Dear Editor, Nightmare disorder is a mental health condition characterized by repeated occurrences of extended, well-remembered, dysphoric dreams, often involving themes of threat, that result in awakening from sleep and significant distress and impairment1 . A typical sleep occurs in two phases namely rapid eye movement stage (REM) and nonrapid eye movement stage (NREM), nightmares usually occur during REM stage of sleep cycle when brain activity nears the level of that when an individual is awake causing the experience to feel real. Research points to factors such as traumatic experiences, childhood adversities, suppression of thoughts, maladaptive beliefs, other medical conditions such as sleep apnea2. Though research points to multiple reasons for occurrence of nightmares, Spoormaker’s cognitive model explains persistence of nightmares due to formation of nightmare scripts, the repeated elements in nightmares form structures patterns in dreamers experience. The scripts contain specific expected responses that get activated to dream elements, the cycle continues even after the original stressor fades

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.