Date: 22-08-2018
About the Talk: Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder (ASD); some estimates for India put the number at more than 20 million. The initial part of this talk will focus on ASD conditions and the triad of impairments and other difficulties that persons on the spectrum go through. The later part of the talk will draw upon the speaker’s experience of working with autistic children and young adults in designing various interventions, some of which include structured work environments, augmentative and alternative communication devices (such as picture exchange communication system), sensory integration, behaviour therapy and social skill training.
Profile of the Speaker: Sarbani Mallick has been a passionate worker in the field of autism for the past 20 years. This passion has led to her comprehensive grasp over the subject, and has led to the creation of the Bubbles Centre for Autism, an institution that has gained strong credibility in the eyes of well reputed institutions in the medical field related to autism in India and abroad. Under the auspices of Biswa Gouri Charitable Trust, Sarbani Mallick and her team of educators at Bubbles Centre for Autism work on the core values of Belief in an Individual, Inclusion and Discovering the Strength in every child. Sarbani has experimented with international best practices in the field, to create a leading-edge curriculum for the students at the Centre. She is a strong advocate of the school program, where parents are ‘Co-therapists’ and are supportive towards “Parent Empowerment Program” and “Train the trainer” Program.