Dear Editor,
Children living with autism spectrum disorder (ClwASD)
face challenges in social interactions and communication
across different settings (classroom, playground,
and home) due to socioemotional challenges.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders – 5th Edition mentions deficits in conversations
involving expressive and receptive language for these
children due to abnormal social approaches such as sharing
of reduced interests, affect, pace of communication, social
skill deficits, and emotions.[1]
Lack of facial expressions and poor eye contact
make it nonverbally hard for ClwASD to participate
in communication in social situations. The ability to
integrate body language and gestures with communication
is essentially challenging for most of these children.
Misinterpretation of social cues and language hinders
comprehension of jokes, humors, and metaphors; ClwASD
face challenges in responding to peers and adults by
understanding their emotions and feelings. Many etiologies
are identified for causing ASD, and the spectrum also
encompasses a wide range of intellectual functioning
abilities beyond the neurophysiological changes in the brain.

Dear Editor,
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a calamitous condition that
causes temporary or permanent changes in its function
resulting either from trauma or nontrauma.[1] The abrupt
nature of injury infers a radical change in various
domains on both persons with SCI (PwSCI) and their
family caregivers (FCGs).[2] The unanticipated nature of
this condition leaves the FCGs to adopt new roles and
responsibilities that they were not aware of it before.
The FCG’s psychosocial and vocational outcomes
are negatively impacted by taking on this additional
caregiver responsibility. This caregiving role puts them
in a phase where they often neglect their needs and
health.