TIRUVANANTHAPURAM : An administrative sanction of Rs 3.55 crore has been accorded to implement the Spectrum project for the comprehensive development of autism sector in the state, Health and Social Justice Minister K K Shylaja said on Friday. Spectrum is a sub-project under the ‘Anuyatra’ programme of the Social Security Mission envisaged for solving the issues in autism sector. The project will be implemented in phases. In the first phase, the fund has been sanctioned for the initial functioning of the project, she said in a statement.
A sum of Rs 1.75 crore has been set aside for developing the therapy centres in the state to global standards to ensure a better therapy for autistic children. According to the statement, Rs 57.96 lakh has been allotted for strengthening the autism centres at Government Medical Colleges and IMHANS at Kozhikode while Rs 68 lakh has been allotted for the development of regional autism rehabilitation centre of the National Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district.
Shylaja said Rs 13.35 lakh had been set aside for getting the service from psychiatrists to diagnose the disease in the early stage. In a bid to bring autistic children into the mainstream, Rs 16.60 lakh has been allocated to conduct special programmes and Rs 24.21 lakh for constituting an autism club respectively.
Shylaja also made it clear the therapy centres functioning in the state would be registered under the Right of Persons with Disabilities(RPWD) act. The government-recognised therapy centres will be upgraded as M-panelled therapy centres under the name of model therapy centres The selected autistic children will be given therapy free of cost in M-panelled centres. A parallel empowerment programme is also on the anvil to create awareness and training for the parents or guardians of affected children. Autism clubs will lead the awareness classes about handling affected children.
Autism centres at 6 MCs
Initially, autism centres will be established at six medical colleges in the state. The service of a physiotherapist, clinical psychologist, occupation therapist, speech therapist and other specialist doctors will be ensured at all the centres.
A Child Empowerment Programme is also underway to find out the talents of affected children