Young individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will showcase their talents at a captivating performance in the city today
A team member assists a child during a session; (right) a social worker engages children in an activity. Pics Courtesy/Devangana Mishra
Have you met Chirayu? He’s five years old and on the autism spectrum. Sometimes, he struggles with aggression and violent outbursts. That’s one of the reasons the BMC school that his parents enrolled him in wasn’t keen on having him. But last week, he gave them a sight to remember. With his birthday cake in hand, Chirayu darted across the classroom wearing a wide smile, feeding every child in his path. Kudos to Chirayu. And kudos to Brain Bristle, the organisation working towards helping children like him fit in their classrooms.
At Showcase of Wonders today, many more children on the autism spectrum will remind the world that they’re much more than their diagnosis. “Autistic children can be supremely talented. Most of them are. But unfortunately, we’ve viewed them only through skewed representations. You’ll buy diyas [lamps] painted by the children on Diwali, and that’s about it,” says Devangana Mishra, founder.
A student learns to read a book; (right) Children perform at a Holi celebration in a city school
With the belief that they “might just find the next John Mayer or Ali Sethi in the community”, the organisation has shortlisted bright talent from all across the city. “You never know until you give them a platform, and lend them an ear. The city must see them claiming spaces, and in the best light, to shed their prejudices. There’s no other way,” Mishra reminds us.
Having worked on special education curricula in schools in New York and Hong Kong before founding the organisation, Mishra remembers the Eureka moment that planted the seed of the idea. “I was accustomed to seeing autistic children learning coding, robotics and acing their piano recitals as a way to channel their intellect. But when I visited low-income schools in Mumbai, I saw children on the spectrum sitting in the back of the class, clueless and forgotten,” she recalls.
The team poses with children at one of the schools under the programme
But things have been looking up lately, she assures us. “Parents now come up to us and say, ‘I think my child is special. Kuch pata lag sakta hai? [Can we find out what it is?]’. That’s a promising start. But I wish that other parents showed the same compassion,” she rues. A child on the spectrum is not ‘unfortunate’, and most definitely doesn’t need to be talked to in a patronising tone, she reminds us.
With seven schools already under the programme, another eight will soon get an inclusive revamp by the end of June 2025. “Each of the seven schools has a dedicated social worker that we train in concepts like correct terminology, strategically planning lessons, and reinforcing healthy behaviour,” the founder explains. With one in 100 children believed to be on the spectrum as per a November 2023 WHO report, the brain bristlers have a long way ahead of them.
Devangana Mishra
Could a day-long talent show, a drop in the ocean, really create a ripple effect? “You’ll be moved, most likely to tears, by how talented the participants are. We’re not asking for much. We hope more people show up, applaud the children and leave wondering just why they don’t see more autistic children in the limelight,” Mishra says. We suggest you do. After all, they’re one in a hundred.
ON April 28; 2 pm
AT Department of Special Education, SNDT Women’s University, Juhu Tara Road, Santacruz West.
LOG ON TO @brainbristle on Instagram (to register)
ENTRY RSVP mandatory
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