Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena along with senior officials of different departments observed World Autism Day at Lok Seva Bhavan on Saturday.
To observe the occasion, the senior officials donned a cap symbolising Autism Day and called for creating awareness about the children with autism, and their care. A high-level meeting was also held to frame the road map for providing care to the children with autism.
Discussion revealed that Odisha set up two facilities in 2021 for diagnosis and therapy of children with autism. While one is located in Bhubaneswar and the other centre is at Sundergarh.
Secretary Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma informed that two more facilities, one at Jajpur and the other at Berhampur would be operationalised within a month.
The State also conducted a survey to identify children with disability last year in which around 40,000 children were enlisted. The figure remains dynamic as each day around 70 to 80 autistic children are born, reports stated.
It has been decided that a year-wise survey would be conducted for the identification and care of children with autism, a senior official said.
