On Paper vs On the Playground: The Stark Reality of Inclusion for Children with Autism in India

On World Autism Awareness Day 2025, the Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive education—announcing strengthened therapy-based support through Block Resource Centres (BRCs) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) under Samagra Shiksha. On paper, it all sounds exactly as it should: speech therapy, occupational support, assistive devices, special educators, digital access, even parent counselling and teacher training.

But just three days ago, a deeply disturbing video emerged from a Noida-based private school, showing a special educator manhandling a 10-year-old child with autism in the classroom. The video, accidentally shared on a parent WhatsApp group, has since gone viral, leading to the arrest of the teacher, the sealing of the school, and an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the JJ Act, and the RPWD Act.

It begs the question: Is our reality in special education as inclusive as our rhetoric?

When Inclusion Becomes a Hollow Word

For far too many children with autism in India, inclusion begins and ends in policy documents. What lies in between is often a cycle of unchecked negligence, lack of accountability, and poorly trained or entirely unqualified “special educators” functioning like gig workers—underpaid, under-monitored, and dangerously unprepared.

We’ve heard of children being tied to chairs during therapy hours, being underfed as a behavioural management strategy, or being punished for sensory overstimulation they cannot control. Many so-called educators don’t even have basic training, let alone the emotional intelligence required to support neurodiverse children.

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What Needs to Change?

If we are truly serious about inclusion, then we need more than just circulars and schemes. We need licensing laws that mandate certification and regular evaluation of all special educators. We need background checks, complaint redressal systems, and swift punitive action against violations. We need to ensure every school, government or private, recognised or otherwise, follows minimum compliance protocols for inclusive practices. And yes, we need parent voices on the table when these frameworks are drafted—not just policy architects in boardrooms.

The Ministry’s renewed vision under NEP 2020 is a welcome step, and BRCs could become powerful hubs of change. But only if they are funded, monitored, and held accountable. Inclusion is not a checkbox, it’s a lived culture—and it starts with respect, rigour, and responsibility.