1. Short title and extent.—(1) This Act may be called the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with
Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999.
(2) It extends to the whole of India 1
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2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
(a) “autism” means a condition of uneven skill development primarily affecting the
communication and social abilities of a person, marked by repetitive and ritualistic behaviour;
(b) “Board” means Board of trustees constituted under section3;
(c) “cerebral palsy” means a group of non-progressive conditions of a person characterised by
abnormal motor control and posture resulting from brain insult or injuries occurring in the pre-natal,
perinatal or infant period of development;
(d) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Board appointed under clause (a) of sub-section
(4) of section 3;
(e) “Chief Executive Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer appointed under sub-section (1)
of section 8;
(f) “Member” means a Member of the Board and includes the Chairperson;
(g) “mental retardation” means a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind of a
person which is specially characterised by sub-normality of intelligence;
(h) “multiple disabilities” means a combination of two or more disabilities as defined in clause (i)
of section 2 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act, 1995 (1 of 1996);
(i) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(j) “persons with disability” means a person suffering from any of the conditions relating to
autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation or a combination of any two or more of such conditions and
includes a person suffering from severe multiple disability;
(k) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(l) “professional” means a person who is having special expertise in a field which would promote
the welfare of persons with disability;
(m) “registered organisation” means an association of persons with disability or an association of
parents of persons with disability or a voluntary organisation, as the case may be, registered under
section12;
(n) “regulations” means the regulations made by the Board under this Act;
(o) “severe disability” means disability with eighty per cent. or more of one or more multiple
disabilities;
(p) “Trust” means the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental
Retardation and Multiple Disability constituted under sub-section (1) of section 3.