BHUBANESWAR: The State government will prepare a road map for providing care to autistic children. This was decided at a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra on the occasion of World Autism Day on April 2.
The State government had set up two facilities last year for the diagnosis and therapy of children with autism. One facility is in Bhubaneswar and another in Sundargarh. Secretary Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma said that two more facilities - one at Jajpur and the other at Berhampur - will be operational within a month.
Around 40,000 differently-abled children were identified by the State government last year during a survey. The figure remains dynamic as each day around 70 to 80 autistic children are born.
It was decided that a survey will be conducted every year for the identification and care of children with autism. The Chief Secretary, Development Commissioner Pradeep Jena, and senior officers of different departments observed World Autism Day at the State secretariat.