Hyderabad: Medical specialists are sounding the alarm over a sharp rise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses in India and worldwide, urging aggressive early screening campaigns, better-trained preschool staff, and tighter oversight of therapy centres. Global data show an unprecedented jump in autism rates: the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention now estimates that one in 36 eight-year-olds meets ASD criteria, up from one in 150 in 2000. CDC Indian studies suggest a prevalence of roughly one in 65 children aged two-to-nine, translating to up to two million cases nationwide. Suman Saraf of Kavadiguda recalls visiting “more than 20 doctors in a month” after her son, born in 2001, displayed unusual behaviour and frequent seizures. “There was almost no awareness then. Qualified help was hard to find, and fake clinics were everywhere,” she told Deccan Chronicle.” “Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder, not a disease. Identifying it early can transform outcomes,” Dr Suchitra, professor of Paediatrics, Niloufer Hospital, said in an interview. She noted cases have “jumped further” since 2020 and remain three times more common in boys. Dr Prashant, a developmental neurologist, attributed the increase to multiple factors: greater awareness among parents, environmental triggers, genetic vulnerability, rising nuclear families, excessive screen time, and reduced peer interaction. “Human engagement has dropped dramatically,” he said. Specialists warned parents to verify credentials before enrolling children in therapy. “Unregulated clinics are mushrooming; profit often trumps proper intervention,” Dr Suchitra cautioned. Government-run District Early-Intervention Centres (DEIC) and Child Development Centres in major hospitals, she said, “offer multidisciplinary care at minimal cost.” Saraf believes preschools need better-trained teachers who can spot red flags. Experts echoed the call, urging paediatric clinics to distribute literature on developmental milestones. “Play schools and paediatricians can change the game if they act as first-response screens,” Dr Prashant said. Doctors say shame and denial remain major hurdles. “Parents often resist a diagnosis because of social stigma,” Dr Suchitra observed, stressing wider public education drives to normalise ASD and highlight success stories of world leaders and entrepreneurs who live with the condition. Public-health advocates are lobbying for a national autism screening programme and stricter licensing of therapy centres. Meanwhile, families like Saraf’s hope rising awareness spares others the uncertainty they once faced. “If teachers had known the signs back then, we could have started therapy much sooner,” she said. Symptoms to identify autism in a child by experts: * Eye contact is absent * Lack of response to name after nine months * Speech delay by 12 months * They only show gestures * Repetitive moments * Sensitive sensors * Pretentive play lacking * Self play engagement.
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