Autism Awareness and Free Early Screening Camp Held at Pune Kids Festival

Pune, December 14, 2025:Avyan Idris Foundation, a Pune-based non-profit organisation working towards inclusion and early childhood development, conducted a focused autism awareness and early screening outreach during the Pune Kids Festival (Balotsav 2025) held at Sarasbaug from December 11 to 14.

Organised in partnership with PMC Care, the initiative witnessed strong engagement, particularly during the final two days of the four-day festival, which saw a large public turnout. The outreach primarily targeted parents of toddlers aged 2 to 3 years — a critical age group for identifying early signs of Autism and other Neuro-Developmental Delays (NDDs).

At the Foundation’s stall, parents participated in structured one-on-one interactions focusing on age-appropriate developmental milestones. These conversations gradually progressed toward identifying early indicators of neuro-developmental delays, enabling parents to better understand their child’s developmental journey.

The approach was intentionally designed to build awareness without causing anxiety, encouraging parents to ask questions and engage openly. Interested parents were further introduced to a free online autism screening checklist, based on the M-CHAT framework — a globally recognised paediatric pre-screening tool for identifying early risk indicators associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Speaking about the initiative, Sudhanshu Kumar, CEO of Avyan Idris Foundation, said,

“Our goal is to help parents observe, understand, and act early — not to label children. When parents are guided with the right information in a supportive and non-judgemental environment, they feel empowered to take informed next steps for their child.”

The Foundation’s participation at Balotsav 2025 aligns closely with national priorities outlined under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, both of which emphasise early identification, inclusion, and community-based support for children with developmental needs.

Avyan Idris Foundation plans to continue similar awareness and early screening initiatives across

Pune and other regions of Maharashtra, in collaboration with parents, schools, healthcare professionals, and local authorities.