AIIMS programme to create awareness about autism

Autism affects around 14 out of 1000 children, aged between 2 to 9 years, in India, and AIIMS at present is dealing with 600 cases of autism.
Autism, a developmental disorder in children that makes communicating and interacting with other people difficult is on rise, even on global front with, one in every 68 children in USA gripped by it which was one in every 88 children in 2012, according to a study
According to Dr M C Misra, Director of AIIMS, every child is special and different and have some special abilities which need to be cared and highlighted properly.

"Autism is not a disease but a condition in which a child needs more care and attention of the parents," said Mishra addressing a press conference organised by AIIMS today to create awareness about the developmental disorder.
Health Secretary, Luv Verma said that the programme would certainly clear the misconceptions related to autism and would make people much more aware. Besides, there is a need to conduct a detailed and extended research in this regard.
"Health Ministry has always been prompt in resolving the issues related to autism and I would like to assure that the ministry would extend every assistance required by the medical fraternities in this regard," said Verma.

On this occasion, Poornima Natrajan, chairperson of National Trust which supports children and their parents with special needs, said that there is a need to provide a proper training and awareness to parents who often spend hefty amount of cash to diagnose it.
"Parents should never approach such therapists who conduct closed door therapy as it prevents them from witnessing the procedure which the therapist is applying on their children," said Natrajan.
The programme was organised as a part of the autism awareness month observed in April.