World Autism Awareness Day 2021

Team Udayavani, Apr 2, 2021, 12:14 PM IST

The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.

Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD is a developmental disability that causes several challenges for individuals including social, communication, and behavioral difficulties.

According to the UN, Autism is a lifelong neurological condition that manifests during early childhood, irrespective of gender, race, or socioeconomic status. It is characterized by its unique social interaction, non-standard ways of learning, keen interests in specific subjects, inclination to routines, challenges in typical communications, and certain ways of processing sensory information.

This year, the theme is ‘Inclusion in Workplace: Challenges and opportunities in a post-pandemic world.”

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated by conducting events and conferences which include informational and educational conferences.

According to the 2011 census, there are 78,62,921 children with disabilities below the 19 year age group in India, out of which 5,95,089 have an intellectual disability.