LOST AND FOUND AT THE MUSEUM
LOST AND FOUND AT THE MUSEUM I felt lost when we floated into outer space. Aero planes, too, fear going there. I found myself when I heard that there could be life beyond Earth. I wonder if
LOST AND FOUND AT THE MUSEUM I felt lost when we floated into outer space. Aero planes, too, fear going there. I found myself when I heard that there could be life beyond Earth. I wonder if
Safe Place As a child, I hoped for a safer new year, But pain stayed, always near. Growing up, I created a safe haven in my mind, Yet outside, safety was hard to find. The shouts, the
FINDING JOY IS POSSIBLE Remove the shackles Put the past behind Take life less seriously Leap for the moon Dance in the rain Paint the rainbow Join the bird chorus Laugh your gut out Follow inspiring people
The Giraffe When I look at this giraffe I made, The detail in every spot and shade. Imperfect shapes and spots The bright colors and the little dots They are like my strengths, quirks and every part, I love my uniqueness with
RESILIENCE Resilience in nonspeakers is likely taken for granted. Given the odds stacked against us most times, resilience is almost a necessary survival skill. Point not lost when life feels like a perennial comeback story. Every setback,
Strings, Sticks, and Reflections Have you ever felt upset with yourself for being too distracted? Glory to the objects around me; I am invited to be distracted every other minute. Wonder who invites me? There are so
Choicest Lives The choice is a privilege Its power is a leap Most long for it Few experience it Poorer are lives Full of potential but Constrained by choices The chosen ones that Have no real choices
WHO ARE WE? We are not impaired, but improvised We are not ominous, but synonymous We are not grave, but gravitas We are not a farce, but a force We are not unidimensional, but undimensional We are
Oxford Oxford was truly magnificent. I had not visited college campuses or university towns before so I was not sure what to expect. I have to assume now that it would have exceeded even my wildest expectations.
London Trip London is magical. Life is about balancing the old and the new and striking the happy medium there. It seems to be the way of life there. The history seems to be getting more and
My Song Loops My music interest is generally varied in terms of the types of music I seek. I have been exposed to diverse genres of music and my life has been enriched by amazing musicians from
Places and Me I feel walls breathe. I feel like doors smile. I love windows with curtains because they are naughty and play with me and the wind all the time. The houses I have lived in
Nothing But a Miracle To me it is easy to answer the question “Is there anything called a miracle?” Life of a living being is a miracle Love in unconditional forms is a miracle Pinnacle of unified
Initiation Challenges Initiation of an activity is hard for those like me. Like a faulty remote control that stops working when you want to watch something widely anticipated, our body’s control system stops working at inopportune times.
A NONSPEAKER’S QUEST I just finished reading this book “Happiness Falls”. The central character is a nonspeaker and I enjoyed reading that a lot. The author, Angie Kim, has done a lot of research and has portrayed
My Recent Love My ears have captured words that strangers use to describe me, sometimes, actually – most of the time. I have heard things like weird guy, crazy guy, what is wrong with him, is he
LIVING WITHOUT FEAR Popular notions of fear make us believe that there is something external that needs to be feared. It could be an act of nature or the method of a human or a force of
BENEFITS OF BEING A NON SPEAKING AUTISTIC Looking at the world in a different way helps in our understanding of the keys to the movement of love. Mind looks at ways to possibilities of love always. Love
BEGINNING Beginnings let new possibilities sing Beginning of a poem invites moments of reflection Beginning of a relationship allows a peek into soul of existence Beginning of life nurtures a mother’s date with destiny Beginning of a
Friendship I once thought I can never be a friend until my mommy told me that I make a great friend toher.I recall that moment – the place was Virginia, it was bedtime, the hotel room was
MUSIC LEARNING A common stereotype of my tribe is that many of us are music wizards and can somehow magically pick up a musical instrument and play. I can attest from learning piano for many years that
Questions I have By Hasan Ahmed I WONDER… I wonder if butterflies know that they are colorful. I wonder if there are many Hasans in many worlds. I wonder if birds and animals can use the letterboard
Why is Honesty with Self so Challenging? In our contemporary world, the task of being truthful with oneself has evolved into an intricate challenge shaped by a myriad of societal, technological, and psychological dynamics. As individuals navigate
Grateful Heart My reflections on gratitude for this time of the year. Grateful for every act of love That touches my heart Grateful for every minute spent Listening to my unspoken words Grateful for every piece
Organizing Doesn’t Have to be an Ordeal How I’m transforming routines and planning devices from shame trigger to support People with ADHD and other kinds of executive dysfunction struggle to manage our time, space, and tasks. To
IMAGINE Swap your body with mine. Funnily, it is probably different from what you are thinking. This is a happy view; I am sure you will enjoy the swap for a while. Speaking of my body, let
Conquering My Fears My mind prepares me for lots of challenges. I keep visualizing what i would do in certain situations and that lets me handle those better when they come One of those challenges I have
NEURODIVERGENT YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD (Swarit won the Neurodivergent 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 award in London on September 28 2023, for overcoming extreme odds to create a meaningful difference.𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 are the largest awards in the
Welcome to my world A window in a palace of thoughts Prompted by his parent’s question, “Tell us about your world”, Hasan, an 8-year-old minimally speaking child on the autism spectrum, reveals his answer in the form
JOYS and CHALLENGES OF MOVEMENT I love movement in general. Not in the traditional sense but in a relative sense of the term. For example, moving my hands in front of my eyes is considered as movement
AMBEDKAR The life of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar (a prominent Indian leader, jurist, economist, and social reformer) was a pursuit of social justice. He has instilled a sense of hope in me for our tribe’s injustice that changes are
BEING IN THE MOMENT There is nothing like painting for being in the moment. Here is a take on being present with painting as a metaphor. Painting for a Twist Today I imagine colors of
Life in a Multigenerational Household Life in a multigenerational household is so fascinating to experience. There is always an element of intrigue to the different interactions as long as learning about the family is the goal. Different
I have a HUGE Problem with DEI, and I’ll Tell You Why I won’t waste your time explaining what DEI is to you. If you’re here, you have some awareness of what Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is
FOOD TROUBLES My love for food is a blessing and a curse. I love all types of food that are meant for the soul. The love is how my palate morphs into a palette of colors and
To Accept Neurodivergence, Cultivate Compassion for Yourself and Others Disability acceptance means being kind, letting go of shame and accepting imperfection Most neurodivergent adults I’ve encountered learned as children to feel shame about their disabilities. Because some
TRAVELLING THE WORLD AS AN AUTISTIC Travel always provides perspective about our limitations and the associated lies we tell ourselves. This is particularly true for those like me that continue to be defined by our limitations. As
Justice Sensitivity in an Unjust World It’s tough and utterly difficult to express your opinions in a place where speaking out is seen as a crime, and justice is either delayed or denied. It’s more than just
Disability Movement in India I had the opportunity to meet Mr. TMN Deepak who is a leading disability rights activist here in Chennai. It was so kind of him to pay me a visit amidst his extremely
Why People With ADHD Write Such Long Posts (and Also Have Trouble Reading Them) Some people with ADHD have difficulty reading long things. They especially dislike long posts about ADHD. I get it. I’ve looked at seemingly
Meltdowns- A Day of Being Misunderstood Another day of feeling misunderstood, of struggling to find my place. The constant stress and exhaustion took its toll. Maybe they couldn’t see it, but I was tired of being misunderstood.
Life in India Life in India is mostly expected to function without many of the privileges that I take for granted in the U.S. The contrast is so stark and striking. From my observations during this trip,
Intersection of my Faith, Culture, Ethnicity, Choice, Body and Neurodivergence “Don’t worry if you’re making waves just by being yourself. The moon does it all the time.” – Scott Stabile I have always been fond of the
Law Enforcement is Failing the Autistic Community Here’s How Kind Theory is Addressing this Huge Overlooked Equity Issue Autistic people in our communities have good reason to fear interacting with law enforcement. People with disabilities, including neurodivergent
Being Autistic in Japan Japan is a lovely place. For a relatively small country geographically, it packs a punch at all levels from the majestic mountains and the bountiful nature to the technological and engineering innovations that
What It’s Like to Have Difficulty Remembering to Remember (Prospective Memory) One of my most frustrating ADHD-related difficulties is failing to “remember to remember.” That ability is called “prospective memory.” When I learn strategies for self-regulating, communicating,
Ostrich I’ve lived most of my adult life either ignoring the fact that I have PTSD or flat-out denying its impact. Why would anyone want to admit they’re diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder―especially when it’s military service-connected?
My perspectives on kindness Most people that I have met are inherently kind. People that would not even hurt a fly intentionally. People that always make me feel welcomed and loved. People that go out of their
Our mindset about success and failures Our mindset about success and failures is mostly based on the constant starts and stops our lives have had from the beginning. For every step forward, there are often three or
Lived experience with Ableism Non speakers are such a major target group for everything related to ableism that it is hard to know where to even begin. Right at the top of the list there is speech