In Bengaluru, couple Sumana and Anirban Dutta transformed their personal journey with autism into a large-scale support movement after their daughter was diagnosed with the condition in 2012. Confronted with long therapy waitlists, limited awareness, and a lack of structured guidance for neurodiverse children in India, the couple founded Akshadhaa Foundation from their apartment with just four children.
Over the last decade, the parent-led initiative has grown into a comprehensive support ecosystem that has assisted nearly 2,000 children and more than 3,200 families through therapy, counselling, education, vocational training, and life-skills development.
The foundation is now taking its next major step by building assisted living communities for autistic individuals and people with developmental disabilities who may require lifelong support.
Speaking about the journey, the founders have consistently emphasised the need for dignity, inclusion, and long-term care beyond childhood intervention, while families associated with the organisation have highlighted the emotional and practical support it provides in navigating autism care.
Building Beyond Therapy
What began as a response to one family’s struggle has evolved into one of Bengaluru’s recognised parent-led neurodiversity support systems. After their daughter’s autism diagnosis, the Duttas discovered how fragmented autism care in India remained, particularly for middle-class families trying to access affordable therapy, inclusive education, and long-term developmental support.
Instead of relying solely on existing systems, they decided to create a structured and compassionate environment that combined therapy with emotional support and community participation.
Founded in 2012, Akshadhaa Foundation initially operated out of a small Bengaluru apartment, focusing on creating safe and personalised learning spaces for autistic children and individuals with developmental disabilities.
Over the years, the organisation expanded its services to include speech and occupational therapy, behavioural intervention, counselling for parents, flexible education pathways, internship opportunities, and vocational training programmes. According to information shared by the foundation, the initiative now supports children, adolescents, and adults with autism, Down syndrome, speech and language disorders, and intellectual disabilities.
One of the foundation’s most significant contributions has been its shift towards independence-focused care. Under the leadership of Sumana Dutta, who pursued training in inclusion and special education needs at the University of Northampton in the United Kingdom, the organisation introduced vocational programmes tailored to different abilities and learning styles.
These include training in baking, housekeeping, gardening, office support work, and handmade product units. Through its “Blessings Social Enterprise” initiative, products created by trainees are marketed to provide participants with financial exposure and workplace experience. The approach reflects a broader move away from viewing neurodiverse individuals solely through the lens of dependency, towards recognising their potential for meaningful participation and independent living.
The organisation has also placed significant emphasis on supporting caregivers, acknowledging the emotional and financial burden many families experience while navigating autism care in India. Workshops, counselling sessions, and training modules for parents, teachers, and caregivers have become central to Akshadhaa’s model.
The foundation has additionally partnered with schools, universities, healthcare professionals, and corporations to spread awareness around inclusion and neurodiversity. Public initiatives such as “Inclusive Carnival” have aimed to create social spaces where neurodiverse individuals can participate alongside the wider community through performances, exhibitions, and skill showcases, challenging stigma and social isolation.
Addressing India’s Long-Term Autism Care Gap
While awareness around autism and neurodiversity has grown in India over the past decade, support systems for autistic adults remain severely limited.
Most autism-related interventions in the country continue to focus on early childhood care, with relatively little attention paid to employment opportunities, independent living, or long-term residential support for adults with developmental disabilities.
Families often face uncertainty about what happens to their children once they age out of school systems or when parents become unable to provide full-time care.
It is this concern that has shaped the next phase of Akshadhaa Foundation’s work. The organisation is currently developing assisted living spaces specifically designed for neurodiverse individuals requiring lifelong support.
According to the foundation, the assisted living initiative aims to combine residential care with vocational engagement, structured routines, healthcare access, and community participation to create a secure and dignified environment for residents. Construction work is reportedly progressing, with the first transitions expected to begin from early 2026.
The assisted living model is particularly significant in the Indian context, where specialised residential communities for autistic adults remain rare and often financially inaccessible.
Unlike institutional models that can feel isolating or impersonal, Akshadhaa describes its project as community-driven and parent-led, shaped directly by the lived experiences and anxieties of caregivers themselves.
Families associated with the organisation have reportedly expressed relief at seeing conversations around lifelong care finally receiving attention in mainstream disability support systems.
The foundation’s journey also reflects larger conversations emerging across India around accessibility, inclusion, and neurodiversity rights. Despite growing public awareness through digital advocacy, many families continue to face delayed diagnoses, high therapy costs, social stigma, and limited educational or employment opportunities for autistic individuals.
Organisations like Akshadhaa are increasingly stepping into these gaps by creating support systems rooted not only in professional expertise but also in empathy, lived experience, and community participation.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The story of Sumana and Anirban Dutta is not simply about one organisation’s growth; it is about how lived experience can become a catalyst for social transformation. In a country where disability support often remains fragmented and inaccessible, Akshadhaa Foundation represents a people-driven model of inclusion that prioritises dignity, participation, and long-term care rather than charity alone.
Its work highlights an urgent reality many families continue to face: autism care cannot end with childhood therapy sessions. India must invest more deeply in inclusive education, adult employment pathways, community acceptance, and assisted living systems that protect the rights and futures of neurodiverse individuals.
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