Autism Awareness Is Rising. Support Isn't.

Dear Reader,

In 2014, Mugdha Kalra took her four-year-old son, Madhav, to a school for admission. After a 30-minute interaction, a counsellor suggested she get him evaluated for autism.

“Honestly, I was livid,” Mugdha told me. “How can somebody say something like that after seeing my child for just 30-35 minutes?”

A specialist soon confirmed the diagnosis.

Mugdha says she went through the full cycle: denial, anger, and eventually, acceptance.

Now, more than a decade later, she’s a vocal activist and is even pursuing a PhD focused on assisted living for neurodivergent adults in India.

But the journey hasn’t been easy.

Raising a child on the spectrum can be an intense emotional strain. Caregivers often deal with anxiety, burnout, and periods of deep uncertainty. It’s also a significant financial burden.

That initial assessment, which cost her around Rs 3,000 back then, now costs upwards of Rs 7,000 in big cities. On top of that come regular therapy sessions, specialised schooling, and, in many cases, the cost of hiring a shadow teacher.

Once the expenses begin, they rarely stop.

There is some state support. The Nirmaya scheme offers insurance coverage of up to Rs one lakh a year. But accessing it isn’t always straightforward.

Getting a disability certificate, often required to unlock these benefits, can take months, even years.

And then there’s the question many parents worry about: What happens after they’re gone? Who will take care of their child as an adult?

“My biggest recommendation is that parents plan early,” says financial planner Jitendra Solanki. Many families assume siblings will step in, but that’s a significant responsibility to place on them. Assisted living options do exist, but they can be expensive. Planning helps, but only if it starts early.

To hear more from parents, doctors, and experts on what it really takes to raise a child on the autism spectrum in India, tune in to the latest episode of The Signal Brief.

You can find The Signal Brief on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Thank you once again for listening and supporting us. We’d love to hear from you; write to us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram or X at @thesignaldotco.

Best,
Kudrat
on behalf of The Core

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