Content:Brief
Name: Ameya: Age 6 | Diagnosis: Autism | Evaluation Method: ATEC Score
(Autism treatment evaluation checklist)
(As narrated by the parent)
We were blessed with the birth of our daughter in the year 2000. Being our first child we weren't very aware of the milestones a child goes through and enjoyed all her achievements as they came. In the first 2 years all her milestones such as crawling, teething, walking and feeding habits looked absolutely normal when compared to others. However towards the end of her second year we noticed that our child did not respond to our gestures and seemed a bit aloof or lacked interest in the things around her. Her speech for a 2 year child was fine; however she wasn't picking up new words or lacked the desire to learn new words as other kids of her age did.
By the time she was 3 yrs we started to notice that she preferred to stay aloof, away from social interactions as well as verbal communication with other children. Time went by and our lack of knowledge prevented us from seeking the correct counseling and intervention.
On entering preschool we got our first inclination of the diagnosis as the teachers there began to notice certain patterns and referred us to a therapist. By that time she had pronounced fear of loud, sudden noises such as bursting of crackers, fear of crossing the streets and sudden flashes of light such as while taking photographs. She had a peculiar habit of lifting her skirt repetitively or asking for the same thing aggressively over and over again till she got it. She liked rocking while sitting and could not relate to our emotions of anger in response to her behavior.
Changes on starting treatment
At this stage we were referred to Dr. Anish Vaknalli as our therapist had seen numerous children doing well under his treatment and progressed significantly.
On our first visit, doctor spent close to an hour with us observing her movements and social interactions and asked her entire history, preferences and habits thoroughly. From what I understood about Homeopathy and his specialized approach was that unlike conventional therapies where the same line of treatment is prescribed for a particular condition, here, every child is gauged differently and treated constitutionally.
On starting this line of Homeopathic treatment with Dr. Anish we began to notice changes after the first couple of months which are in the sequence as follows:
The first and most important change we noticed was that our child who till date did not bother to ask for things or share her likings or dislikes began to do so and felt less vulnerable, fearful or shy is what we felt. She lacked eye contact and always looked away while spoken to. Now, she had more confidence and made continuous eye contact which was totally absent prior to this treatment. Though she did well in her school and got good overall grades she lacked the ability to communicate through essay writings and emotions which we felt were changing too. Her repetitive actions reduced by more than 50%, though her fear of loud noises and light flashes took a bit longer to subside, which eventually did significantly.
After 8-11 months of continuous treatment I am glad to say that my daughter (Ameya) is coping much better than she did a year ago with all the new introductions made in her life. Her social interaction has noticeably increased and knows what she wants and asks for it confidently. I am sure in the following months she will be as normal as any other child and encourage parents like me to opt for Homeopathy along with any other therapy they choose.