Theme 2026: Synapse to Society

THE CIRCLE OF CARE 2026

Building Integrated Ecosystems of Support for Children with Autism & Developmental Disabilities

Date 5th, 6th August 2026 Wednesday & Thursday
Time 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Indian Standard Time
Venue NIMHANS Convention Centre Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, India
Register Now Explore Framework
The Circle of Care 2026

You are invited to join the Circle of Care

"Together, we can build a world where every child has the opportunity to thrive with dignity, independence, and belonging."

Families Healthcare Professionals Educators Researchers Government Communities
Core Framework

The Five Pillars of Care

Click on any pillar to explore how we build a comprehensive ecosystem surrounding the child and their caregiver.

PILLAR 01

Holistic Integrated Healthcare

Addressing the physical, emotional, and mental health needs of the child through unified healthcare systems.

  • System Integration: Understanding what integration across healthcare systems for the wellbeing of the child truly means.
  • Developmental Support: Providing early diagnostic support and evidence-informed therapeutic intervention pathways.
  • All-round Wellbeing: Aligning physical fitness, mental resilience, and emotional stability for the child's development.
PILLAR 02

Special Education & Therapy

Reimagining education as a medium of empowerment, communication, and independence.

  • Education as Empowerment: Designing curriculum to uplift and adapt to individual child capacities.
  • Building Independence: Integrating classroom studies with functional life-skills training.
  • School Readiness: Facilitating learning support structures, shadows training, and classroom integration strategies.
PILLAR 03

Parent & Family Empowerment

Uplifting the entire family network by coaching parents and focusing on caregiver wellness.

  • Parent Training & Coaching: Equipping families with practical home-based therapy techniques.
  • Caregiver Wellbeing: Promoting emotional, psychological, and physical health support for primary caregivers.
  • Home-based Support: Supporting and advocating for home adaptations and legal protections for families.
PILLAR 04

Youth Development & Lifelong Opportunities

Creating progressive transition pathways for adolescents and adults into work and society.

  • Social Skills & Autonomy: Mentoring young adults on self-advocacy and community networking.
  • Vocational Pathways: Developing customized training programs and secure, supportive employment options.
  • Lifelong Inclusion: Establishing community hubs that encourage peer interactions and constant learning.
PILLAR 05

Community & Inclusion

Scaling structural support programs and normalizing inclusion in urban and rural environments.

  • Social Participation: Fostering civic environments where neurodiverse children are welcome and included.
  • Rural Integration: Designing and implementing low-cost, scalable community rehabilitation models in rural areas.
  • Scalable Models of Care: Bridging the support gap between resource-rich cities and rural taluks across India.
Conference Layout

Conference Tracks

Each track features curated panel discussions, scientific papers, and highly focused practical workshops.

01

Integrated Healthcare Approaches

Advancing holistic, evidence-informed approaches to developmental, behavioural, medical, and family wellbeing.

02

Community-Based Rehabilitation & Rural Models

Exploring scalable models that bring assessment, therapy, parent support, and inclusion services closer to children and families.

03

Early Intervention as a Holistic Care Model

Building the circle of care around the child in the early years to optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes.

04

Special Education as a Holistic Care Model

Reimagining education as a pathway for learning, regulation, communication, participation, and dignity.

05

Child to Citizen: Preparing for Adulthood

Building pathways for independence, employment, social participation, self-advocacy, and belonging across the lifespan.

06

Parenting Circle

An open forum of discussion with parents sharing lived experience, challenges, and support networks.

07

Poster & Paper Presentations

Showcasing cutting-edge community-based interventions, academic research, and scalable models of care from across India.

Distinguished Invites

Chief Guest & Guests of Honour

Welcoming eminent medical and social leaders to guide our discourse.

Chief Guest
Dr BN Gangadhar

Dr BN Gangadhar

Padma Shri Awardee

Psychiatrist, former Director of NIMHANS, Bengaluru. A leading voice in mental health and psychiatric research globally.

Guest of Honour
Dr Kshama Metre

Dr Kshama Metre

Padma Shri Awardee

National Director CORD, Dev. Paediatrician, Himachal Pradesh. Pioneered large-scale rural development and child-health initiatives.

Guest of Honour
Dr Praful Barvalia

Dr Praful Barvalia

Founder Chairman, Spandan

Homeopath, Founder Chairman Spandan Organisation, Mumbai. Devoted to holistic care models for children with special needs.

Expert Lineup

Distinguished Speakers

Meet the leading medical experts, advocates, and educators joining our panels.

Akila Vaidyanathan

Akila Vaidyanathan

Founder- Director, AMAZE Trust

Coimbatore

Arathi Rajaratnam

Arathi Rajaratnam

Leading Psychologist and Author

Neuroscience & Child Development Expert

DeAnna Pursai

DeAnna Pursai

Co-Founder, College of Adaptive Arts, California

CNN Hero, TED Speaker

Dr CP Ravi

Dr CP Ravi

Paediatric Neurologist, Dept of Paediatric Neurosciences

Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences

Dr Gowri RC

Dr Gowri RC

Developmental Physician

Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences

Dr Harleen Kaur

Dr Harleen Kaur

Research Officer at CCRH

Ministry of AYUSH, Govt of India

Dr Kishore Kumar R.

Dr Kishore Kumar R.

HOD, Integrative Medicine

NIMHANS, Bengaluru

Dr Manoj Patel

Dr Manoj Patel

Professor & HOD Dept of Psychiatry, M.L.Dhawale Memorial

Palghar, Maharashtra

Dr Piyush Oza

Dr Piyush Oza

Physician, Spandan Holistic Mother and Childcare

Mumbai

Dr Rajani Padmanabhan

Dr Rajani Padmanabhan

Executive Director

Brindavan Education Trust

Dr Sridhar Sastry
Virtual Speaker

Dr Sridhar Sastry

Paediatrician, St Joseph's Hospital

Florida, USA

Hema Nataraj

Hema Nataraj

Founder, Nithyasaadhana

Nithyasaadhana

Nishath Kirmani

Nishath Kirmani

Parent and Secretary, Autism Society of India

Autism Society of India

Prateek Madhavan

Prateek Madhavan

Co-Founder & CEO, AssisTech Foundation

AssisTech Foundation

Sita Krishnamurthy

Sita Krishnamurthy

Special Educator

Founder Deepika Special School

Usha Pattabhiraman

Usha Pattabhiraman

Associate Director, Enable India

Enable India

Vaishali Pai

Vaishali Pai

Occupational Therapist

Founder Director Tamahar

Vasanthi Srinivasan

Vasanthi Srinivasan

Dean, Alumni Relations & Development, IIMB

IIMB Chair of Excellence

Vijaya Siddalingappa

Vijaya Siddalingappa

Psychologist

Florida, USA

Vishal Talreja

Vishal Talreja

Co-Founder, Dream a Dream

Social Innovator

VS Basavraju

VS Basavraju

CEO, Maya

Former State Commissioner, RPwD ACT, Govt of Karnataka

Highlights

Conference Experiences

Immerse yourself in active sessions designed to give real-world context and empathy.

Rural Circle of Care

Experience the Rural Circle of Care

Walk through the rural model of Mitra for Life's circle of care. Understand the practical constraints and the immense impact of low-cost local community interventions in creating lasting change for children and their families.

Mitra Youth Peer Group

Interact with Mitra’s Youth Peer Group

Directly engage with youth participating in Mitra's peer programs. Observe social-skills development workshops in real time and see firsthand how structured social circles promote self-reliance, vocational success, and belonging.

Sensory Overload Walkthrough

Sensory Overload Walkthrough

Experience a simulation of a day in the life of a neurodiverse person facing sensory processing challenges. Step into a structured sensory room to build deep, sensory-grounded professional and parental empathy.

Organizing Body

About Mitra for Life Foundation

Mitra for Life Foundation is a registered non-profit organization working to improve access to child development, therapy, parent support, and inclusion services for children and youth with autism and developmental disabilities.

Through urban clinics, rural community-based rehabilitation, mobile therapy outreach, school partnerships, and parent empowerment programs, Mitra builds integrated circles of care around children and families. We are proud to reach over 3,000+ children and families annually across Karnataka.

Know More
3,000+ Families Reached Annually
2026 Pioneering Conference
Dr. Madhuri Vaidyeswar

Dr Madhuri Vaidyeswar

Founder, Mitra for Life Foundation

Homeopathic Physician, Child Development Specialist, social entrepreneur, and international speaker. Dr. Vaidyeswar is the designer of the "Circle of Care" framework, working across urban and rural Karnataka to create scalable, community-led models that help children thrive with dignity, independence, and belonging.

Join the Event

Who Should Attend?

The Circle of Care Conference brings together all diverse stakeholders who play an active role in supporting neurodiverse children and youth:

  • Parents & Caregivers
  • Doctors & Healthcare Professionals
  • Therapists & Counsellors
  • Educators & Special Educators
  • Researchers, Academics & Students
  • NGOs & Community Organizations
  • Youth Advocates & Inclusion Champions

Registration Assistance

Individual Registration: Msg Mala @ +91-8088651628

Group Registrations: Contact Samyuktha @ +91-9969348855

Visit website: www.mitraforlife.org

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Scan the QR code below with your phone's camera, or click/tap on it to open the official Google Registration Form directly.

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