Children's books are instrumental in shaping early thoughts and perceptions. Chitra Paul, mom to a teenager on the autism spectrum painstakingly lists 20 Indian books that feature children and young adults with disability. Books that must be read by every child.
As a child I don’t remember reading very many books with Indian characters or even those that featured disabled characters. The few books with Indian characters or stories about India were those by Ruskin Bond or Amar Chitra Katha comic…
Hvovi Bhagwagar, a clinical psychologist who works a lot of persons with Bipolar Disorder and their families, puts the spotlight on challenges faced by the family caregivers and what they can do to help the persons with Bipolar Disorder as well as themselves. Arman is a 32-year-old social activist. He is well-respected for his many welfare activities. Diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder in his teens, his life has been a constant internal struggle. His parents, one of whom was diagnosed…
Diana Tholoor, a Movement and Theatre trainer and Director of Plays recently worked with a cast of 50 children and young adults on the autism spectrum to mount a production of Jungle Book on stage. She shares her perspective in the second part of this interview series. 1. Why theatre? How does theatre help children and adults on the autism spectrum? Theatre is an integrated art form that produces simultaneous results through a single production. Amongst the many alternate…
Losing someone to suicide can be traumatic. Nyana Sabharwal, who lost her mother to suicide, co-founded We Hear You, a support group for those bereaved by suicide loss, as an important way to heal, cope and overcome grief. You have set up a unique and distinct peer support group for those bereaved by suicide loss. Could you tell us a little about it? ‘We Hear You’ was set up a year ago to help people who are experiencing bereavement by suicide loss to have a safe space to talk about their…
Although the right to health care of any kind has become a legal provision for the first time in India, implementing the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA) is still challenging to all stakeholders. Sign the petition to bridge the mental health care gap. Contributed by Mariwala Health Initiative What is the Mental Health Care Gap? If one goes by global statistics, then one in four of us will at some point be affected by a mental health issue in our lifetime. India’s National Mental Health Survey (…
The patient-led Lupus Trust India is creating a holistic support network for Lupus patients in India. As they prepare for awareness campaigns for World Lupus Day, watch this space for the resources they are putting together. Contributed by Suzanne Sangi Ask any Lupus patient in India how they felt right after their diagnosis, and you’re sure to hear them say “It’s the first time I heard about Lupus” or “It felt like I was the only one”. Why? Because in India, nobody talks about this…
Sarbani Mukherjee Mallick Founder & Executive Director at Bubbles Centre for Autism in a detailed interview on the experience and learnings of putting together a full fledged stage production of Jungle Book with a cast of 50 children and young adults on the autism spectrum. Part 1 of a 2 part series. Why theatre? How does theatre help children and adults on the autism spectrum? One of the major challenges for children on the autism spectrum disorder is social skills. I use to…
Dr. Surekha Ramachandran, mother of a young woman with Down Syndrome and Chairperson of the Down Syndrome Federation of India sheds light on the myths and misconceptions about persons with Down Syndrome . And a message to all parents on World Down Syndrome Day. PatientsEngage spoke with Dr. Surekha Ramachandran, founder of Down Syndrome Federation of India. Established in the year 1984, with 6 children, DSFI today serves innumerable children not only around India, but also the Middle East…
Mr Manjit Singh, President Lysosomal Storage Disorders Support Society, shares some salient points about the rare disease and about the activities of the organisation, LSDSS. The LSDSS is a national level society with more than 400 patients as members who are represented by elected parents as office bearers, across India. The sole motive of the organisation is to spread awareness about this rare disease as also to help each other in availing of the best facilities available. What are Lysosomal…
