When we brush our own teeth we know how hard or soft to brush, where we feel sensitivity, how to miss the gums etc. To have someone else shove the toothbrush into your mouth and brush your teeth without you controlling it, can be really discomforting especially to a child …
Learning to Communicate with Apps and More
My seven-year old son Izaan has autism and intellectual disability, and is non-verbal. He’d throw things or push chairs to indicate that he was hungry, tired or sleepy. He had few words and little eye contact. Izaan’s speech therapy at Sethu began by focusing on extending his sitting time and …
A Visit to the Circus
I want to take my child, Robin*, to the circus. Robin’s four years old and autistic so everything must be planned carefully to ensure that the outing goes smoothly. He has no trouble verbalising his needs but tends to get anxious when we go out. He doesn’t like being outdoors …
Haircuts on the Spectrum
Sitting in a hairdresser’s chair for 30 minutes sounds like a simple ask but for children with sensory processing difficulties like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the sounds, sensations and smells can feel traumatic for both them and their caregivers, as Drina Fernandes, mother of Jonathan, 18, discovered when he was …
A Sweet Spot for Abdullah
Veenu Naik walked through the doors of Sethu for the first time in 2010, concerned that her son Abdullah, 2, couldn’t focus, talk or stand. The doctor she’d taken him to referred her to Dr Nandita de Souza, the developmental paediatrician who’d treated his own son. “Dr Nandita told me …