Samarth was a healthy baby with no problems at birth. His parents were excited about his development, but as he got older, it became clear that he wasn't meeting developmental milestones like other kids his age. He was slow to sit up and walk, and it took him longer than expected to talk.
Samarth's parents tried all kinds of therapies to help him develop—they went to the best therapists and tried everything at home to stimulate him. They tried homoeopathy and even opted for stem cell transplant. Still, his progress was slower than most toddlers'.
The stress started piling up for Samarth's parents—they felt blamed by their relatives and started hitting him in frustration sometimes. It was hard for them not to feel like failures as parents when their son struggled so much with basic tasks.
This is the story of many families which present to Geniuslane Child development centre in Lucknow.
What is missing and has not been achieved with Samarth?
We know that Samarth is behind in achieving his development, but we don't know the reason why! There are so many different reasons (diagnoses) and all of them will have different outcomes. The plan is also different for different conditions—we can't treat all problems with the same approach!
At Geniuslane Child development centre we aim to answer three questions in our Brainrakshak consultation.
Is there a problem related to the Brain?
What is the exact cause?
What is the best treatment available?
Receiving a cause (diagnosis) is absolutely essential for the parents and society to understand the child’s problems and future. It also informs that problems the child is facing at present and what are the challenges in the future.
In India, a large number of children with neurodisability are not diagnosed in time and hence, do not get an opportunity to receive early intervention. So, what is Early intervention for a child-like Samarth?
Firstly, it will be ensuring that a diagnosis is made and any underlying cause is found. When parents are informed about the diagnosis of their child, they are encouraged to take action and understand what is happening. This is important as it allows parents to take control of their child's health. This is done by a Brainrakshak Paediatrician who will assess for what is causing the problem.
Secondly, it is about educating parents about the diagnosis and problems of the child. This can be availed by parents in English language at www.earlyyearssolution.com
This will help them understand more about what happens with their child and how they can help them through this period of time where they are not feeling well or able to do some things that other children can do easily without any problems at all!
Early intervention will mean that the children get exposed to activities which are designed to be at their developmental level. These activities should stimulate them, award them and also challenge them. The parents should be observing the child’s behaviour and work in a child-led way. The aim is to stimulate the child but not irritate them. Short realistic goals are more achievable than long term unrealistic goals. This reduces family fatigue and parental stress. Children, where parents are less stressed, are more likely to have a better outcome than children where parents are stressed.