Developmental Challenges

Chinnappa Mathanda, a parent of a child with special needs and one of the people behind aSpecialWorld talks to PatientsEngage on the amazing experience of youth on the autism spectrum riding the waves in Chennai. Don't miss the videos below 1. Tell us how and why you thought of getting kids with autism to go surfing I came across some really exciting videos of children with special needs, not just autistic children, learning surfing in the US. This sowed the idea in our minds. 2. How did you go…

Chair Yoga, a gentle form of yoga that is practiced sitting on a chair or standing using a chair for support, is particularly good for those unable to participate in a traditional yoga class due to the effects of aging or disabilities or for office goers to relax or release tension at the workplace. Mekhala, a Singapore based yoga teacher, guides us through. Whenever I tell someone that I teach Chair Yoga, besides the regular Mat Yoga, the common reaction is: "Is there such a thing as chair…

Changing schools is a difficult choice and one not made lightly. But 20 year old Sahil’s educational journey made him change 7 schools across 2 continents. His mother Harshita Mahajan talks about the marathon of bringing up a child with autism. School moves across Indian Cities: Sahil is now 20 years old. He has Autism and is non-verbal. When he was diagnosed at age 2, I immediately quit my job with a bank to care for him full time. With no major help in Mumbai, I took him to London for re-…

Jyotsna Kumar talks about her caregiving roles - as a mother of daughter with Cerebral Palsy and as a daughter. With a timely reminder on the importance to look after oneself to avoid burnout and also to increase the quality of caregiving. When I became a mother of a child with disabilities (spastic diplegia, commonly known as cerebral palsy), my life changed drastically. It was an upheaval of all kinds - emotional, physical, mental and financial. The life I knew prior to her birth…

Aditi’s Corner in Navi Mumbai is run by Aditi Verma, who has Down’s Syndrome. This is the story of how Aditi started a cafe and how she wants to expand it. The picture above is Aditi with chef Vikas Khanna. Parent Talk: ( Aditi’s father, Amit Verma speaks) Please tell us when was it that you detected that Aditi had a condition? How did you deal with it? We came to know about her state just after her birth. As our brother-in-law is a doctor, he explained it to us in detail. He told us it is not…

An autism dad’s honest story of managing adoloescence and puberty with a positive attitude. Journalist Bhanu Pande shares his experience of pro-actively preparing himself and his son for growth spurts and physical urges to raise him into a responsible and independent person.  #FathersDay It’s hard to be an autism dad. And there’s no getting around it. I had turned reclusive during our early days as a newbie, in autism land. Let alone my interaction with my friends going through…

Minu Budhia and daughter Preeyam Budhia, co-founders of Café ICanFlyy in Kolkata, a café which employs individuals with disabilities and empowers them to chart out their course in life, talk about the vision behind setting up this one-of-a-kind café in the country. Tell us about Cafe ICanFlyy. How did it take shape? Cosy, quirky, and certainly a labour of love, Cafe ICanFlyy is a 50-seater cafe run by individuals with special needs. Whether you’re making a quick stop for a cuppa, a short…

Raviraj Shetty, a lead Therapist, Supervisor and Project Manager at Ummeed Child Development Center talks about his work using Narrative Psychology. He has published a paper in the Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy in the context of handwriting training using Narrative Therapy.  1. What is Narrative psychology? Narrative therapy is a respectful and a non-blaming approach of counselling used for children, individuals, families, couples and communities. Narrative therapy is based…

Jyotsna Kumar, was living with Sensiro Neural Deafness. But the birth of her child with congenital heart defect and cerebral palsy changed her priorities in life. Jyotsna, tell us about your condition.  I was diagnosed with Sensiro Neural Deafness in 1997, I was 30 years old then. What were the early symptoms? During my childhood I never took annual audiograms and remained unaware of what impact anything could have had on my nerves considering the fact that my mother and most of my…

Writer’s Cafe, Chennai, in association with Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA) have come up with a unique way of creating awareness for Dyslexia by changing the spelling on their menus.  For the entire month of April Writer's Cafe they were serving “vejetarien and non-vejetarian fare — grild chkein, grik caled, and flammenkuchen, for starters.” This is an awareness campaign to show how a person with dyslexia views the world, and how difficult it is for them to “navigate in a world that does…