MANAS Learning

  Building Confidence in a Child Who Feels Different: The Self-Esteem Journey  "My daughter is eight. Yesterday she said, 'I wish I had a different brain. Everyone else can do things easily, and I have to try so hard.' How do I help her see she's not broken when the world keeps telling her she is?"   — Kavita, mother of a child with dyslexia  Your child came home from school today and said they're stupid.  Or weird. Or different. Or "not normal like the other kids."  And your heart shattered into a thousand pieces.  Because you know the truth: Your child is brilliant. Creative. Unique. They see the world in ways others don't. They have incredible strengths—if only anyone would notice them instead of focusing on what they can't do.  But your child doesn't see any of that. They only see what they're not. What they can't do. How don't fit.  They're...

 Every week, I sit across from parents who pull out crumpled notes, their phones filled with videos, and carefully documented observations about their child. "Am I seeing things that aren't there?" they ask. "Or am I missing something important?" These questions reflect the delicate balance parents walk when monitoring their child's development—the fear of both overreacting and overlooking something significant. The truth is, parental intuition combined with informed observation is one of the most powerful tools we have for early identification of autism. You don't need a degree in psychology to recognise patterns; you simply need to know what patterns to look for.  This comprehensive checklist emerges from years of clinical work, research, and most importantly, from listening to parents describe what they noticed first, what made them pause, and what kept them up at night, wondering. It's designed not to create anxiety but to ...

Why Autism Isn’t Something That Needs a “Cure” As a clinical psychologist who has worked with autistic individuals and their families for many years, one of the most common—and emotionally charged—questions I hear is: “Can autism be cured?” The short answer is no . Autism is not curable—and importantly, it is not something that should be cured. However, this answer deserves far more nuance than a simple yes or no. The idea that autism can or should be cured reflects widespread misunderstandings about what autism actually is. In this article, I’ll unpack the science, challenge common myths, and reframe autism in a way that is accurate, compassionate, and aligned with the voices of autistic people themselves. Understanding Autism: Why It Isn’t “Curable” To understand why autism cannot be cured, we first need to understand what autism is—and what it isn’t. Autism is not : A disease An illness that develops after birth An infection or injury A chemical imbalance that can be corrected Auti...