World Autism Awareness Day | Autism must be understood beyond the clinic with focus on inclusion, compassion: Experts

In a particularly inspiring moment, a young adult with autism, born at PGIMER, shared his journey and achievements. He now runs a YouTube channel, “Cricket Ki Awaaz,” and expressed his willingness to connect, answer queries, and build friendships, symbolising hope, ability, and inclusion.

Experts emphasised that autism must be understood beyond the clinic, with a focus on inclusive classrooms, supportive families, and compassionate communities that celebrate differences rather than stigmatise them.

Dr Anmol Sidhu, consultant–pediatrician at Livasa, says that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting an increasing number of children in India. It is characterised by challenges in social communication and interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term ‘spectrum’ reflects the wide variation in symptoms and severity, with each child experiencing autism differently.

She added that recent estimates suggest that 1 in 68 to 1 in 100 children in India are affected by ASD, accounting for approximately 1.12 per cent to 1.5 per cent of children aged 2–9 years, with a higher prevalence in boys.

Sidhu also emphasised that early signs are often subtle and may present as the absence of expected developmental milestones, rather than obvious abnormalities. These are most commonly identified in the second year of life, when social and communication demands increase.

Dr Vibha Goel, consultant–psychiatry said, ”Key early warning signs include, poor response to name by 1 year, no meaningful words by 18 months, limited or inappropriate play, reduced interaction with peers, repetitive behaviors or unusual movements, echolalia (repeating words), hyperactivity and toe walking”.