Aarish's Journey: Overcoming Hearing Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder 🌟

At his very first visit to Sarthak, Aarish cried a lot. He was a very hyperactive child who didn’t want to sit still, kept running and jumping everywhere, and even shouted when therapists tried to interact with him.

Rewind back to 2019, at the age of 3, Aarish’s father noticed his delayed speech. Initially, they thought it was normal since some children speak late. However, Aarish’s father also observed some hearing concerns and behavioral differences such as lack of eye contact, inability to sit still or concentrate, and difficulty connecting with people. His developmental milestones were different from other children his age.

Concerned, Aarish’s father consulted an ENT specialist, but the hearing reports were normal. A relative then suggested seeing a child psychologist. Despite initial disbelief, Aarish was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a term unfamiliar to his family and a shock to them.

Aarish’s speech delay was due not to hearing loss but to ASD, where emotional intelligence and social skills are affected. Children with ASD often ignore the world around them, resulting in delayed speech and lack of vocabulary development. Hyperactivity, aggression, and restlessness were major concerns for Aarish’s family.

The psychologist recommended therapy as the only way to help Aarish progress. Meanwhile, Aarish’s family hesitated to enroll him in mainstream schools, fearing he wouldn’t be comfortable.

One day, the Sarthak mobilization team contacted the family and invited them to the nearest center. There, therapists took a detailed case history and began crafting a personalized intervention plan for Aarish.

With consistent therapy and support, Aarish’s journey toward improved social skills, communication, and behavior has begun, offering hope for a brighter future.