Shillong, March 27: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, a two-day workshop on Neurodevelopmental Disorder (NDD) in children was organized in Shillong. This workshop was facilitated by the State Capability Enhancement Project (SCEP) and the Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission (MECDM) in collaboration with state departments along with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit and the Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Autism and Developmental Disorders (CARE-ADD) of St John’s Medical College. The two-day workshop will conclude on March 28, 2024.
Research indicates that 70-80% of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) struggle with independent living. It may be mentioned that nearly 23 million children under the age of 10 have NDD and about 18 million adolescents in India live with autism.
This workshop is an initiative towards supporting children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) by fostering awareness, reducing stigma, and providing healthcare workers with the necessary knowledge and skills for early diagnosis and timely intervention to avoid delays in the cognitive/brain development process.
Over 100 participants from various government departments, including Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), National Mental Health Programme, Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), State Resource Centre on Disability Affairs (SRCDA), and Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society (MSRLS) attended the workshop.
Meanwhile, representatives from Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) and Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), were also present. The participants came from different professional backgrounds, such as doctors specializing in pediatrics and psychiatry, psychologists, special education teachers, nurses, social workers, lady supervisors, physiotherapists, and audiologists. Additionally, there were functionaries, counselors, research assistants, officers, and occupational therapists present.
The workshop began with a welcome address from Project Director Dr NP Laloo, Senior Orthopaedic Surgeon, State Resource Centre for Disability Affairs. Dr. Laloo emphasized the critical role played by healthcare personnel at every level, from the grassroots to the upper management level, in identifying and screening individuals with NDDs within the state.
“In today’s modern society,” Dr. Laloo remarked, “education is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all, regardless of whether they have an NDD or not.”
Addressing the gathering as the Chief Guest, Pravin Bakshi, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary of the Social Welfare Department, expressed the significance of such workshops in facilitating early identification.
He emphasized the importance of participants becoming master trainers and taking home the knowledge acquired during the workshop. Bakshi highlighted the challenges in identifying children with NDDs, particularly given the terrain of the state, and stressed the importance of early identification and outreach to parents.
“Given the terrain of our state,” Bakshi remarked, “it becomes difficult to reach each one of these children. Early identification and early outreach to the parents are crucial.” He encouraged participants to act as leaders in their respective domains, carrying forward the messages learned during the workshop through their own working groups.
It may be mentioned that in 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that approximately 1 in 44 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in India.
Ramkumar S, IAS, Secretary of the Health & Family Welfare Department and MD-NHM, spoke about the importance of childhood in shaping individuals’ lives.
He highlighted the scientific aspect of NDDs, explaining that advancements in neurology and physiology, starting from nutrition, play a crucial role. He highlighted the role of RBSK Teams in screening children but acknowledged the need to strengthen these efforts further.
“We must orient parents and schools, ensuring universal screening is conducted systematically through various channels like Lady Supervisors, Anganwadi Workers (AWW), Teachers, and RBSK officials,” adding ” We need to establish both home and institutional care, specifically to Meghalaya’s context.
In many cases, there isn’t a definitive medical test to confirm neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and often, results appear normal, with diagnosis relying heavily on observation, said Ramakrishna Chitturi, IAS, Additional Project Director of ECD & CEO at MSRLS.
He informed that as part of ECD, the aim is to create a cadre of ECD Facilitators who can provide such therapy and also train parents for home-based care, which is especially important due to the shortage of trained caregivers and only if institutional therapy is coupled with home-based therapy can the impact on the development of children with NDDs be improved.
Session I of the workshop commenced with an introduction to Neurodevelopmental Disorder (NDD) led by Dr. Suhas Chandran, Assistant Professor and Head, Assistant Professor from the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, where participants engaged in a brief activity, expressing their understanding of NDD and revealed varied interpretations, including developmental delays, mental disorders, and prevailing myths.
Dr Suhas also shared his personal journey and recounted his experience in a hospital where a significant proportion of children were diagnosed with autism. He discussed the initiatives undertaken, such as the Unit of Hope and training community health workers for community mental healthcare in Bangalore.
Session II saw participants engaged in discussions prompted by a video illustrating a day in the life of a boy with autism, focusing on stimming behaviours. It is worth noting that there is a growing trend toward identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at earlier ages, typically between 12 and 18 months.
The two-day workshop seeks to address the critical need for awareness and training in Meghalaya in the sphere of NDD in children. By reducing stigma, encouraging early intervention, and improving the quality of life for children with NDDs and their families, the Child Psychiatry team at St. John’s Medical College Hospital.
Along with CARE-ADD, is leading this initiative and addressing the pressing mental health concerns of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in these states. Dr Suhas Chandran, along with Dr Keerthana T, Assistant Professor from the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, from the aforementioned organizations are part of the initiative.
To conclude, Dr. Keerthana emphasized the critical importance of understanding cultural sensitivity in the context of family dynamics. She highlighted the need to recognize the influence of cultural beliefs, values, and practices on attitudes towards health, disability, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
The two-day workshop will cover autism, Exploring Intellectual Disability, Specific Learning Disability (SLD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), while also exploring the use of assistive technologies and providing guidance for parents and caregivers to support affected children.
