disAbility Rourkela: April 2013

Autism Society Apr 17 (5 days ago) to AUTISM, bcc: me http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-07/delhi/38345701_1_world-autism-awareness-day-autistic-children-theme-song Ifat Gaziya, TNN Apr 7, 2013, 01.05AM IST NEW DELHI: Jalaja Narayanan is a proud mother. Her 32-year-old civil engineer son Krishna Narayanan has just released his latest book 'Why me?-An Inward Journey'. For Jalaja, this is an attestation to her success as a mother, especially because Krishna was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old. On the eve of World Autism Awareness Day, Jalaja shared the challenges she faced while bringing up her son. Professionals had given up on Krishna when Jalaja took matters into her own hands. "Autism affects everything ”eating and sleep habits, speech and expression, and even ways of showing love. Autism can't be treated, but I worked hard on him so that he could live well," she said. Neurologists say autism isn't genetic; it's a symptom of a treatable neurological disease that comes under the category of neuro immune dysfunction syndrome. Jalaja said Krishna didn't engage with family until he was 23. She taught him to concentrate, read and write. And positive signs started to show. In just two years, he completed his school-level education by studying at home, and went on to complete an electrical engineering degree. He knows his non-linear differential equations and quantum physics, thanks to his father Dr S Narayanan who is an IITian. Speaking at the event held at Humayun's Tomb, Jalaja encouraged parents of autistic children and called autism a mask that hides the child's talent. "The spark in his eyes and his wonderful smile always encouraged me and told me not to give up on him. I bonded closely with him when he was just three, and without bonding there can't be any learning" she said, adding that Krishna has brought hope to many autistic children and their parents. She has been running an autism centre in Chennai since 2004