The lack of awareness on what autism is has been highlighted by Advocate and parent Riddhi Damodar.

She has emphasized the importance of education on autism and other mental conditions.

“A lot of the times I notice you get side-eyed from people when you are in a restaurant and your child is moving around. They feel like this child is not disciplined, they should sit at one place and eat properly. But this is a genuine medical condition and these are the kind of things I have seen as well and this is why we need to educate people.”

Theresa Joe, a parent has shared that in the past, she became defensive when her child was stigmatized due to autism.

However, she realized that there was a lack of education and awareness surrounding the topic.

Therefore, she believes that it is the responsibility of parents to raise awareness about autism.

“I understand the awareness in the country is not that much so it is up to us as parents to not get too upset and try and explain. In the start, I would, if anyone would say anything, I would go for them but we have to understand that every day you learn something so it has not been easy.”

This year’s Autism Awareness theme is ‘Moving from Surviving to Thriving: Autistic Individuals Share Regional Perspectives emphasizes the shift towards empowerment and success for individuals on the spectrum across various regions.