Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Professor M. Srinivas, chaired a multi-stakeholder consultation on Neurodevelopmental Disorders in the paediatric age group. The meeting brought together representatives from various Ministries, leading academic institutions including AIIMS New Delhi, and others. The discussions were focused on early identification, timely intervention, interdisciplinary care, strengthening service delivery, and inter-sectoral convergence, with emphasis on the importance of the first thousand days of life.

NITI Aayog said that the consultation highlighted the need for a whole-of-government, whole-of-society and evidence-based approach to strengthen neurodevelopmental care for Autism Spectrum Disorders, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. It added that these efforts can help improve access to rehabilitation and support services and enable every child to achieve their full developmental potential.