Care4autism

It has been long since I posted something on the blog. but just having got to know that Sumathi Ramjee  has got  the NDTV award , was reason enough for me to get back to blogging . Such wonderful news, that I had to share it with others. Those who have know her will know this is a very well deserved award.                            The way she bonds with the children is amazing. She once told me that if she is not in good spirits, the kids are the first to pick it up.    A  Very positive , practical person, I am truly happy she got this prestigious award.                              In today's world , where people shout their achievements from the roof top, here is one lady who goes about her work quietly. It is very heartening to know her meritorious service has been recognized. Congratulations, Suamthi.   ...

The shoot out at elementary school has left me with a sense of despodency, grief, anger. A post on this blog is doing the rounds  http://anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.in/2012/12/thinking-unthinkable.html  My heart goes out to Adam Lanza mother.  There might have been many moments in her life when she must have been concerned for his future and  pondered over the now ubiquitous question "what after me"?   To shoot her, 20 children and then kill himself , it is a huge tragedy.                                         The word 'mental illness' is a black box, none of us can comprehend it fully. Everything is in control , till the unspeakable happens without warning. It is scary to say the least, when kids are on medications for various issue...

To quote Harshita Mahajan, a mother in Bangalore Mirror, December 6th 2012 issue, once… that autism is a zero sum game… you are either functional or you aren’t. Cognition doesn’t make the cut alone… it’s only a small part of the puzzle… a contributor to functionality. I had argued with my friend that in terms of her binary analogy that autism was a journey where we moved from the zero to the one. But finally you have to decide whether you are at zero or at one.                                  It cannot be surmised better. Often I think  if after so many years of intensive effort, if the final outcome is not up to your expectations , then indeed it would be a really sad story. It remains to be seen how functional Ramam would be at 20. By saying more, I don' t want to dilute the essence of those brief but powerful words.

ALFAA:  Recently attended the inauguration of AlFAA-Assisted living for autistic male adults. Ruby Singh the founder of ALFAA has taken on this initiative single handedly and that in itself is commendable. As a pilot project, she is taking in 5 kids in a smaller set up. She is planning to move in sometime next year around, to the proposed residential campus on 2.25 acres of land in North Bangalore (near Chikkaballapur).The campus would include • Residential cottages • One storey flats • 24hrs security and health care services. Currently she has a team of physiotherapists, spl educators and music therapists. She would be focusing on life skills. The neighboring villages would serve as a pool of employable care givers and in the bargain create job opportunities for the people of nearby villages. As part of the pilot project she plans to take on the laundry work for the neighboring houses. This will be some of the vocational activities she plans to introduce.(Did I men...

I had written this article for the newspapers, post the movie Barfi. It never got published. One paper was kind enought to send me a reply stating that articles written only by the staff are published. So here it is , by default for my discerning readers :)-. It may be a little outdated , but what with the kids hols and everything else , I just got busy. There you go....                        Autism is back in news, grabbing eyeballs. Thanks to Barfi, the disability is garnering the attention that has been overdue to it. The movie has stuck an emotional chord with most viewers. It has received its fair share of brickbats and bouquets. What has Barfi given us? It has given the parents, caregivers, professionals belonging to this ever increasing community of autism, a captive audience.               ...

Selecting a   birthday gift should n't be  a problem in this day and age. Rightly so, when it comes to picking a gift for my daughter's  friends, the range is huge, and only monetary constraints apply, more so when 30 kids in her class want to have a party for their bday. But selecting a gift for a child on the spectrum is not easy, and I shall tell you why?                        When Ramam was small and we had bday parties for him , some moms would call me and ask what is it that would interst him?And that is where your choices get narrowed down. I would give an honest reply. I would say puzzles,books....... . He was not typically intersted in cars/blocks or  any toys for that matter. At the end of the party I would have enough material to start a therapy centre. Animal puzzles,word puzzles, picture puzzles, wooden puzzles ,colouring books,........

Yesterday, Isha came back from school and wanted to know what "interferring" means. I racked my brains for a suitable answer. I told her in a broad sense  and finally  came up with us. I told her for instance when mom and dad are having a serious conversation and you butt in every now and then, then that could be called interferring. She stopped me right there and told me Amma, but that is interrupting and not interferring. I clamped my mouth shut.                       This is a slightly dirty one. What is a girl with a  continous thick nasal discharge called?........Nosy volcano.                       She wears two long  hair plaits to school.Today morning , just before leaving to school, she  told me "You comb my hair re...