A Pilot Trial of a Manualized Psychoeducation Module for Parents of Children with Autism with Intellectual Disability and Intellectual Disability Alone.

Objectives: Children with autism with/without intellectual disability (ID) and ID alone require regular interventions. Psychoeducation (PE) can empower parents with intervention strategies. The aim of this study was to develop the test efficacy of a simple, short manualized PE module for parents of children with autism with/without comorbid ID and for ID alone. We focused on both autism and ID (A-ID) because we felt that both the groups could benefit from this module. Methods: A special module for PE was developed after literature review, inputs from a study group, and discussion with experts. Parents attended eight fortnightly intervention sessions. Children were assessed on the Developmental Screening Test, Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism (ISAA), and the Behavioral Assessment Scale for Indian Children with Mental Retardation (BASIC-MR) before starting and 1 month after completing PE. Results: Consenting parent of parents/of 16 children with A-ID and 14 with ID completed sessions with pre- and postassessment. There was a significant improvement in the majority of domains of ISAA and BASIC-MR Part B in children with both conditions. Conclusions: PE has a wide scope for use across various developmental disorders. The module developed is promising for a wide variety of field workers.

A Pilot Study of Correlation between Intelligence Quotient, Social Quotient, and Ayurveda Parameters in Children.

BACKGROUND: Intelligence quotient (IQ) and social quotient (SQ) are comparable in predicting intelligence status. The latter is assessed whenever IQ testing is not possible. According to Ayurveda, Buddhi (intelligence) is affected by Prakriti (body constitution) which depends on the predominance of Tridosha and Triguna. There is a paucity of studies to examine their association. The study was designed to examine correlation among IQ, SQ, performance quotient (PQ) and maladaptive behaviour; and to find out their relationship with primary (Anubandhya) and secondary (Anubandha) doshas with intelligence in children with mild to moderate intellectual disability. METHODOLOGY: Children (n = 120) were recruited from outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital as part of a clinical trial of a novel Ayurveda formulation. Stanford Binet Scale, Vineland Social Maturity Scale, Seguin Form Board Test, and Maladaptive Behavior Schedule-II were administered. Ayurvedic parameters were assessed clinically by Ayurveda practitioner. Separate regression analyses were carried out to look for associations. RESULTS: IQ and SQ were positively correlated (P = 0.01). Maladaptive behavior and SQ were negatively correlated (0.05). SQ was associated with secondary dosha (P = 0.002) and stage of disease (Roga Kriyakala) (P = 0.015). IQ was also associated with secondary dosha (P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: SQ and IQ are positively correlated. The correlation of Anubandha (secondary) dosha was high on IQ and SQ.

Hallucinations in the classical Indian system of Ayurveda: A brief overview.

The ancient Indian system of medicine "Ayurveda" is a compendium of various health related theories and practices and explained the abnormal state of mind, i.e., psychopathology in various contexts. Hallucinations were deemed abnormal. In Ayurvedic classics, hallucinations were called false perceptions (mithyajnana), illusions (maya), infatuations (moha), or confusion (bhrama). Hallucinations were not independent but a symptom of mental disorder (manasa roga). Hallucinations of different sensory organs were observed and explained. These symptoms could be observed in patients suffering from any illness of tridosha origin, organic disease or psychiatric disorder. False perceptions observed in patients were used as tools to understand the prognosis of the condition. This article may help provide preliminary insight and encourage interdisciplinary study toward understanding one of the main symptoms of schizophrenia.