All special parents have a list of worries: -Will my child find the right school? Will people understand them? Will they be able to live independently? …Will anyone be there for them if I am not? … And then there is the question many parents find hardest to say aloud: Who will take care of my child when I am gone?
For parents of an autistic child or children with a disability, planning is rarely just about retirement savings or building a house. Future planning could include therapies, healthcare, rehabilitative services, education, appropriate supports, and for some family’s long-term care.
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That is what makes this recent question from the Supreme Court significant.
The Court directed Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, to place before the Court on the next hearing on 19th November, 2026, data on number of policies issued by public and private insurers to persons with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities. This data is to be submitted by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
At first glance, it may sound like a question about numbers.
For a special parent, it is about something much bigger: Can my child access the financial protection that other families take for granted?
Why is the Supreme Court requesting this information?
The direction has come in a Public Interest Litigation, Action for Autism v. Union of India & Ors., which raises broader concerns about the rights and inclusion of people with neurodevelopmental and other disabilities.
The petitioner has argued that insurance coverage for autistic persons remains effectively non-existent or inadequate despite the regulatory framework concerning insurance coverage for persons with disabilities and mental illness. During the hearing, IRDAI referred to its existing circulars on insurance coverage. The Court then asked the regulator to provide actual data on policies issued by both public- and private-sector insurers.
And that distinction matters.
The Court has not ruled that each of the applicants – autistic or not – has been refused insurance at this moment. It has also not ordered the insurers to start insuring disabled people now.
This is probably asking a very simple but important question: What is actually happening on the ground? Because a provision existing in a regulation and a family being able to successfully obtain insurance can be two very different things.
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Why should a special parent care?
Consider a family who is raising an autistic child. The Costs Can Add Up – first assessments and therapies – then speech and occupational therapy, special education, doctors’ visits, adaptive devices, transport and other support.
There may come a time when a child needs less support. There may come a time when an adult needs support. Parents have the means to put money away. They have choices when it comes to their estate. They can establish a financial safety net for their children.
But they cannot plan away one reality: A parent cannot be there forever.
This is where insurance becomes part of a much larger conversation about future security.
For a parent, the questions are deeply practical:
-Can my child get a policy?
-What will it cover?
-Will disability affect eligibility or terms?
-What if my child requires health or other assistance in the future?
And perhaps the most difficult question:
-What does the child get if something happens to me first?
From “What should exist?” to “What actually exists?”
The Supreme Court’s request for data is significant because it seeks to establish the reality of access.
-How many policies have actually been issued?
-How many people with autism and other disabilities are covered?
-Are public and private insurers offering meaningful access?
The answers could help show where the gap lies between the rights recognised in law and what families can actually access.
The petition itself raises several other concerns involving persons with disabilities, including early intervention, inclusive education, accessibility, rehabilitation, employment and difficulties obtaining disability certificates.
So this case is not simply about insurance. It is about whether systems designed to protect people with disabilities are reaching them in everyday life.
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For special parents, that question is deeply personal. Because behind every insurance policy is not just a premium, a form or a number. There is a parent trying to build a future. A parent who is aware they will never be able to hold their child’s hand forever.
