Autism
Son, Your Smile Means the World to Me
Chitra Iyer, mother of 18-year-old Shravan with autism, feels all her challenges and hardships melt away and every moment of life becomes worth living when a beautiful smile radiates across her son’s face. Here she shares Shravan’s childhood and…
You Can Read My Thoughts
AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH A peep into the mind of Christopher Pereira, a young adult with autism, who shares his understanding of abstract concepts like ‘Self-determination’ and ‘Autonomy’ lucidly.
Orko, My Brother
AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH They played, they fought, they eat cheese burgers with friends… this may seem like a story of just any household with two boys with an age difference of five years. Except that Orko has epilepsy and is autistic. In a…
‘Being Independent is Absolutely Amazing’
AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH Neha Uttam, a person diagnosed with autism and resident of Independent Living Program, is a staff member at Arunima. Here she recounts in detail her grooming to be self-reliant and the sheer joy of becoming independent. I was…
Let Me Speak for Myself
The theme for World Autism Awareness Day 2017 is ‘Toward Autonomy and Self-determination’. This year, instead of speaking to parents, caregivers or health professions, we have got 5 young adults on the autism spectrum disorder to voice their…
Raising a Child with Autism to be Independent
Parents of Vinamra, who has mild autism disorder, always made it a point to remember that their son can lead a happy, fulfilled life if they channelized his energies well. Mother Rima Ved recounts how she and her husband tirelessly prepared their…
Celebrating Life’s Every Triumph Together – Fang Zhi’s Invisible Disability
All parties play a part in enabling a child with special needs - the system, parents, the public, as well as the child himself. When one is willing to give the child an opportunity and to accept the child, he is making a difference in the child’s…
When I am at work I am "resting"
Joan's wish is straightforward: "My ultimate wish for Nat is for her to happy and independent, where she doesn’t need financial aid from me or my husband, is able to stand on her own and isn’t a liability to anyone else." Joan, in conversation with…
