National Workshop on Autism Tools INCLEN and ISAA

A meeting of Master Trainers from all parts of the country was recently held at the ‘National Training Workshop on Autism using International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) and Indian Scale of Assessment of Autism (ISAA) Tools’. It was organized by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

§  The workshop is the first of its kind in India. More than 75 professionals (Clinical Psychologist, Pediatrician and Psychiatrist) participated from 18 States.

Details:

The aim of the workshop was to train and empower health care professionals like paediatricians, psychologists & psychiatrists to be trained as Master Trainers. These Master Trainer will further train required number of professionals in their respective States.

In this workshop, in order to maintain uniformity and standard in assessment of autism, two types of assessment tools were recommended:

§  One is INCLEN Tool developed under INCLEN study – “Neuro Developmental Disorder in Children in India”.

§  The other tool is ISAA – “Indian Scale of Assessment of Autism”, developed by the Ministry of SJ&E through NIMH, as a research project.

Background:

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder spanning entire life. There is no definitive cure.

§  The effect of autism can be minimized by early diagnosis and with the right interventions. Hence, it is of paramount importance that children with Autism are identified early and started on intervention.

§  Though the Government had notified Autism as a disability in 2001, it had not been issuing certificates.

§  Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, under MoSJ&E has notified guidelines on 26th April 2016 to pave the way for constitution of boards and issuing of disability certificates for Autism.