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I was born in the early 1980s. I grew up in the small towns and remote villages of North East India. I didn't know it when I was young, but now when I look back, I believe I had and I still have mild form of autism. I had speech problem and stammered a bit. More importantly, I didn't give eye contact to others while interacting. I even preferred loneliness to socialization.
A Prayer:
It's not only an expectation but a fervent prayer of a parent of a child with special needs that the child is always in safe secure environment and that the professionals , teachers , care givers , family members , all people dealing with the child equally value the child and are kind and sensitive towards the child looking beyond the disability .
A few Ground Realities ;
I am Janhavi Gadgil, Malhar’s elder sister. He has been the Sun of my universe ever since I was seven years old and every goal and aim of mine has revolved around him and his future since then. Voluntarily, mind you!! My parents tell me every day, “We want you to live your life to the fullest, and not be tied down by responsibility.” But I say to them- “Aai and Baba, a house without him is not a home!!” It will remain just a place with four walls and a roof.
When we were in Delhi, we used to take Dhruv for therapy to this wonderful therapy centre called “Children First”. “Children First” hosts an annual event called “Imagine” which tries to create awareness on different social issues like mental health, disability and other related issues.
Communication is the key in any relationship. It becomes very necessary for a parent and a sibling of a child/adult with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) to understand each other. Parents and siblings may have different thinking patterns and concerns, whatever those are, it is necessary to have ‘the conversations’.
Dhruv joined playschool when he was 2.5 years old and from that tender age, started going to school by the school-bus. Gopan was in a transferable job and Dhruv got used to different schools in different cities. As he was diagnosed with Autism only by the age of 6, he attended only mainstream schools !
In Indian culture, a mother has been revered as first and foremost GURU in one’s life. It is absolutely crucial how this potter shapes the child in early days of a child. But perhaps it is more so for a special child…
Just few days back I got a call and WhatsApp message from Nayi Disha, that they are planning to compile a unique video capturing expression of various parents for following set of questions –
• Remember the first time your saw your child
• Think about the first time you heard them laugh
Parenting…one of the toughest jobs in the world.
This Blog is by my son Aditya Jogania
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“So called mild Autism doesn’t mean one experiences Autism mildly…It means YOU experience their Autism mildly. You may not know how hard they’ve had to work to get to the level they are.”
