The K.L. Deemed to be University (KLU), in collaboration with a United States (US)-based organisation Early Autism Service (EAS), established a Child Autism Care Centre and a Child Psychiatry Centre on campus.
In a statement released on Wednesday, KLU vice-president Koneru Raja Harin said that the objective was to provide solutions to learning and developmental disabilities that arise early in a child’s life. He said that special therapists at the new facility would extend medical help to children in the 1-15 age group, urging people in Vijayawada and its surrounding areas to utilise the services of the Centre. He stressed that early detection and treatment through therapies could greatly benefit the children.
EAS Clinical Director A. Satnam said that more children born after the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic are being identified with health issues. KLU’s Pro-Chancellor K.S. Jagannadha Rao pointed out that according to a 2021 study published in the Indian Journal of Paediatrics, the estimated prevalence of autism in India is around 1 in 68 children, with boys more commonly affected by autism than girls, with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 3:1.