STUDY OF COPING BEHAVIOUR AND STRESS MANAGEMENT AMONG MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER BY PRACTICING RAJYOGA
Authors: Chaturvedi Chetna 
Published: June 2024

Autism can have many meanings, many combinations. No professional can even have this diagnosis for the first time and know what the child's response will be in the future. But there is a period when counselling or assessment takes place, only after that it can be known what the present situation of the child is. According to the new classification, this disorder is also called Autism Spectrum Disorder. The spectrum is taken in Rainbow term, and it is said that autism is sometimes very severe on one side and sometimes very mild on the other side. Many times, many types of combinations are also found with autism. In which ASD reduces the ability of intelligence, some may suffer epileptic seizures. In some cases, other types of medical problems may also occur. And if there is no problem in any of these and there is mild ASD and IQ level is normal or above normal then life can be almost normal. Autism is not a disease. Being diagnosed with autism does not mean that these children will not be able to do any type of work or job in future or those children cannot get involved in any further work. They can do all the work; the only difference is that they can do it in a slightly different way from other children. Their ability to understand all the things and do it in their own ways. Sometimes they react seriously to very small incidents and sometimes even big incidents do not affect them. Earlier, autism was also called autistic disorder, red Syndrome and also called Asperger’s Childhood distinguishing Syndrome. Combination of all these, now it has been named “Autism Spectrum Disorder” If we understand Autism Spectrum Disorder in simple language, then they lack social understanding. Most of these children are Remain fixed on only one thing. If we talk about social understanding, it can be understood in two ways: Going to school, studying, writing and giving exams and being up to the marks in exams. If you look at it from the other side, you go out, meet people, look them in the eyes and talk, you can make them understand what you say, how to read their facial expressions and how to make friendship with them, all these things come under social intelligence, which is lacking in autistic children. Children who are found to have problems with autism speak some things, but as they move on, they forget that language. Seeing this situation, parents get worried and go to the doctors, child specialist, psychiatrist, psychologist, neurologist, and sometimes they take the name of God. Overall, parents do whatever they can for their children, their efforts are to ensure that their children become normal by whatever means, sometimes parents also misunderstand that they gave less time to their children in childhood, which is why If their child is lacking in literacy because of this, then it is very important to clarify that it is not the parents’ fault. It is genetic and the study shows that 8 out of 10,000 children have this problem, which starts before the age of 3 years and can persist throughout life. The study shows that in such children, this problem can be treated with assessments and therapies but sometimes it persists for life. Symptoms of autism are found in these children, they may be good at some specific skills, but it has also been observed that those children forget those skills as they grow older and new skills appear in them. They also keep repeating their activities. They may have their own unique ways of understanding, learning, moving around or paying attention to instructions. They especially have communication problems. They seem to be very narrow interest. For example, Sometimes the sound of a clock ticking. They listen to it very attentively and sometimes hear a huge bang. And sometimes even the loud sound of the bang is ignored. When the parents notice all these symptoms, they wonder whether it is the case that they are unable to hear. Thinking so, they even take them to an ENT doctor, to check their hearing. Tests are also done which are often found to be normal. Apart from this, if we see, sometimes children have abnormal things like hand flapping, Toe walking, odd playing with their own way etc. Apart from this, pronoun reversal like not understanding the difference between you and me, yours and mine, poor eye contact, lack of emotions. It is not that they want to go only to their parents or family members, they go to anyone and talks to anyone. Most such children live in imagination. ASD begin before age of 3 years as received literature and may be last throughout life. Study shows its symptoms may improve overtime sometime its symptoms in children show ASD within one year and in other hand its symptoms cannot be seen throughout life. Some children with ASD may be good in some specific skills and we can see that development during 18 to 24 months of their age. But after that they stop gaining or even loss skills which they gained earlier. Children with ASD may have problem with social interaction and communication. They stick towards restricted behaviour and do their activities repetitively. They may have loss Interest, in other word children with ASD have their different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention in instructions. The role of a mother is very important for their children’s life, and it is also very much important in their growth and development. No mother wants to see their children in trouble and when their children are diagnosed with autism disorder, they feel stressed. It becomes natural to have stress, tension, depression, anxiety and different types of negative thoughts in them. As it was further told that autism is genetic, and it happens to those who are destined to have it. So, in such a situation, it has been told to such mothers how to get out of through rajyoga meditation. In the study, 10 such mothers were taken for experiment whose children had some kind of autism symptoms and who had become completely hopeless. And they started believing that their children would never improve and that the mothers themselves were responsible for their condition. They believed that their children suffering due to not taking proper care of them in their childhood and not giving them sufficient time, that is why these conditions have been happened and they also started believing that it is the result of her actions that her children are suffering which is now never going to be cured. General health questionnaire was used to know all 10 mother’s mental health conditions. Personal meetings were conducted, telephonic talks were also done. To bring the mothers out of their mental condition, their perception of autism and indifference towards life, they were given the practice of rajyoga meditation for 30 days. This study deals with stress tension depression anxiety and negative and positive behaviour and coping situation with practicing rajyoga. Study shows that how rajyoga helped mothers having negative attitude and behaviours towards their children who are facing autistic spectrum disorder and it was found that how lower level of confidence and higher level of negativity affects children's development who facing autistic spectrum disorder. 10 mothers dealing with ASD children were taken for study and examine using parent attitude scale and general health questionnaire. Accepting ADS Child’s limitations is very much important for their confidence and development. When parents dealing with their children’s conditions. To know that they are accepted and loved for as they are. This accepts their uniqueness and capabilities even if they are not like other children. Every child increases their confidence and self-stream when they do something good in their life.