him to a school for the differently-abled where he received the focussed attention of one teacher.
There were days when he would run about their home breaking things, sulk, play in front of the mirror, wet the floor without communicating his need to urinate, and mutter through the day.
Bhattacharya had a five-day work week, which would extend to six days on most. She'd spend most of it worrying about how her son was faring at home. "I'd sit up nights and weep. I didn't know how to cope," she admits. Often, she'd clam up, leaving him miserable and aggressive. Medication and therapy did not lead to remarkable improvement. In July 2012, Bhattacharya decided to take a sabbatical from work to find a long-term solution.
At the school, she was introduced to 'dog therapy'. Here, an autism assistance dog would be trained to meet the needs of the child and help change its behaviour by introducing routines, interrupting repetitive behaviour and helping him cope with unfamiliar surroundings.
Bhattacharya did her research. "In the West, therapy dogs have been
found to be highly useful for children with such conditions. I wanted to
give it a try."
Consultant paediatric neurologist at Kokilaben Hospital, Dr Pradnya Gadgil, says, "Animal therapy can be beneficial for children with autism. However, it cannot be the only form of therapy employed. They also need occupational, behavioural and speech therapy simultaneously."
Last June, Bhattacharya bought a four-week-old labrador pup (who they named Simbaa), and spent Rs 50,000 on getting it trained in assistance therapy. "Through research I found that, compared to other breeds, labradors are genetically predisposed to being happy. Simbaa comes from a champion blood line. His parents were frequent participants at dog shows," says Bhattacharya.
Assistance training
Bhattacharya enrolled Simbaa at the Andheri -based Animal Angels Foundation run by Rohini Fernandes (left, in picture above) and Radhika Nair. Since 2005, the two have trained 75 dogs in assisting patients with various mental and psychological ailments.
First, Simbaa was put through a series of tests. Fernandes and Nair are clinical psychologists and certified practitioners of animalassisted therapy from the University of North Texas in US. They have stringent criteria for selection of animals.
Consultant paediatric neurologist at Kokilaben Hospital, Dr Pradnya Gadgil, says, "Animal therapy can be beneficial for children with autism. However, it cannot be the only form of therapy employed. They also need occupational, behavioural and speech therapy simultaneously."
Last June, Bhattacharya bought a four-week-old labrador pup (who they named Simbaa), and spent Rs 50,000 on getting it trained in assistance therapy. "Through research I found that, compared to other breeds, labradors are genetically predisposed to being happy. Simbaa comes from a champion blood line. His parents were frequent participants at dog shows," says Bhattacharya.
Assistance training
Bhattacharya enrolled Simbaa at the Andheri -based Animal Angels Foundation run by Rohini Fernandes (left, in picture above) and Radhika Nair. Since 2005, the two have trained 75 dogs in assisting patients with various mental and psychological ailments.
First, Simbaa was put through a series of tests. Fernandes and Nair are clinical psychologists and certified practitioners of animalassisted therapy from the University of North Texas in US. They have stringent criteria for selection of animals.
Source : TOI , 26th June 2013
Thank you for sharing the informative with us. It would be very helpful for the parents and children too. Our hospital also provides counselling services for children. For getting an appointment, do visit Child Psychologist in Ludhiana.
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