Criminal Justice spotlights Asperger's; real patients still battle daily inequity

India Today

06-06-2025

In India, 1 in 68 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Asperger's though often folded into the broader ASD category, remains clinically distinct in many respects. It is marked by significant impairments in social interaction and communication, alongside restricted interests, despite otherwise intact language skills.Psychiatric co-morbidities such as anxiety and depression are common, yet public understanding remains dismally low.advertisementDirector Rohan Sippy, otherwise known for his comedy flicks, delivers a taut narrative in his latest season of 'Criminal Justice'. The ongoing series steers clear of the histrionics that often plague Indian OTT content. Importantly, it takes a bold step by putting Asperger's syndrome in the front and right in the centre. It's not just a passing mention; the name is spoken, the condition is respected, and the portrayal of the syndrome is responsibly rendered.
The result: A rare moment of clarity in Indian entertainment's murky representation of mental health.THE REAL ASPERGER'S For better context, Asperger's doesn't go by its own name any more in official diagnostic reports. It's now subsumed under an overarching ASD. The grouping may be clinically convenient, but it also heavily risks erasing the nuanced experiences of those who live with the condition. As psychiatrists like Dr Neerja Mathur point out, Asperger's is often presented with distinct psychiatric co-morbidities and behavioural traits that merit focused clinical attention and targeted interventions, not clubbing.advertisementIt is this lack of specificity in diagnosis for AS that can have devastating consequences. Mitali Das, a mother and a social worker, recounts being shown the door by over 30 schools in New Delhi for her son's admission. "They couldn't place him because no one understood the difference between autism, Asperger's syndrome, Tourettes and dyslexia. We had to homeschool him.'While the West has made strides with specialist schools and trained support systems, India is still playing catch-up. Children with Asperger's often prefer to be homeschooled rather than attend regular schools. Even their high cognitive abilities do not mask the daily toll of social exclusion, bullying, and misunderstood meltdowns.The irony is quite sharp. A condition identified as far back as 1944, named by British psychiatrist Lorna Wing in 1981, and increasingly common today, still goes largely unrecognised in classrooms, clinics, and conversations.This is why 'Criminal Justice' matters. Not just for its storytelling, but for showing the courage to say the name, to represent reality, and to start the conversation. Whether the show will shift public attitudes or policy remains to be seen. But at the very least, it places Asperger's — finally — into the public eye.Now, that's a good first step.