Indian treatment helps London autistic boy talk, skate and solve puzzle

The 11-year-old never got a chance to go to school due to his condition. His parents finally got him to India after researching about possible treatment options. So far, he has received extensive rehabilitation at Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute, Navi Mumbai, and has completed two sessions of stem-cell therapy in October 2013 and April 2014. With major portions of his brain repaired, he now shows signs of increased attention span, color recognition and better concentration capacity.

His father, Sergio Delle-Vergini, said, “Leo can now skate on ice like an expert and has mastered the skill of solving jigsaw puzzles in five minutes. He can now ride a bike by himself, stop at signals without giving cues and responds to people in a better way.” Dr Nandini Gokulchandran, who has been treating Leo, said, “We aimed at the holistic development of the boy. Rehabilitation involved speech therapy and colour recognition practice.” Developing the ability to speak and identifying objects are the next goals that his parents have set for Leo.

neha.kulkarni@expressindia.com