ONGOLE: The School Education Department is going to set up special centres for children suffering from autism disorders.
Apart from the existing Bhavita centres that cater to special needs and differently-abled children, the department will establish dedicated centres for autistic children through the Samagra Siksha wing.
In this connection, the government has sanctioned 125 special centres across the State, of which seven have been allotted to the combined Prakasam district.
Each of these special treatment centres for autistic children will be established with funds of Rs 22.75 lakh and will become operational from the next academic year.
“Government has taken a decision to establish special treatment centres for autistic children across the State and out of a total 125 centres, seven will be set up in the combined Prakasam district,” said Prakasam District Samagra Siksha Additional Project Officer Dasari Anil Kumar.
“All these special treatment centres will be established in urban or town localities and most of them will function in the existing Samagra Siksha–Bhavita centre premises. If there is no provision of additional rooms and other facilities, the government will provide them.
"We have 70 trainers or instructors in the existing Bhavita centres and persons having the required eligibility or qualifications among them will be deployed in these new autism centres. If necessary, new trainers will also be recruited,” said Dasari Anil Kumar while speaking to TNIE on Sunday.
According to official estimates, around 150 autistic children are living across the combined Prakasam district.
These children do not have psychological maturity corresponding to their physical age and require therapies such as physiotherapy and speech therapy.
Accordingly, the new special treatment centres for autistic children will require two additional rooms along with separate and specially designed restrooms and toilets for differently abled children.
Among the identified seven locations, two centres — Markapuram ZP High School (Boys) and Yerragondapalem Government High School — already have sufficient infrastructure to start the autism treatment centres and will not require fresh construction.
At the remaining five locations — Ongole DRRM High School, Darsi AP Model School, Chimakurthy APSWRS Girls School, Giddalur ZP High School (Boys) and Kanigiri ZP High School — additional rooms and other infrastructure are required to establish the centres.
Authorities have already started the necessary construction works, which are expected to be completed soon.