Mohali, Sept. 25 -- A centre that once struggled to become fully functional now provides treatment and therapy to more than 250 children, drawing families from across India and even abroad, as it expands its multidisciplinary services for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

The journey of the centre of excellence for autism and neurodevelopmental disorders in Sector 79, Mohali, to its present scale has been gradual. Conceived by the Punjab government in 2016, its foundation stone was laid by then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on November 26 that year and the facility was inaugurated on December 15, 2021. However, it remained non-operational after the inauguration. The outpatient department (OPD) services finally began on ...