India – Toronto behavioural therapist, Simmi Santha and Kiran Bendi inaugurated an autism clinic in Mallapally this Monday, in order to provide services for individuals who are on the spectrum.
A graduate of Osmania University holding a Master’s degree in psychology and specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Santha has the expertise required to undertake the ambitious project.
The clinic is aptly named after Dr. Reeta Peshawaria-Menon, a former teacher at the National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped who passed way two years ago.
Plans include the distribution of Santha’s book titled a “Manual for Parents and Caregivers” This will be achieved through the help of the Reeta Peshawaria-Menon Fellowship, which Shantha’s has recently been awarded.
However according to Santha, there is more work to be done. She tells the The New Indian Express:
“I hope to set up more clinics across the length and breadth of Kerala. The state needs advanced health care facilities for autistic children.”
Additionally, Santha is currently involved in three different research projects in the field of autism and ABA. Although she claims that the clinic is a “humble beginning”, her tireless efforts and staunch advocacy will doubtlessly help improve the lives of numerous people who have been affected by the baffling disorder.
The original article by in The New Indian Express can be found here