State to give certificates to people with autism

Move will ease their entry into workplace, says Minister Rajkumar Badole

Jaslok Hospital lit up with Blue lights to mark World Autism Awareness Day which is celebrated on 2nd April.

Navi Mumbai: The State government will issue certificates to people with autism to ease their entry into the workplace and give them access to grants meant for them.

Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Special Assistance, Rajkumar Badole, announced the move at an event on the occasion of 11th World Autism Awareness Day at Nerul on Sunday.

“Earlier, it was difficult to diagnose autism. With the latest developments in the medical field, autism can be diagnosed early. Hence, we now plan to issue certificates for individuals with autism, which would help them in workplace and set up businesses as it will act as proof of the disability.”

People with autism have to face struggles throughout life, and the certificate will help ease the struggles, Mr Badole said. “I am in talks with the Health Minister to work out on the plan and very soon, camps will be set up in each district wherein the certificates will be issued after a check-up. We are also working out on increasing the grant of 3% to 6%.”

Mr. Badole was speaking at NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute's event, organised in collaboration with Autism Connect. Over 1,000 children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents attended the event.

Dr. Alok Sharma, director at the institute, said, “Raising a child with autism is a constant challenge for parents and especially for mothers as it’s exhausting, exhilarating, and a lonely roller-coaster ride.”

The institute aims at providing stem cell therapy as well as rehabilitation for autism. Stem cell therapy, he said, is emerging as one of the newer treatment options for autism and has the potential to repair the damaged neural tissue at a molecular, structural, and functional level. “This treatment does not include any cuts and bruises. It has only two injections, one is to collect the bone marrow of the patient and the other is to inject it inside. In a decade, we have treated around 6,000 patients from 60 countries.”

Of the 6,000 patients, Mr. Sharma claims the success rate is 90%, while recovery rates vary from patient to patient.