Published Jun 21, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 21, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Neurodivergents. Representative Image.
Synopsis: Neurodivergent individuals and their families in Kerala are struggling to obtain disability certificates due to the lack of required number of clinical psychologist postings in the state. The shortage has forced them wait months for assessments or seek help elsewhere, often falling prey to unqualified practitioners operating outside the system.
A 31-year-old autistic woman from the Kottayam district in Kerala spends most of her days between home and a private special school. With an 80 percent disability assessment, the life of Mareeta largely follows a fixed routine. She attends classes and activities, receives government financial assistance and depends on a support system built around her disability certificate.
However, not every neurodivergent person’s story is the same.
Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities and mental illnesses affect each individual differently, as disability percentages vary from person to person. An accurate assessment is crucial — not just for accessing welfare benefits but for safeguarding rights, opportunities and quality of life.
Yet the professionals responsible for conducting these assessments, certified clinical psychologists, are not available in several government hospitals across Kerala.
Determining disability percentage is a lengthy and specialised process that can take several hours, yet vacancies for clinical psychologist posts persist in the state’s public healthcare system.
The shortage has created a crisis for neurodivergent individuals and their families, many of whom are forced to wait months for assessments or seek help elsewhere, often falling prey to unqualified practitioners operating outside the system.
Mareeta’s father, MK Thankachan, has witnessed this struggle firsthand. Today, he is not only caring for his daughter but also supporting countless other neurodivergent individuals and families standing in long queues at government hospitals.
The shortage of clinical psychologists has left both professionals and neurodivergent communities in limbo, exposing deep gaps in Kerala’s disability assessment system.
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According to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, disability certificates are issued for 21 categories of disabilities. Of these, the presence of a clinical psychologist on the medical board is mandatory for assessing and certifying eight categories.
In September 2025, the Health Department’s decision to shift clinical psychologist posts from the Government Mental Health Centres in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram triggered concerns over access to mental healthcare services in Kerala, which is already facing a shortage of qualified professionals.
Two clinical psychologist posts from the Government Mental Health Centre, Kozhikode, were shifted to Thodupuzha and Kalpetta, while one post from Thiruvananthapuram was transferred to Kollam.
Speaking to South First, Dr Sany Varghese, President of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists, Kerala Region, said the high court had already intervened in the ”unscientific transfer” of clinical psychologists and the status quo continues.
“Fifteen posts of clinical psychologists have already been sanctioned by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), but recruitment has not happened. Now, it has been put on hold. The new government has ordered the preparation of a new list, which will again delay the entire process by years and may also deny opportunities to candidates who were already qualified in the existing (PSC rank) list,” she said.
She added that the delay would further affect neurodivergent people who require disability certificates.
“It will make their struggle even harder,” she said.
According to Dr Varghese, annually, around 4,000 children require disability certificates for learning disabilities in Kottayam alone, out of the estimated 11,000–18,000 children assessed for various disabilities each year.
These certificates are essential for students seeking academic support, including extra time in public examinations and the provision of scribes.
“We have to assess all these children. Some may require certificates only for examination benefits, but every assessment requires detailed evaluation. It takes more than one and a half hours to assess a single child. Imagine the workload of a clinical psychologist in a government hospital, where most districts have only one post,” she said.
She explained that nearly one-third of the children approaching services require learning disability certificates, while others are severe cases requiring government financial assistance.
“Whatever their requirement is, accessing a disability certificate is their right, and it is our responsibility to conduct the assessment scientifically,” she added.
Apart from disability assessments, clinical psychologists in government hospitals are also responsible for outpatient services, court-referred cases and police-related cases, which cannot be avoided.
Students from government and aided schools usually access disability certification through HM forums, where the required amount is paid to hospitals for the procedure. In private and CBSE schools, parents pay the amount through the schools, which coordinate with government hospitals for the certification process.
Dr Sany also warned about the growing presence of unqualified practitioners in the field of clinical psychology.
“Many students end up consulting quacks, which is dangerous. The solution is to create more posts and immediately recruit from the current eligible list. Shifting existing posts is not a solution; it will only worsen the crisis,” she said.
“For people with more than 40 percent disability, the benchmark disability assessment itself requires more time. For learning disability, intellectual disability and autism, services are available only in one district hospital and three government mental healthcare centres in the state,” she added.
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Speaking to South First, Thankachan said the shortage of clinical psychologists in government hospitals has severely affected people seeking disability certificates.
“Due to the lack of clinical psychologists and the heavy rush in hospitals, many people are suffering. They have to visit hospitals multiple times just to get appointments because of the patient load. One clinical psychologist cannot handle this number of cases. It is practically impossible,” he said.
He added that doctors often advise many patients to approach private hospitals for assessments, creating an additional financial burden.
“The qualification of people practising outside is also not always clear, and the increasing number of unqualified practitioners is a serious concern,” he said.
The Child Rights Commission also recommended ensuring the availability of clinical psychologists in taluk hospitals. However, many taluk hospitals still lack such posts, and issue seemingly avoided by the DHS.
Parents point out that even major district hospitals are struggling to provide disability certificates for the neurodivergent community.
Unlike some other disabilities, such as visual or physical disabilities, where specialists are available in most districts, neurodevelopmental conditions require clinical psychologists for accurate assessment.
With vacant posts and limited professionals already working under immense pressure, the question remains: without adequate clinical psychologists, how can the disability certification process for neurodivergent people function effectively?
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
