Developmental Challenges

Being a hearing impaired person is part of my identity, as much as being an Indian or a Dilliwala, and it hasn’t stopped me from achieving whatever I want to do, proclaims Cheenu Madan, the successful software entrepreneur. “If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?”. As I was scrolling down Quora on my phone, this question came into view.  It didn’t take too long for me to come with an answer mentally - the ability to eat whatever I want without gaining…

Vijay Krishnamani, born with profound hearing loss in both ears, gives an interesting personal account on how following group conversations can get crazy despite having mastered the art of lip-reading. As I grew up, learning how to listen and speak to a single person was something which I strived very hard to perfect considering that I was born with profound hearing loss in both ears. It is still an ongoing exercise since each new person I meet is always unique in terms of their…

There were so many good articles and infomation that came around Autism Awareness Week 2016. We thought we would pick the few we liked. If you would like to suggest a few more, please add the stories and the links in the comments below. 1. A delightfully made film on two sisters - one neurotypical and one with autism with a twist at the end. Features a communication device and shows the feelings of the person with autism quite nicely. Loved the bubble wrap The Big Date  2. Velvi, the…

International Autism Awareness Day 2016 #autismawareness  Madurai based Velvi is one of the few organisations in the world, and probably the first in India, that has applied techniques of theatre and drama to address issues of autism. Dr Parasuram Ramamoorthi, the chairperson of and brain behind Velvi, shares its remarkable journey. Your organization, Velvi, is an early adopter in India in applying drama to transform the lives of children and adults affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (…

International Autism Awareness Day 2016 #autismawareness Activist Kavitha Krishnamoorthy, who has pioneered several supportive programs to facilitate children with autism explore their creative selves, relates the magical effect music has on her son, Ananth, who is on the autism spectrum. This article is a  the first in a two-part series on the arts and autism.  I have been truly privileged to be in a position where I could so closely observe the relationship my son Ananth has with…

International Autism Awareness Day 2016 #autismawareness A significant number of children with autism are gifted artistes and need to be provided the appropriate environment and stimulation to flower. Kavitha Krishnamoorthy, parent, arts facilitator, activist, observer-of-children, shares her insights and learnings in this conclusion of a two-part series article on autism spectrum disorder. As I began observing and working with more children with autism, I realised that what I saw with my son…

International Autism Awareness Day 2016 #autismawareness  The Amaze Charitable Trust, born from challenges of raising a child with autism, helps families navigate the autism maze through innovative programmes, social skills, adventure camps and employment opportunities, says its director Akila Vaidyanathan. Could you give us a little background on Amaze Charitable Trust? What was the vision behind Amaze? Autism is a complex disorder; it affects the core areas of communication and social…

International Autism Awareness Day 2016 #autismawareness Kavita Sharma talks about Prayas, a unit or a project of Autism Society of India that focuses on iPad, computer and technology-based training for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Could you give us a little background on Project Prayas and its goals and objectives? Project Prayas embraces a mission that unfolds and reinforces the potentials of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder towards quality education and independent…

‘Without saying a word, Dev can speak volumes about love and goodness’ Children are truth personified, feels Parul Kala as she talks about Dev, her son with Down's syndrome.  Last year I had to fill out in Dev’s school notebook " what I love about Dev". I wrote the following adjectives: Happy Loving Human Athletic Determined Artistic Persistent Cute Cuddly Warm Affectionate Full of life But we are .....Alike Yes, Dev was born with Down’s Syndrome 10 years ago. But as he grew up, his…

Ritu Vyas thinks children with Down's Syndrome are no different from others. All they need is patience and understanding for their talents to flourish D is 11 years old. When he was around 7, his parents noticed he is attracted to colours and has an interest in painting. They hired a painting teacher for him. But his tiny fingers were incapable of holding a brush properly. The painting teacher gave up on him and said he can never become a painter. The parents,…