Routine immunisation can aid in early detection of autism

Behavioural therapy comprises major part of early intervention along with medication: Expert

New Delhi: Healthcare workers can enable early detection of autism by identifying red flags specific to autism during routine immunisation, said a paediatric neurologist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Taking to social media platform X, Dr Sheffali Gulati, Professor and faculty-in-charge at the Child Neurology Division, Department of Pediatrics at AIIMS Delhi, explained what autism is and how it can be identified early. “Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by social deficits and qualitative impairment in communication, along with some fixed interests and behaviour,” Gulati said. She noted that the condition comes with “some fixed patterns of interest, and there may be sensory issues within them”.

---

Identifying the condition
She explained how to identify autism in a baby within 2 years. “If a 6-month-old baby is not responding to his/her name or has not started babbling till one year; if he/she is not speaking words at 16 months; is not speaking two words at 24 months; or has forgotten some vocabulary, then autism may be suspected in him/her,” Gulati said. “It is important for us to look at all the development milestones, along with the red flags specific to autism, whenever children come for immunisation,” Gulati said, emphasising the importance of early intervention in disorder.

She further noted that behavioural therapy comprised the major part of early intervention along with some medications “which can help their development to become better in future”.

She also called on people to accept the diversity brought about by the children with autism and to begin acceptance right home. “We have to keep in mind that these children with autism are different from the rest. Everyone has different diversity which has to be accepted. And when we talk about inclusion in society, it should begin from home, then in school and society”.

The children with autism “have the same right to a dignified life as anyone else”, said Gulati, while urging people “to move forward with a humanistic approach”.