Kanpur, 18 April, 2025: IIT Kanpur’s Cell for Differently Abled Persons (CDAP) observed World Autism Awareness Day to raise awareness and educate the campus community about autism. The session was inaugurated by Prof. Braj Bhushan, Deputy Director of IIT Kanpur and a fellow of the British Psychological Society. His research focuses on the early detection and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He shared his experiences and emphasized the importance of early intervention. And also highlighted the concept of functional literacy in individuals with autism and discussed practical approaches to address learning challenges.

The panel included Dr. Ruma Chaturvedi, Director, Pushpa Khanna Memorial Centre, Kanpur, certified PEERS Social Skills Trainer and Autism Movement Therapy Trainer and a member of the Rehabilitation Council of India. During the session she shared insights from her fieldwork where she has worked extensively with individuals with autism.

Ms. Akansha Awasthy, Senior Counsellor, IIT Kanpur was also present at the event as a panelist. She provided hands-on strategies for cognitive and behavioural development through engaging therapy puzzles, such as grain separation activities and vowel identification from newspaper paragraphs—techniques that can aid in focus and mental engagement.

The interactive session saw enthusiastic participation from attendees, who asked insightful questions and shared their concerns. The panelists responded with warmth and expertise, making the session deeply informative and encouraging. The program concluded with a vote of thanks and was organized in the presence of Prof. Anubha Goel, Prof. Kantesh Balani, Prof. Ashutosh Modi, and other CDAP members.

Every year, April 2nd has been observed as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and promote acceptance and understanding of individuals with autism. The day was declared by the United Nations in 2007, following a resolution passed to raise global awareness about autism and its impact on individuals and families worldwide.

About IIT Kanpur:

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur was established in 1959 and declared to be an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India through an Act of Parliament. IIT Kanpur is best known for the highest standard of education in science and engineering and for seminal R&D contributions over the years. The institute has a sprawling lush green campus spread over 1050 acres with a large pool of academic and research resources spanning across 19 departments, 25 centres and 3 interdisciplinary programs in engineering, science, design, humanities, and management disciplines with more than 580 full-time faculty members and approximately 9000 students.

For more information, visit www.iitk.ac.in.