BENGALURU: Autism, a disorder that manifests only after 18 months, is showing a rise in Karnataka with rough estimates suggesting the ratio as one in every 61 children having the disorder.

At the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), at least 500 cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are being treated currently. Research in India and documentation with regard to ASD is very low, thus hindering the efforts at understanding the disorder.

Dr K John Vijay Sagar, Professor and Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NIMHANS, stated that the numbers are increasing every day and it is not known if it is an increase in awareness compared to a decade earlier or an actual rise in the number of cases. He mentioned that autism varies across different spectrums and that no two children with signs of autism would behave alike.

Increasing evidence points to the role of environmental factors affecting the womb in the development of this disorder. Dr Megha Mahajan, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, said that when a pregnant woman is exposed to high levels of air pollution, her risk of giving birth to a child with autism increases. Several other factors are involved but one of the main factors seems to be pollution and lifestyle.

Autism has no cure and early intervention is the best. While autism cannot be diagnosed for up to 18 months, treatment needs to be started by the age of one to two years.

Dr John said that nearly 80 per cent of the brain is developed in the first three years. Early intervention can help prevent disabilities in infants and toddlers.