SC to hear plea for national autism guidelines tomorrow

The Supreme Court will hear a plea on December 15 seeking a national expert committee to draft guidelines for the care, rehabilitation, and protection of persons with autism and intellectual disabilities, including residential facilities and mandatory institutional standards

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on December 15 a plea seeking the constitution of a national expert committee to formulate comprehensive guidelines for care, rehabilitation, and protection of persons with autism and other intellectual disabilities.

The petition has also sought directions to the Centre and others to establish population-based residential facilities for persons with autism and other intellectual disabilities in every district, and to frame comprehensive and binding standard operating procedures (SOPs) for their establishment, regulation, and monitoring.

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According to the apex court’s cause list of December 15, the plea is slated to come up for hearing before a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan.

The plea has sought directions “to constitute a national expert committee comprising representatives of autistic persons, parents’ associations, disability-rights experts and medical professionals to formulate and finalise comprehensive guidelines for the care, rehabilitation and protection of such persons across the country”.

The plea has also sought directions to the authorities to ensure proper medical facilities, regular health check-ups, and continuous access to qualified doctors, therapists, and trained caregivers for persons with autism and other intellectual disabilities residing in residential homes.

It has sought directions for framing mandatory minimum standards for such institutions, including proper nutrition, safe and hygienic living conditions, adequate staffing with trained caregivers, emergency preparedness, and transparency in financial dealings to prevent an exploitative fee structure.

It said the authorities be directed to “establish pilot residential communities (experimental housing projects) in each state and Union Territory within a fixed timeline based on the aforesaid SOPs”.

The plea has urged the apex court to issue appropriate directions for regular audits, monitoring, and accountability mechanisms to prevent abuse, neglect or exploitation in such facilities.