I care for children with autism and other developmental differences, research how to help them earlier, and now build tools that carry that care into the home.
About
I'm a paediatrician. Most of my career has been spent with children who have autism, ADHD, Down syndrome or cerebral palsy, and with the families who look after them.
At B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences I taught medical students and led the Genetic and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Clinic. I then co-founded Bhaktapur Neo Clinic and a rehabilitation centre for children with developmental conditions.
Now I'm building Autipal, so the support a family gets in the clinic can carry on at home.
- Developmental paediatrics
- autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and rare genetic conditions
- Diagnosis & planning
- ADOS-2 assessments and individual therapy plans, reviewed every three months
- Families & schools
- parent–child training, IEPs and curricula built with special educators
- Research & teaching
- eight published papers; taught MBBS and MD students
Experience
- Jun 2026 — Now
Founder & CEO
Autipal · California, United States
A digital ecosystem for neurodivergent children and their families. It turns years of bedside and rehabilitation-centre work into a product that carries care beyond the clinic.
- –Communication Board: for children who find speaking difficult
- –Social Learning: structured content to help children understand social situations
- –Home Link: where parents plan home activities and track developmental milestones
- Feb 2022 — Now
Co-Founder & CEO
Bhaktapur Neo Clinic · Lokanthali, Bhaktapur
- –Chairperson and co-founder of Bhaktapur Neo Rehabilitation Center, Kathmandu (2022–2024), for children with autism, ADHD, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy
- –Directed strategy, budgeting, policy and compliance, and led a team of therapists, educators and administrative staff
- Nov 2021 — Mar 2024
Clinical & operations lead
Centre For Autism · Nepal · Part-time
- –Led all clinical and operational work of a specialised autism centre
- –Ran diagnostic evaluations with ADOS-2 and other standardised tools, and built individual therapy plans from them
- –Reassessed every child each three months and adjusted their therapy
- –Worked with special educators to align IEPs and curricula with measurable goals
- –Trained and supervised therapists, teachers, psychologists and aides, and ran parent–child training sessions
- Sep 2017 — Jan 2021
Assistant Professor of Paediatrics
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences · Dharan
- –Cared for children across the NICU, PICU, wards and emergency, and taught MBBS and MD students
- –Led the Genetic and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Clinic, a key referral point for autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy and rare genetic syndromes
- –Supervised student research and theses, and contributed to curriculum development
Education
- Aug 2026 — Now
Master's in Inclusive Education and Special Needs
Kathmandu University
- 2012 — 2015
Master's degree, Medicine
Kathmandu University
Certificates
- Novartis · CourseraIntroduction to Good Clinical Practice
- Novartis · CourseraFundamentals of Good Clinical Practice: Prep and Personnel
Research
8 peer-reviewed papers since 2016, 7 of them as first author. Each title links to the published paper.
Show
- 2024Early Behavioural Signs among Nepalese Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
Journal of Nepal Medical Association/First author/Autism
doi:10.31729/jnma.8499
- 2024Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children in Southeast Asia from 2002 to 2022: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Health Science Reports/First author/Autism
doi:10.1002/hsr2.2005
- 2024Comparison between 3% Hypertonic Saline and 20% Mannitol in the Management of Raised Intracranial Pressure in Children
International Journal of Advanced Research and Multidisciplinary Studies/Fifth author/Child health
doi:10.62225/2583049X.2024.4.2.2515
- 2023Perceived Caregiver's Burden among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Central Nepal: A Cross-sectional Study
Annals of Medicine & Surgery/First author/Autism
doi:10.1097/MS9.0000000000000603
- 2023Prevalence and Associated Factors of Malnutrition in Under Five Children in Eastern Nepal: A Hospital Based Study
Journal of Nepal Paediatric Society/First author/Child health
- 2022Hyperthyroidism in Down's Syndrome – A Rare Association
Journal of Nepal Paediatric Society/First author/Child health
- 2022Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and its Association with Low Birth Weight
Journal of Nepal Paediatric Society, 42(1), 92–96/First author/Child health
doi:10.3126/jnps.v42i1.37197
- 2016Socio Economic and Maternal Reproductive Factors Affecting Low Birth Weight Babies in Central Nepal
Journal of Nepal Paediatric Society, 36(3), 277–283/First author/Child health
Talks & media
Autism: signs, identification and support (अटिजम: संकेत, पहिचान र सहयोग)
Interview in Nepali · Sunaulo Nepal TV
2024 · Conference talk
Study of the Emergence of Early Behavioral Signs among Nepalese Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Institutional Cross-Sectional StudyInternational Conference on Primary Health Care
Contact
For a consultation, research collaboration or speaking, write to manju@autipal.com.