Our experiments with Autism - A never ending journey

  There was a time when communication was a challenge and the thoughts could not be aligned. it felt that there was a storm of emotions that was waiting to hit the shore. Then gradually I learned to communicate and it was like a desert receiving rain after a long wait. The feelings started coming out and it was like a bird who got the wings and started to fly. Communication made me a more mature, thoughtful and very mindful person. The conversations held between mamma and me brought the terrific change. Bond beyond words is the book that I always dreamt of. The book is a thoughtful collection of heart to heart conversations between mamma and me. Hope you all like it. Akshat Rassay

  Hello readers, Sharing the Akshat's perspective of train journey and social function, we attended last month in our hometown. Most of the writeup's part he finished in last 2-3 days. I am quite amazed to see his willingness towards social exposure and resilience that he is showing to overcome his fear and challenges... Social Function   This was all started when mom received an invitation to attend the family function in Indore. It was a great opportunity for mom to be with her family but this also posed a serious question which always been a challenge for all of us while travelling. How would I manage in the train? How would mom manage it alone? As I always had sensory and anxiety challenges in train journeys, how will I travel and how mom would manage alone as daddy was not coming. Owing to the importance of function, mom and daddy asked me if I want to go? Thinking mindfully, I decided, I would go. I wanted to come out of my fear of socialisation and to cope up with...

  In the last blogpost only, Akshat shared his experiences of train journeys, challenges he faces during it. However, those were his prior experiences and after the Covid, we didn't travel at all, so I was assuming that he still had the same challenges, until we got a chance to travel and attend a social function... After a long time, we finally had an opportunity to visit our hometown to attend a social function. As usual, I hesitated to bring Akshat along, given the challenges he faces on train and in crowded places. Nevertheless, the function held great significance, and it provided a chance to reunite with the family after a prolonged period. Thus, I decided to ask Akshat and gauge his feelings about the matter. We engaged in a detailed conversation. and to my astonishment, he expressed complete enthusiasm about attending. To verify his response, I asked him the same thing multiple times, and each time, his answer remained consistent. Sharing one of that conversation here... Bt...

Image Source : Google Misery of a sensitive rail passenger Stinky toilets, body odours, disturbing loud perfumes And to make you suffer more, the repulsive lingering smell of cigarettes consumed Even with the carriage oscillating, which soothes, and earphones masking some horrible sounds... There's much to put up with. Blatantly people encroach your space, shocking to see... It's hardly tolerable - every now and then, having random feet brushing one's knee! My friends with sensory needs, perhaps would agree One has to be really, really  desperate, and choiceless To bear a train journey. By, Anagha Jwalekar A few months ago, while watching the music videos, Akshat stumbled upon some train videos and began watching them. These videos, like others, played repeatedly, but I was glad to see his interest in something new. In the next few days, whenever I had spare time, I would sit with him, watch various train videos along with him and recount our own train journeys. Each time, ...

Image by: Akshat Rassay   What next? That is what I was thinking when Akshat finished writing few poems for an online competition, last month. I had couple of topics in mind and I thought, let me ask him if he is willing to try any of them. I asked him if he would like to write something on 'Self-Advocacy' and pat came the answer, 'Yes'. I didn't expected it as I had no idea about his understanding on the topic. However, every time, the remarkable changes in his mindset, behaviour, confidence, and thoughts proves me wrong.  It is a feeling of content (and a little pride) for me, to see him growing as a mature, sensible and thoughtful person. As an adult with autism, he has his unique goals and aspirations, and I want to encourage him to pursue them as much as possible. Taking pride in his accomplishments, big or small, always provide me enormous joy. First time, as he writes for 'Self-Advocacy', I also stand by his side, supporting him, advocating for him an...

You shaped me The unknown odyssey life took me on, had changed what was preset inside me, all the norms. Yet amidst trials and tribulations of time, unknowingly, A dream I never expected to venture into, was alive. As words poured out from the clatter of keyboard, Your fingertips began sharing and I absorbed it all. Your perspective, patience, acceptance, love.  We, in the light of your writing, came closer together through the dark. And while I was trying to carve a future for you, I realise, Indeed you had been shaping my present. They say that God lets a baby choose their own parents And I am ever so thankful to you, my child, for choosing me. By, Anagha Jawalekar As a mother, my journey with Akshat has been both challenging and rewarding. It has been a rollar coaster ride of emotions and experiences that have taught me patience, resilience and true meaning of unconditional love. So, this Mother's Day, I thought I should collate whatever Akshat has written on 'Mother' an...

 Hello readers,  Sharing a post almost after a month... We have been busy with Talking Fingers book's online promotion for past several weeks...And then the April, World Autism Awareness Month, so it's been a busy schedule since past few weeks. We were having conversations in between because that is something, we both miss, if it doesn't happen for a few days. Apart from the recent conversations, I was just going through the older ones, and found one interesting activity that I did with Akshat. I remembered, those were the days when I was  dealing with his aggression and working on resilience building (still working). Archita Ma'am suggested me to do this with him and we (Akshat and I) had a good conversation followed with the activity.  Sharing the activity and the conversation... So, I made a table with three columns named Vital, Significant and Less Significant respectively. I asked Akshat to name five things for each column.  18-11-21 Vital ...