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Is Stem Cell Therapy a cure for treating Autism?

Open Stem Cell use in ASD

We are aware that many parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD have been offered stem cell therapies as a standard treatment option. Autism being a disability, the therapy results are slow, thus making the parents desperate for some miraculous solution. Hospitals have charged lakhs of money for stem cell therapy sessions but mostly it showed no result.

Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR with inputs from medical specialists in this field has critically reviewed the existing scientific and medical literature regarding any evidence-based safety and efficacy of stem cells in ASD. The studies have revealed that stem cell therapy should NOT be offered as a standard or routine therapy to individuals with Autism.

According to the recent circular issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on 6th Dec 2022, “ The use of stem cell therapy in treating patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not recommended and its promotion and advertisement will be considered professional misconduct”. To know in detail, read the circular attached above.

Medical professionals have welcomed the order as they agree to the fact that Autism is not curable and it is medically unethical to promise stem cell therapy as its cure. Doctors have also observed that there is a rise in irritability and aggression in people with ASD after stem cell therapy sessions.

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. You can call or what’s app us. Our counselors speak different languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and Bengali. 

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this article is for information purposes only. 

What is Echolalia?

The above infographic gives you information about echolalia.

Echolalia is a repetition (echoing) of words and phrases said by others. It is a natural part of the language development process up to the age of three. Echolalia beyond the age of three may be a sign of another condition such as developmental delay, language delay, autism, Tourette syndrome, intellectual disability, etc.

Echolalia is common among children with autism and serves many functions. It may occur as a way of communication, a form of self-stimulation, a calming mechanism or a means of enjoyment.

Echolalia can be interactive and non-interactive. In interactive echolalia, the child is trying to communicate with another person by repeating memorized words and phrases. In non-interactive echolalia, the child isn’t trying to speak to anyone else. They might be repeating words or phrases to themselves to practice an idea or as a form of self-stimulation or calming mechanism.

Echolalia can be immediate, where it occurs immediately after hearing a person speak, or delayed, where it occurs hours, days or weeks after hearing someone speak.

Echolalia can be used to build functional communication in a child with the help of speech therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral therapy.

Echolalia should not be suppressed in children with autism as it is a primary means of communication for many children with autism and can be used to teach them more advanced communication skills.

The infographic gives you tips to build communication in a child with echolalia. This includes using limited vocabulary, limiting ‘wh’ questions and asking choice questions instead, using visual cues and modelling conversation.

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996You can call or WhatsApp us.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this infographic is for information purposes only and should not in any way deemed as medical advice.

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