Autism ADHD Doctor Mumbai india Dr SV Kondekar

. 100 Questions Parents Ask While Preparing an Autistic Child for School Admission, Communication and Socialisation A. SCHOOL ADMISSION AND SCHOOL READINESS What does school readiness really mean? School readiness means being sufficiently steady, attentive, communicative and socially available to participate in classroom learning. Is knowing ABC and numbers enough for school admission? No; the child must also be able to listen, follow instructions, sit, wait, communicate and participate. Should I focus on academics before school admission? First build the developmental foundations that allow the child to learn academics from a teacher. Should my child learn writing before admission? Writing is useful, but sitting, attention, listening, imitation and following instructions are often more fundamental. Should my child learn to recognise colours? Yes, but recognition should not replace attention, communication and participation with people. Should my child memorise ...

Teach the Child to Stop: From Movement and Sensory Seeking to Stillness, Human Connection and School Readiness When parents take a child for developmental therapy, they often see a great deal of movement. The child is encouraged to jump, run, climb, crawl, swing, balance, push, pull, roll, spin, crash, carry and move from one activity to another. Many of these activities can have a legitimate therapeutic purpose. Movement may support motor planning, coordination, postural control, body awareness and arousal regulation. But Dr Kondekar asks parents to look beyond the movement itself and ask one fundamental question: “What is the child learning to do after the movement stops?” This question changes the entire way we think about therapy. The objective of therapy is not to create a child who can perform an impressive number of movements. The objective is to help the child participate in family life, social life, school and eventually independent life. And school require...

The “statue exercises" can be useful as a brief attention-and-motor-steadiness activity, particularly before listening or communication work. A practical sequence is: 1. Statue standing — child stands still for 5–10 seconds. 2. Statue sitting — sit on a chair or floor without changing posture. 3. Hands statue — hands remain folded or placed on the lap. 4. Face statue — keep face oriented toward the parent for a few seconds. 5. Eyes statue — look toward the parent and maintain visual attention briefly. 6. Listening statue — remain still while the parent speaks one or two sentences. 7. Action–freeze — child performs an action such as clapping, jumping or walking, then freezes when told “STATUE.” 8. Copy the statue — parent assumes a posture; child copies and freezes. 9. Longer statue — gradually increase stillness from 5 seconds to 10, 20 and eventually 30 seconds. 10. Statue → listening → response — freeze, listen to a sentence, then give an appropriate response. The key principle ...

“Before 15, place greater emphasis on identifying and actively addressing developmental deficits; after 15, shift progressively toward maximizing functional strengths, independence, participation, and quality of life.” This avoids implying that intervention should stop after 15 or that deficits become irrelevant. 1. Autism management is a developmental journey, not a single treatment program. 2. The priorities of intervention should change as the child grows. 3. Before 15 years, developmental plasticity and learning opportunities are particularly important. 4. Therefore, the focus should be strongly directed toward identifying developmental deficits. 5. The first question should be: “What developmental skill is missing?” 6. The second question should be: “What is preventing this child from acquiring it?” 7. Every major developmental domain should be assessed. 8. Communication should be assessed. 9. Receptive language should be assessed. 10. Expressive language should be assessed. 11. S...

20 Occupational Therapy Activities Reimagined Using the "Brain Before Body" Concept Principle : The activity should not end with movement. Every movement should become an opportunity for attention, listening, language comprehension, executive function, social interaction, and problem-solving. The therapist's role is to continuously engage the child's brain during the activity. 1. Climbing a Ladder Traditional OT: Climb up and down repeatedly. Brain Before Body: - "Climb to the red teddy." - "Stop at the second step." - "Now come down after I clap." - Ask the child to remember two instructions. Brain skills: Listening, sequencing, inhibition, working memory. 2. Swing Therapy Traditional OT: Passive swinging. Brain Before Body: - Swing only after eye contact. - Count swings together. - Stop when therapist says "freeze." - Identify pictures placed around the room. Brain skills: Joint attention, auditory processing, response inhibit...

Brain Before Body: A Neurodevelopmental Rationale for Prioritizing Cognitive and Social Brain Functions Over Motor Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder Dr. Santosh V. Kondekar MBBS, MD (Pediatrics), DNB, DCH, FCPS Developmental Neuro-Pediatrician Abstract Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is traditionally described as a disorder of social communication accompanied by restricted and repetitive behaviours. Over the past three decades, intervention strategies have increasingly incorporated sensory integration, occupational therapy, gross motor exercises, balance training, and physical activity. Although these approaches may improve motor competence, sensory regulation, and participation, accumulating evidence suggests that they rarely produce substantial improvements in the defining features of autism—social reciprocity, language, communication, symbolic thinking, and adaptive cognition—when implemented in isolation. The "Brain Before Body" concept proposes that intervention p...