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Diwali is a time for celebration. Its a time when we celebrate togetherness and try to drive away negativity with light. However, Diwali and other Indian festivals can bring unique challenges to neurodiverse people. This maybe due to disrupted routines, sensory overload and changes to usual sets of activities. There’s also the extra noise, the

Inclusion can be defined as the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups. As we start being inclusive in all spheres and social practices, it becomes extremely

Ableism is defined as the discrimination and oppression of disabled people; the societal belief that being abled is “normal” and is preferred. It is a system of oppression that favours being able-bodied/able-minded at any cost, frequently at the expense of people with disabilities. (Stacey Milbern “Ableism is the Bane of My Motherfuckin’ Existence”).  At its

The word “disability” has been a subject of a wide spectrum of debate for ages. Individuals and communities over the years have tried to come up with a definition of the word “disabled” that encompasses most of the “disabilities”. These trials have led to a gradual evolution of various models of disability. These models often

For generations, traditional social structures have found themselves closely wedded to the idea that psychological differences are aberrations that threaten the longevity of a ritual and are harmful to “traditions”. The idea of neurodiversity did not fit into the narrative of “culture”.However, prevalent social rituals such as Raksha Bandhan have paved the way for the

Mainstream Indian cinema has its fair share of disability portrayals. But have they been realistic—especially when such disabilities are invisible? Cinema is considered to be a powerful medium to reflect and influence what society thinks and believes. Between the real and reel life, the silver screen has educated the masses—fostering changed practices and attitudes while

The pandemic has forced the world to work, socialize, and entertain themselves all through screens. Particularly, children have separated from their playgrounds and classrooms to remote technology. Digital evenings and Zoom classes beg the question: how much screen time is helpful?

Have you seen your child mimicking their favourite dance moves from Chhota Bheem? Or maybe copying Doraemon’s actions? As impressionable young minds, children consider avatars and cartoons as their ‘equals’. Modelling after their peers, which can be virtual avatars, is a common trait found in all neurodiverse children. The concept of avatars and video modelling

“If you never learn anything new, you’ll never be anything different” The neuro-divergent community which includes people with disabilities and special needs have been fighting for their rights and accessibility for a really long time now, but the recent lockdown has made it obvious to all. Similarly, the existence of teletherapy has been omnipresent for

Have you ever had the experience of your computer or laptop just shutting down because of too many tabs being open? It just crashes doesn’t it? With an overload of information in it! Well, our human brains are just like a computer, but imagine the same thing happening to an individual with autism.  The brains

Inclusion begins at home, starting right from the formative years of the child’s education. There is a huge shift in the field of inclusive education, globally with some extremely progressive initiatives in India.  NEXT School is India’s first Big Picture Learning school which makes it entirely unique and one of a kind. It allows personalisation

In our last few articles we have seen the importance and role of IEPs in the special education sector. The IEP series talks about the Constituents, SMART goal setting, Applications of IEPs and Our top picks for IEPs. However, IEPs are not the only types of education plans fostering inclusion in the academic setting.  We

Globally, IEPs (Individualised Education Plans) are used very frequently especially in countries like the USA, Canada, Australia and certain countries in Europe. The framework of IEP more or less remains the same, with different sections highlighting the various aspects required for the all round development of the student. Here today, in this article we will

While an IEP provides a holistic approach and framework for the student with special needs to progress in class, it is equally necessary for the IEP team (parents, teachers, therapists, advocates) to jog down their memory and plan smartly the goal-setting process! Today in this article we will have a sneak peek of the SMART

Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are an extremely useful tool to pave the way for inclusion and diversity in schools. Differently-abled children with specific educational needs can benefit from such individualized plans to integrate better in the classroom. In today’s article, we will take a look at how IEPs can be used to maximise a student’s

Nostalgia kicks in when you think of the pencil pouch, the school bell ringing for breaks, the last-minute cramming for tests, and the sleeping in class! Doesn’t this all remind you of your school days? Well, now there are advancements in the field of education which makes schooling more inclusive and helps neurodiverse (previously referred

“See the person, not their condition or syndrome” Our body is made up of a million different cells and genes which help us to function as a complex machine. If even a tiny part of this machine malfunctions or has any kind of wear and tear it affects the whole machine. Nonetheless, being made up

“Having Fragile X Syndrome does not make you more Fragile than the others!” With some cutting-edge research going on in the field of biosciences, scientists and researchers are discovering and discussing disorders and conditions that are quite unheard of by the general public. One such syndrome is the Fragile X syndrome. As the name implies,

If you’ve met one person with Autism, then you’ve met one person with Autism – Stephen Shore Have you come across the Netflix show “Atypical” or “Love on the Spectrum”? Okay, if not this, then for all the Bollywood fanatics, surely you have seen Priyanka Chopra in “Barfi” or Shah Rukh Khan in “My Name

“What makes you different, is what makes you beautiful!” When you hear the term, “Down’s Syndrome”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it a particular facial feature? Is it someone you know who has this syndrome? Or is it just a medical word you have heard time and again but

“Don’t be ashamed of your story, It is an inspiration to the others” When we talk about “Neurodiversity” as a broad umbrella term, we are talking about structural and functional differences of the brain. However, what we also need to realise is that a number of disorders or conditions do come with a set of

Tourette’s is in my speech, not in my intellect Have you ever come across someone who shows sudden quick movements, twitching, vocalizations, repetitive words? If yes, chances are that that person has Tourette’s syndrome. This is one of the not so common disorders falling under the umbrella term of Neurodiversity. A lot of you must

“I may have Dyspraxia, but Dyspraxia does not have me” When I was a kid, I had a friend who was extremely clumsy and did not understand how to do basic tasks like tying his shoelaces or jump and play with us! I was often confused and I wondered in what ways was he different

“ I don’t have a bad handwriting, just my own font!” When we were all in school, I am sure all of us had one of those “Best Handwriting Competitions”. I noticed a lot of the students would have spelling mistakes, wouldn’t be able to form sentences accurately and just couldn’t improve their handwriting no

Why is a Diverse & Inclusive Workplace culture important? Diversity and inclusion is now a CEO-level issue around the world. Leading organizations now see D&I as a comprehensive strategy woven into every aspect of the talent life cycle to enhance employee engagement, improve brand, and drive performance. In a 2017 survey by Deloitte, the proportion

What is an Equal Opportunity Policy? Simply put, an equal opportunity policy is a document that states what measures a business takes to eliminate and prevent discrimination in the workplace. This policy also must contain details of amenities that will be provided to their differently-abled employees.

What is an Inclusive Workplace? An inclusive workplace is one that values individual differences in the workforce and makes them feel welcome and accepted. Inclusivity and diversity are moral and legal responsibilities and employers are working hard to give diverse voices a platform. With a rising number of young differently-abled adults entering the workforce, it

His teachers said that he was mentally slow, unsociable and adrift in his foolish dreams – Albert Einstein During my high-school days, although I loved math, I still had a bit of anxiety about it. But on the other hand, I had this one friend who just could not understand math. He would get confused

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it’s stupid -Albert Einstein When I was in school, I remember some students being labelled as “weak” students or “slow learners”. My classmates always thought that something was wrong with them

ADHD is not about knowing what to do, but doing what one knows Russell Barkley Have you ever come across someone who’s extremely fidgety, can’t sit still in one place for too long, keeps getting distracted or feels hyperactive and restless for most of the time? Chances are that they have low attention spans which

The Human Brain is as Diverse as the Human Fingerprint – Victoria McGovern What comes to your mind when you read the word “Neurodiversity”? Think of Biodiversity, Racial diversity, Cultural diversity, Sexual/Gender diversity. I am sure you are able to associate specific images or scenarios in your head. Similarly the word Neurodiversity, simply broken down