ABOUT US

We are Action For Autism

Action for Autism is a not for profit organization that pioneered the autism movement in South Asia, and strives to access the rights of individuals with autism and their families. AFA is involved in lifespan activities including * early intervention, education, * assessments, * work and employment, * independent living, as well as * awareness, * advocacy and * research.

AFA partners with organisations nationally and internationally to make the world a more inclusive place for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Through a concerted effort from our various wings: Open Door Clinical Services (Direct services for individuals with autism and their families), AADHAAR (Vocational Centre for adults with autism), Anvay (Research and Trainings), AAHAAN (Publications), AAILAAN (Advocacy), AFA addresses the individual needs of people with autism, their families and the autism community as a whole.

Our philosophy permeates into all we do and is highlighted in our work, choice of logo, and our mission.

Our Mission & Goals: Despite autism often being viewed as a terrible and tragic condition, AFA’s philosophy has been one of acceptance and inclusion. We view autism as a different way of being, often difficult and challenging, but nonetheless, as valid as the non-autistic. AFA respects this difference and we approach all our activities with this paradigm of understanding and acceptance.

Our mission is to facilitate an inclusive and barrier free environment that enables the empowerment of persons with autism and their families; and to act as a catalyst for change that enables persons with autism to live as fully participating members of the community.

Our Logo: Autism organizations around the world have adopted the logo of the puzzle piece to symbolise how autism ‘appears’ to be a confusing, puzzling condition to those who do not understand it; as though just one piece of the whole puzzle is missing. We too decided to use the puzzle piece…but our interpretation of it is quite different.

As an organization we do not view having a child with autism to be a tragic or unfortunate situation for either the parents or the child. It IS a difficult, sometimes puzzling situation to live with. But it is like many difficult situations in life, and for families in India, this difficulty is magnified by the poverty of services available and general lack of awareness.

Despite the challenges, we subscribe to a more positive perspective, and therefore, the little boy in our puzzle piece is not someone who is looking downwards or weeping, but is someone who is smiling and connecting with those around him. In our logo, we show this little boy partially emerging from the puzzle to represent that all people with autism can grow in their learning and development when the environment makes accommodations to support their learning.

With a membership of over 3,000 parents within India alone, AFA has emerged as the pioneering national organization for ASD in India and South Asia. Ours services are orchestrated from the National Centre for Autism, dedicated by Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Anthropologists and sociologists have written about the organization, and AFA is internationally acknowledged as a centre of excellence. For their contribution to the field of autism spectrum disorders, AFA and our founder and director, Ms Merry Barua, have been recognized nationally and internationally through a number of Awards and Citations.

Other Accomplishments

Recognition for the pioneering work done by AFA and AFAians!