4th National Workshop for training on Autism begins in New Delhi

New Delhi: The three day National Workshop for Training of Master Trainers on Autism Tools- INCLEN and ISAA for Diagnosis and Management of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children started in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The objective of this workshop is to make doctors from across the country aware about Autism tools to describe the diagnostic criteria as well as to clinically evaluate a child with suspected autism spectrum disorder using Autism tools.

The Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Mrs Shakuntala D Gamlin, inaugurated the workshop in presence of Dr K K Pandey, Chairman, National Trust, Mr Mukesh Jain, JS & CEO, National Trust, and various stakeholders associated. The workshop is organised by the National Trust under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with AIIMS, New Delhi.

In collaboration with Child Neurology Division, Department of Pediatrics, AIIMS, the National Trust has successfully organized three National Workshops for Training of Master Trainers in Autism Tools for Pediatricians, Psychiatrists and Clinical Psychologists from across the country in last two years in New Delhi in which over 250 doctors have already been trained.

National Trust is a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities under DEPwD. Since the inception, the National Trust has been running various schemes and programmes for the welfare of these persons with disabilities. Amongst these one of the major activities is creating awareness amongst the general public by organizing workshops, seminars and conferences on these disabilities and the capabilities of such persons.

Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in both urban and rural community is steadily increasing trend throughout the globe. For the last decade, Child Neurology Division, now Center of Excellence and Advanced Research for Childhood Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Department of Pediatrics at AIIMS, New Delhi has been actively involved in creating community awareness, training of physicians (National as well as International) and the diagnosis as well as evidence based management of children with ASD.