UNVEILING AND GENERATING AWARENESS ABOUT AUTISM IN PUNE DISTRICT IN INDIA

AUTISM AWARENESS

Authors

  • Mrs. Seema Gunendra Patil Anugraha Foundation
  • Dr. Vijaya Deshmukh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17501/25132687.2024.5102

Keywords:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Autism awareness, disability inclusion, Coefficient of Autism Awareness (CoA), inclusive education, awareness survey

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) It is a developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact. Children and adults on the spectrum find difficulty in communication, play, understanding emotions, unfamiliar situations and change in routine. The prevalence of autism has been increasing over the past few years. 1 in 68 children in India are autistic. As per World Health Organization, Care for autistics needs to be accompanied by actions at community and societal levels for greater accessibility, inclusivity and support. Scientifically backed sustained early interventions can have a positive impact on the quality of life of the individual and their families. A general public awareness in an urban setup in Pune was assessed and information about autism was shared in direct interviews and awareness sessions. The survey included testing the general awareness, signs and symptoms, knowledge about care and inclusion, reducing stigma and debunking common myths about autism and understanding if their school or office environment was inclusive for autism. Coefficient of Autism Awareness was calculated, it revealed that the awareness does not have any statistical correlation with age, education, income, profession. Awareness should be targeted at all levels of society, regardless of demographic factors. This inclusive approach is essential to ensure that information about autism reaches individuals across diverse backgrounds and demographics. Inclusive Education is deemed to be best foot forward for sustainability. However, the diverse individual needs of the population have to be understood in depth. Autism being one of key diversities impacting education of many, needs more awareness from policy makers to implementers.

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Author Biographies

Mrs. Seema Gunendra Patil, Anugraha Foundation

30 years of experience in Corporate and Social Sector spanning Large Program Mgt, Competency Development, People Management, Social Entrepreneurship, Technology Innovation, Experience of working with Government and UN Agency

Education

  • Ph.D. Scholar (Management and Humanities – Analytical Study of Needs, Availability and Utilization of Resources for Persons with Disabilities) – Ongoing
  • Masters in Business Law, National Law School, 2015, Bangalore
  • B.E. (Electronics and Telecom) 1995, Govt. College of Engg. Amravati
  • Govt. Of India IICA Certified Independent Director

Dr. Vijaya Deshmukh

Dr. Vijaya Deshmukh has vast and varied experience in the areas of Academic Governance, Teaching, Research and Industry in Management and Design. She has worked for the Media, Industry and Educational Institutes of repute and national importance like IIT Kanpur , academic Registrar at National Institute of Design, and served as Director NIFT Jodhpur and Director at MGM IOMR. She has a Post Doc in Quality Education. She has been involved in institute building and worked on establishment of new campuses. She has carried out extensive research in the areas of Higher education, authored more than 60 articles, published in various National / International journals and conferences, policy papers, authored and edited 6 books, published by leading publishing houses in India and abroad and a number of book chapters.
She contributes on various National and International panels like the UGC, NAAC, Validation and Quality Assurance Panel, UK, Content and Capacity Building programmes for Northeast, Edusat Network, Selection of National Award for Best Applied Research/Innovation/Product Development by the Government of India, jury member for a study on identification and documentation on “Good Environment-friendly Practices in Gujarat,” by the Gujarat Ecology Commission etc.She has served on various academic committees in India and abroad. She is a member on reputed professional bodies in India, UK and USA. She was Chair of International Conference on Advances in Textiles, Fashion and Craft 2021, Jodhpur and International Congress 2018, Bangkok.
She was a Visiting Scholar and awarded the Fulbright Fellowship USA and Commonwealth Professional Fellowship UK. She was awarded with Rashtriya Shiksha Gaurav Puraskar, Best Director and Eminent Educationist awards. She has visited around 25 top universities in USA and 20 universities in UK to study their quality and education systems. She is on Editorial Advisory Boards and Editor on IJSHE, USA, HAW Hamburg, Germany, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, Inderscience Publishers Ltd., Geneva, Switzerland, International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, etc.
As part of volunteerism, she is working for the empowerment of women, gender sensitization, empowerment of special youth and healthy campuses.She is on Board of Directors, Jodhpur City Knowledge & Innovation Cluster under the PSA to PM, working for sustainable livelihood for artisans on product promotion, development  and diversification, E commerce and market strategies to promote handloom and handicrafts, technical and design intervention to recreate processes.

References

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Published

2025-08-14

How to Cite

Patil, S., & Deshmukh, V. (2025). UNVEILING AND GENERATING AWARENESS ABOUT AUTISM IN PUNE DISTRICT IN INDIA: AUTISM AWARENESS. Proceedings of the World Disability &Amp; Rehabilitation Conference, 5(01). https://doi.org/10.17501/25132687.2024.5102

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 01 (2024): Proceedings of the 9th World disability & rehabilitation conference.

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Mrs. Seema Gunendra Patil, Dr. Vijaya Deshmukh

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