In recent times, a number of persons have received unsolicited messages from FinTech loan companies about known and unknown individuals who default in loan repayment.
The aim of this “technique” is to enforce repayment via the instrumentation of public embarrassment.
Is this a right approach? Is it legal? Can FinTech companies be sued for harassment?
We discussed these and more in this episode of Gist Arena.
Question How does one differentiate between typical toddler tantrums and a child with autistic tendencies?
Adenike O.
Tantrums are temporary while the tendencies of autism are sort of permanent or consistent
Adelola G.
Tantrums are not signs that a child may have autism, but if the child shows symptoms of autism, and then throw tantrums, we can then differentiate between tantrums and what we call meltdowns.
Gbemisola B. Tantrums are not the only features of Autism spectrum disorder. In addition to the tantrums there WILL BE OTHER SYMPTOMS. One of which commonly is COMMUNICATION DEFICIT. In toddlers the social communication delay often manifesting as speech delay and/or repetitive restricted patterns of behaviors are the usual common symptoms first observed by parents and caregivers. Possible “Red Flags”
A person with ASD might:
• Not respond to their name by 12 months of age • Not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months • Not play “pretend” games (pretend to “feed” a doll) by 18 months • Avoid eye contact and want to be alone • Have trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelings • Have delayed speech and language skills • Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia) • Give unrelated answers to questions • Get upset by minor changes • Have obsessive interests • Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles • Have unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel. Social Skills Social issues are one of the most common symptoms in all of the types of ASD. People with an ASD do not have just social “difficulties” like shyness. The social issues they have cause serious problems in everyday life.
Examples of social issues related to ASD:
• Does not respond to name by 12 months of age • Avoids eye-contact • Prefers to play alone • Does not share interests with others • Only interacts to achieve a desired goal • Has flat or inappropriate facial expressions • Does not understand personal space boundaries • Avoids or resists physical contact • Is not comforted by others during distress • Has trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about own feelings
Communication
Each person with ASD has different communication skills. Some people can speak well. Others can’t speak at all or only very little. About 40% of children with an ASD do not talk at all. About 25%–30% of children with ASD have some words at 12 to 18 months of age and then lose them. Others might speak, but not until later in childhood.
Examples of communication issues related to ASD:
• Delayed speech and language skills • Repeats words or phrases over and over (echolalia) • Reverses pronouns (e.g., says “you” instead of “I”) • Gives unrelated answers to questions • Does not point or respond to pointing • Uses few or no gestures (e.g., does not wave goodbye) • Talks in a flat, robot-like, or sing-song voice • Does not pretend in play (e.g., does not pretend to “feed” a doll) • Does not understand jokes, sarcasm, or teasing
Unusual Interests and Behaviors
Many people with ASD have unusual interest or behaviors.
Examples of unusual interests and behaviors related to ASD:
• Lines up toys or other objects • Plays with toys the same way every time • Likes parts of objects (e.g., wheels) • Is very organized • Gets upset by minor changes • Has obsessive interests • Has to follow certain routines • Flaps hands, rocks body, or spins self in circles
Other Symptoms
Some people with ASD have other symptoms. These might include:
•Hyperactivity (very active) • Impulsivity (acting without thinking) • Short attention span • Aggression • Causing self injury • Temper tantrums • Unusual eating and sleeping habits • Unusual mood or emotional reactions • Lack of fear or more fear than expected • Unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
Kemi K A tantrum can be stopped or controlled by either the parent or the child. A meltdown can not. The autism spectrum is vast and a combination of symptoms will give a diagnosis. One single “symptom” does not mean a child is autistic. If all other development markers are hit, it is very unlikely that the singular issue of meltdowns will lead to a diagnosis.
You can join the discussion and share your thoughts here.
As a Casualty Clinician in the Children Emergency Room, I have seen beautiful promising babies lose their lives because of PARACETAMOL. Yes! Paracetamol has killed so much more babies than you can ever imagined.
A case scenario: This two year old was rushed to the emergency room with gasping respiration. Obviously he was about to die on arrival.
As usual, we launched into action to salvage this young chap.While working to save his life, we were asking questions from the mother to know when the illness started.
“It started with fever last week” was the response.
“Why then did you not bring the child since then?”, we inquired.
“The fever came down after I gave him paracetamol”, the mother answered.
That was how the mother continued to give this baby paracetamol until the child could no longer stand erect. Then the baby became breathless and was rushed to the hospital.
When we examined, it was obvious the child needed blood as an urgent test confirmed the PCV to be 09% and the baby’s heart was already failing (Anaemic Heart Failure). We tried our best but it was too late, we lost the child to the cold hand of death.
I was grieved in my heart. As I watched the mother crying unconsolably; she killed her own baby, though ignorantly.
Now this is the message I want to pass across:
Paracetamol is an analgesic (pain relieving) and an anti-pyretic (Fever ‘relieving’) drug. It does not cure any disease.
For the child in the story above, we later found out through a laboratory test that what the child had was malaria. There are so many causes of fever. Fever is not a disease, it is just one of the symptoms of a disease. What paracetamol does is to relieve the symptoms of fever or pain but it does not care for the disease.Malaria was destroying that baby’s blood, but it was also giving a signal (fever was the signal in this case) but the mother ignorantly ignored the signal by giving paracetamol.
To my readers, use this story to educate people around you, especially those who have children. When you have fever, this is what to do:
Have a warm bath. Do not use cold water. Do not run to buy paracetamol.
For younger children, do what we call Tepid Sponging. Tepid means warm. Dip a clean towel into warm (not cold) water and rub the baby’s body. As the water dries from the body there will be cooling.
If after Tepid Sponging for a while the fever did not subside, it is time to see a doctor. Do not prescribe paracetamol for a child. See a doctor and let the cause of the fever be dealt with.
