Our experiments with Autism - A never ending journey

  Last week, Akshat had a birthday party to attend. The invite came just two days before, so I checked with him first: Did he really want to go? He nodded with a confident “yes.” From that moment, our little countdown began. Over the next two days, I gently prepared him—talking about where we were going, who would be there, and what he could expect. These small conversations have become a part of our routine, and they work wonders. Lately, Akshat has been showing a growing interest in social events, and he handles them quite well. Of course, there’s always a time limit, and I always honour that boundary. One of our unspoken rules is simple: we stay as long as he feels comfortable. No pressure, no expectations—just presence. Over the past year, I’ve noticed a quiet but powerful shift. Akshat is coping better with social situations, stepping into them with more curiosity and less hesitation. Watching him choose to go out, engage, and enjoy in his own way has been heart-warming. ...

  Being a mother to a neurodiverse adult has been one of the most humbling and transformative journeys of my life. Over the years, my priorities as a parent and teacher have evolved — constantly adapting to Akshat’s growth, his challenges, and his changing needs. There was a time when my entire focus revolved around enhancing his cognition — every activity, every goal, every plan was built around developing his understanding and intellect. But as life unfolded, I realized that cognition, though important, is only one part of the puzzle. What truly matters now are the life skills that empower him to navigate the world with confidence, and the social exposure that helps him feel included and accepted. Cognition hasn’t disappeared from the list — it’s simply found a new place, making space for what’s most essential today. With this in mind, I am always on the lookout for meaningful opportunities to give Akshat the social experiences he deserves — those rare and precious moments wh...

  Last Sunday, Akshat and I had the opportunity to watch a play together. I was quite apprehensive at first, as he had never been to a play before. Although I’ve taken him to watch movies many times, his response is usually unpredictable — sometimes he sits through them, and sometimes he doesn’t. But this time, even though it was his very first experience of watching a live play, he sat quite well. We decided to leave after the first part of the play. I didn’t want to push him beyond his comfort level or make him sit forcefully. My idea was to end the experience on a positive note, before he reached his threshold. I wanted him to know that nobody would force him to sit — that he always has a choice. Perhaps, by allowing him that sense of control, he’ll feel more confident and willing to stay longer next time. The next day, we sat together and I asked him about his experience of watching the play. It took him four days to complete his narration. Do read and comment! Ritu 13-10...

  30/06/25 I went to a movie after a long time. Watching a movie in a theatre is so tiring. The auditory and visual inputs in the theatre are overwhelming for me. The sound system is too loud to bear, and the screen bothers a lot. Apart from that, the darkness in the hall is scary. I prefer to watch a movie at home as at home there is no sensory overload. However, despite the challenges, I thought I should go and watch this movie. This movie was special because it is the first movie I saw that has neurodivergents in the lead roles. When I reached the mall, I was a little anxious because of the environment. However, it was manageable. But, as soon as I entered the theatre hall, sensory feelings started, and I got overwhelmed. Well, I managed to sit and watch the movie because I was deeply moved by the punch line sabka apna apna normal and excited to see its interpretation. Although I was able to process the language (dialogues), story, and characters in the movie, it was difficult t...

  25-4-25 Going to Indore has always been interesting. Despite the mood swings and challenging sensory issues during travelling, I look forward to it. I love food in Indore. Be it sev, mixture, samosa, or good kachori, I love them all. It is the food that pushes me for Indore visits. However, this trip was interesting for other reasons too. This time it was mom and dad’s 25th wedding anniversary, so the excitement was double. We had arranged a get-together in Indore. Initially, mom was in a dilemma about whether to keep a get-together considering my social challenges. Nevertheless, she asked me my opinion. I expressed my willingness to go to Indore and attend this family function. I wanted to attend this get-together because it was a good opportunity to socialise with family. I don’t prefer socialisation much, but family get-togethers I can attend. Smell and noise that used to bother me earlier are now controlled. The reduced sensitivity of these senses has made me calm. To an exte...

  I mage Description : A galaxy with various planets rotating around, depicting the different moods. It’s been quite a while since we last shared a blog post. Lately, I’ve been leaning more towards sharing Akshat’s thoughts and expressions, but over the past couple of months, he hasn't really been in the mood to write—perhaps a bit of a writer’s block. Interestingly, he began this particular piece way back on March 19th. At first, he was reluctant to even start. He didn’t feel like writing at all. But despite that, he showed up every day—sometimes just putting down a word or two. That quiet consistency made all the difference. Slowly but surely, he found his rhythm, and today, he finally completed it. A few days ago, I came across a line that really resonated with me: “Sometimes, habit creates the change that motivation alone cannot.” Watching Akshat over these weeks, I truly see the power of that idea coming to life. Ritu Rassay Autism — a word that defines my personality, but...

17-12-24 A year that went by 2024 would be a great year to remember, with resolutions, goals, and purpose ending positively. This year, our journey of autism reached a remarkable milestone. My book ‘Bond Beyond Words: The Unspoken Conversations’, was published and received an overwhelming response. The book results from persistent efforts and my desire to express my thoughts. Every human mind is capable of thinking. The difference lies in the way of expression. Thoughts need to be expressed and discussed. They are like vibrant colors that beautify the canvas when splashed. The year 2024 will remain significant not only for the bond beyond words but also for other reasons. This year, I could see an improvement in my writing. I felt the change as my thoughts matured and were reflected in my work. I wrote a few quotes in the last few months, which turned out to be good, and I earned from them, too. The year ended on a fascinating note when Talking Fingers released a short film...

Hello Readers, Season’s Greetings! Sorry, we are a bit late in wishing you that. This time, Akshat took a bit longer to complete his blog but he finally completed it. Hope you all enjoy reading it. Don’t forget to share your feedback.    Into the Sea      A giant ship in an endless ocean Standing on the deck and feeling the cool breeze. Unable to fathom the seabed that lies deep inside. Mighty waves beneath the calm waters Guiding to remain strong while holding calm Sand under the feet makes you realize, that nothing is permanent. Akshat rassay 6-11-24 Into the Sea 6-11-24 Diwali vacation is essential for Gujaratis. They throng into various global and domestic destinations during this festive time. People in Gujarat are fond of holidaying. Living in Gujarat for so long, I can also feel the same vibes, though traveling has always been a challenge for me, given my sensory challenges and mood swings. However, I have worked through and managed...

  Hello Readers! Akshat is back with another post! Normally, I provide him with a list of topics to choose from but this time, when I asked him if he had something in mind, he surprised me by suggesting "Anxiety and a Resilient Mind" all on his own. I was genuinely impressed by his initiative. It took him around 10-12 days to complete this short write-up, but it will only take you a minute to read and share your thoughts. So, take a moment to read it, and don't forget to leave a comment! See you, Ritu Rassay Anxiety vs.   A Resilient Mind Akshat Rassay 24-9-24 Imagine you are fond of chole bhature and go to a restaurant to have it. You have ordered it and now you are waiting for it. Oops! The waiting is getting longer and longer and you are feeling hungry and irritated simultaneously. The people around are eating, and talking, and there is a mind-crackling smell of food everywhere. In addition, people’s body odour and the scent of deos and perfumes trigger anxiety and...

 Hello Readers! It's been a while since we last connected, and today I found myself reflecting on a poster my husband put up on his cupboard years ago. The poster carried a simple yet powerful message: "There's always an opportunity in a challenge." At the time, I didn't give it much thought, but now its meaning deeply resonates with me. On Sunday, 8th September, Akshat had the opportunity to participate in an open mic event organized by Nirbhikta, Vadodara. It was a mainstream event, open to all, where participants could perform monologues, stand-up comedy, poetry, and more. When I first saw the flyer, I immediately thought that this could be a wonderful chance for Akshat to connect with neurotypicals and vice versa - a platform for inclusion and to create awareness. Without giving it a second thought, we applied for Akshat's participation. Watching Akshat stand alongside his peers, young people his age, was an incredibly emotional moment for me. I felt such ...

Hello Readers! I started this blog in July 2021 to share our experiences with Autism. At that time Akshat had just begun typing and expressing himself. Someone once asked me what I would write about once our story was told. Now, after three years and 50 posts later, Akshat has taken over and shares his own writings. The journey has been a roller coaster ride and full of learning. Today's blog post is particularly special, being the 50th post.  I'm excited to introduce you to Vedant Patil, a 13-year-old minimally speaking (having a few words) boy with autism. Vedant's mother sought my guidance two years ago, for communication, and we've been working together since. Vedant now communicates through a letterboard, app, and typing. He and Akshat often chat with each other using their AAC tools. It's incredibly encouraging and satisfying to see Vedant's progress. His mother often says that she feels like her son is now talking to her about anything and everything, des...

 Hello Readers, Yesterday I asked Akshat what he wanted to do in his language session, and he chose picture inferencing. Picture inferencing has been a consistent choice for him since the early days of his language-learning journey. More on that later... For the session, I selected a picture from Google showing Team India celebrating their T20 World Cup win with the trophy. I asked Akshat to interpret the image and here is his interpretation.  As always, we experimented with creating an image on the same topic using MS-Paint. Hope you like it. Enjoy reading and stay tuned! Akshat & Ritu 3-07-24 The image captures the winning celebrations of Team India after they defeated South Africa in the T20 World Cup final. The image depicts many emotions as India won the World Cup after seventeen years. There is pride, thrill, success, and a sense of contentment. I do not follow cricket much but get to know the latest updates from my daddy, as he is a huge fan. People in India are...

  Hey readers! It's been a long gap since either Akshat or I dropped a blog post here. Lately, I have been encouraging Akshat to write but last month seemed to be a writer's block for him. We tried brainstorming different topics, but nothing seemed to click. Despite that Akshat managed to pen a few poems, especially for his dad on the occasion of  Father's Day. Today, Akshat wanted to share one of those poems with you all and a conversation we had over one of his favourite songs, 'Papa Kehte hai' (Father says) from the movie 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' Stay tuned and enjoy! Akshat & Ritu 15-6-24 M. After a long time, you were watching the song, ‘Papa kehte hai’ today… A.  One of my favorite songs. M. Hmm…Do you remember you used to play this song on casio(keyboard)… A. Yess. M. Hmm…You used to play it nice… A. hmm. M. You tried to learn the keyboard(Casio) for a long…Did you used to enjoy playing it? A. I think music is good for listening bu...

  DIL CHAHTA HAI People often wish for many things and expect them to become reality. Dil chahta hai! Yes, we tend to expect so many things in our lives that we often end up cribbing and fussing. But does the expectation always need to be fulfilled? Desires are feelings that knows no limit and expectations many times get you trapped in feelings that leave you emotionally fragile. As human mind always feels that expectations should meet. However, learning flexibility helps in keeping oneself grounded. Having said that, keeping expectations are not always bad. A reasonable amount of expectation is good as it helps in balancing bonds in any relationship. So, let the dil wish, desire and expect but let the mind keep a watch. Akshat Rassay 23-1-24

  21-3-24 This month India is going to vote for a new government. The nation will look forward to the making of a new India, which should be shining as a progressive, liberal and inclusive country. To vote means exercising your basic right in a democracy. It allows an individual to express his concerns and opinions. India is a young country. More than 2/3 population is below 40 years. And I fall in that category. Being young, I aspire to be a writer and as a neurodivergent, I wish for a society that is more inclusive in actions than in thoughts. Akshat Rassay

World Autism Awareness day Can mind be confined within boundaries? Can thoughts be limited? No, certainly not! Thoughts give wings to the dreams. They are fuel for the mind. Every human being is capable to think. However, a general perception of society negates a neurodivergent’s capability to think. The society assume that neurodivergents lack brains but that is not true. It is interesting to mention here that thinking is deeply rooted with autism. Being a neurodivergent (autistic) myself, I feel that I can articulate my thoughts clearly. It is a freeing feeling to express oneself. This World Autism Awareness Day, I hope for a cognitively diverse society, which believes in inclusion. -Akshat Rassay

  20-2-24 Birthday celebrations are feelings of both happiness and being social. There is so much of wild excitement in people that sometime it is difficult to manage. Still birthday celebrations are interesting life experience. This year, on 19 th February I have celebrated my 20 th birthday. It was good to celebrate at REACH centre. Friends and teachers wished me. How wonderful it was. There were feelings of joy, kindness, and being social. We had a yummy time while gorging over samosas, khaman and cake.  Yay! Birthday celebration was so cool.   Akshat Rassay