FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

When should I start group intervention?

 

We recommend enrolling the child as early as possible. Ideally, we would like to enrol the child by 2.6 years of age so that by 5.6 years the child is ready for regular school. The age range for enrolment is  between 2.6 and 6 years. Generally, children need at least a year of three hours daily intervention before they attain age-appropriate skills. Often, children may need more than a year. Generally, we taper off the intensity of support gradually.

 

Isn’t individual therapy better? Will my child not get focused attention in one-on-one therapy?

 

Skills such as turn taking, paying attention even when the teacher’s direct focus is not on the child, shifting eye gaze, listening and learning in a group, participating and engaging in conversations with peers, playing rule-bound games and understanding hidden meanings in discussions are best learnt in a group context. Children also need to manage noise levels, tactile sensitivites and other sensory needs in group settings. Additionally, the nature of the condition itself is such that many children learn better when there is no direct expectation to perform.An expectation to perform often generates a lot of anxiety in the child and his ability to learn is reduced.

 

My child is so young; can he withstand three hours of intervention?

 

We have been working in Mumbai for the past 12 years. Our experience with young children shows us that children are able to handle the hours. Sometimes when the child is less than 2.6 years, we may reduce the intensity of the intervention.

 

There are so many different types of therapy (ABA, VBA, RDI,TEACCH and SCERTS). Which method do you follow?

 

We follow a developmental approach. This means that we assess the child to identify gaps and strengths in his development. We work towards bridging the gaps and often use strengths while doing so. For example, when a child is visually strong, we may use visual supports to develop his communication.; or if a child  has difficulty with motor imitation, our OTist and speech therapist would work on these skills. We do not follow behavioural approaches. We follow the principles of language, motor and cognitive development and create an environment where the child experiences success at each level as we work with him/her towards bridging the gaps in development.

 

What about children with Autism and related conditions who do not meet your eligibility criteria?  Do you offer services
for them?

 

We look forward to offering our services to all children below the age of 6. Children who cannot be accommodated in the mainstream batch are helped in smaller batches of 6- 7 children where we work on communication, activities of daily living and related skills required for more independent living, or in individual therapy depending upon the needs of the child and family.

 

My child has a lot of language and is already functioning in a regular classroom. Yet he has difficulty reading between the lines; he is often the butt of his classmates' jokes, has few friends and is even known as the class bully. Can you help him?

 

Many such issues are related to difficulties in the use of language (pragmatics), which has more recently been labelled Social Communication Disorder. This is an area we are particularly equipped to address, having done a lot of work on the ground. We would be happy to assist your child as well.