Dr Kondekars hypothesis of autism as sensory equivalent of Cerebral palsy
Autism as the “sensory equivalent of cerebral palsy,” as conceptualized by Dr. Santosh Kondekar, is a profound reframing of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Rather than seeing autism as merely a behavioral or psychiatric condition, Kondekar’s model places it in the domain of pediatric neurology — specifically in the category of **neurodevelopmental disconnection syndromes**, where sensory processing and integration are disrupted much like motor coordination is affected in cerebral palsy (CP).[1][2] ### Introduction: A New Lens on Autism Dr. Santosh Kondekar, a developmental pediatrician and neurodevelopmental specialist from Mumbai’s Nair Hospital, presents autism as a disorder of **internal brain communication** rather than purely social or linguistic deficits. In his “neuronal nutrition and bridging hypothesis,” he proposes that children with autism experience a **reticular activating system (RAS)** deficit — meaning the internal neural networks that connect various sensor...