As an only child, Luxmi Nautiyal grew up in a protective environment, never venturing out to explore her environment alone. But once she joined IndiaUnheard, Luxmi surprised herself as well as her community by integrating so fully that she is now, as a Community Correspondent, a pioneering spirit bent on addressing environmental, educational, and children’s rights issues.

Luxmi Nautiyal

Share

Arunima, a Dehradun -based model day care centre finds innovative, intuitive approaches  for people who suffer from Autism in India

Pooja Nerula, a mother from Dehradun, noticed a behaviour change in her young daughter but couldn’t put a finger on the problem. “She couldn’t speak and kept running around. She was very hyper. At that time, I had no idea of a challenge like this,” recalls Pooja. Her daughter was later diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), by a specialist in Delhi. At that moment, things changed for the Nerula family.  

ASD is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in children by the age of three. The degree may vary from mild to very severe and is hence it is known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, which also covers autism. The diagnosis meant that Pooja’s daughter would have lifelong difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and resort to repetitive behaviours. They were distressed for their daughter’s future and were haunted by the question ‘What happens to her after us?’, ‘How will she interact with the world?’

And then, they heard of Arunima,  the Assisted Living Center in Dehradun, Uttrakhand, a home for autistic people. The Centre trains its residents to live independently by honing skills and nurturing their talent. The project started as a personal journey for Aparna Das, the Director of Arunima. Her sister, Arunima, 36, is an ASD person who has been under Aparna’s care for the last 20 years. While Aparna was able to provide good care for Arunima earlier, almost a decade back, she decided that Arunima needed special attention with space to grow, and so did many others like her. And so, Arunima, the foundation started.

“Each programme is specially designed keeping the students’ capabilities and limitations in mind,” says Tina, a teacher at Arunima. “We focus on social conduct first such as dressing, hygiene, going out,” she further elaborates. However, training and taking care of Arunima’s residents can be a challenge. Upon arrival, the residents have several limitations to overcome – self-harm, restrictive speech, inability to clean and bathe themselves. But these are tiny bumps in the foundation’s journey to provide them with a better life. The real challenges for the foundation are from the society – lack of funding, suitable manpower and social acceptance.  Building on the third challenge, she said,“a larger part of the society yet treats autistic persons with disdain and don’t prefer a centre around their residences.” The attitude reveals how ignorant we are towards this condition.

But how rare is ASD in India? Actually not so rare. More than 10 million children in India suffer from autism with a prevalence rate of one in 66, according to a study. But awareness and research on the disorder remain limited, as the social bias continue to prevail. The Indian government has only recently recognised autism as a disability in 2016.

The country needs similar government-run living centres for ASD persons across India so that the services are accessible to the marginalised as well.  “When government fully recognises autism and does everything necessary for the affected, I will be satisfied. Till then, we will continue to expand our centre and hope it is a model for other centres,” says a determined Aparna before signing off.  

The video is produced by Video Volunteers with the support of Vikalp Sangam. Article by Sangeeta Rane

Arunima is in need of funds, expertise and space to make a bigger home for Autistic persons. If you would like to contribute, please contact the founder Aparna on +91-8859046829 or write to her at aparnajacob@projectarunima.org