New Delhi: April 2 marks 'World Autism Awareness Day' which is meant to encourage people to take measures to raise awareness among those with autistic spectrum disorders including Autism and Asperger Syndrome throughout the world.

According to a study published by Child Development Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College, India. “Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects around 3 million people in the Indian subcontinent, and is being increasingly recognized as an important issue.

The socio-ethnic diversity and varying cultural practices play a major role in the identification, perception, and treatment of the disorder.”

The theme of World Autism Awareness Day 2020 is 'The transition of adulthood'. Here are types of Autism Spectrum Disorder:

i. Autistic Disorder: It is the most general form of autism. People suffering from this disorder usually face difficulty in language interruption, social and communication challenges, they may even have unusual behavior or interests. Several people with this disorder may also have an intellectual disability.

ii. Asperger Syndrome: People suffering from this order have mild symptoms of autistic disorder. They might face social challenges for they may behave unusually. People with Asperger Syndrome do not have a problem with language or show signs of intellectual disability.

iii. Pervasive Development Disorder: The most typical form of autism. People who do not meet the criteria of autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome, but not all, may be diagnosed with PDD-NOS. People who suffer from PDD-NOS have milder or fewer symptoms of autistic disorder. The symptoms may cause only social and communication challenges.

Autism cannot be diagnosed up to 18 months and the ideal time to start its treatment is by one to two years. This is the best time because almost 80 percent of the brain is developed in the first 36 months (three years).

The lack of awareness and social stigma forces parents to diagnose their child’s autism late which makes it even more difficult for these children to deal with the complexities that come from their form of autism.

Children suffering from the same form of autism may not even show the same kind of symptoms. The cause for autism has not been understood completely but the researcher has found that certain rare gene mutations, environmental stresses, parental age at the time of conception, maternal illnesses during pregnancy, difficulties during birth, oxygen deprivation to the child’s brain, among many other factors, can contribute to the onset of autism.

World Autism Awareness Day encourages to spread awareness about this disorder and to educate people about its complex nature. The social stigma around this disorder can only go away with proper awareness and education.

This will help understand that people with autism need care, love, and support otherwise it can have an impact on the individuals, their families, and communities. While they may be suffering from autism it doesn’t necessarily mean that they may not be able to live and completely normal life.