Each year we see children with Autism Marching with Placard getting together at Marina or places of Historic significance and showing placards to each other. All efforts gets an attention for a day and it cases down.
On the due course an incident that occurred a couple of months ago, inspired Mrs Radha Nandakumar to reach out to mass in a way that awareness gets imbibed with acceptance at the same time. An inspiration for this short film wherein, a young adult with such a condition got lost on his way to his workplace, later succumbed to a fatal accident.
A little helping hand an aware public could have saved the life. All the hard work of the parents, to bring him to the level of taking up a job and the necessary training given by the institutions failed to save him.
When desire are deep nature conspires to make dreams turn into reality.
“As I spoke about this in a very casual manner to my friend Rashmi( Propritor Humming Birds Teachers Training Center) a little dream had got its wings. She was like minded finding out a way to create an environment that accepts and treats people with autism as part of this community.”
Immediately a team was formed and a small event was planned to raise funds
The nearby Aavin Hi-tech parlour was chosen for a women’s day celebration with great effort on a very quick notice an event was held
For casting the inflow of funds for this huge project; it looked like we had to hold on; on the date 2nd April. But Mrs Nandakumar was determined she quickly gathered a group of parents and raised 1/3rd of the fund .
The work was started and the dream took up a reality. The actor himself Mr. Nivas works as a trainer and healer with children with special need and the team that had come along were ready to learn and train themselves. “This movie is not to make you cry, its only to let you know its possible to accommodate, to accept these people with us says Mani the director of Peranbu.
“ Disabilities which are obvious, traceable to human eyes need no explanation but Autism is Sensorial and Behavioural in nature, it also is not same for all ,say for example if some children if they are frightened of heights some wont come down from rooftops… its an umbrella.. hyper to hypo seeking needs, this leads to either mis judgeding or misinterpreting Autism by the general public.” Says Ms Rashmi who is also a clinical psychologist.
Hence, it is important and necessary for the affected population, to bring out the difficulties encountered in the process of their upbringing and create public awakening.
Mrs Radha has worked with special children for past 20 years. She believes that there has been considerable effort in creating awareness about the importance of early intervention, but very sadly, difficulties faced by the person, their parents and caregivers during their adolescence, adulthood is least talked about with a view and to hopes make a minimal contribution to this topic we had chosen this modality of short film, which we hope would make a greater impact and a wider awareness.
“Disability model has shifted over the years from medical to institutional to social, at present.” “our children are intelligent, sensitive to criticism, they do not have behavioural issues by choice, its all about Empathy that we talking today”
Each year along with Humming Birds Teachers Training Center Mrs Radha has been working on to make the RTE a realistic approach in classrooms at elementary level. If there are children among huge number of 30 to 40 children in class room it become not only difficult to work with these children but also identification remains a challenge for untrained hands.
Through her various workshops for parents and teachers she tries to make understand the various types of early childhood developmental issues and there by assisting early intervention.
“Change is a slow process.. but it is definite one!”
India will become an Autism Friendly place like many parts of the world.. all the agony that these adults and teenagers face staying indoors will find a way out
Our children being excluded from social setups in spite of an RTE from government will get a support
“Even if ; we are few.. handful, we will put our best efforts to bring in change for our children” rings a voice from parents support group
As our Badges Read today…
Each Indian will Resonate tomorrow “I am Autism Aware:
