In the concluding blog of this series on Siddhanth’s journey in an inclusive setup in a mainstream school, I would like to touch upon a few significant factors which aided the process.

Starting from the CEO of the institution to the Principal, teachers, Resource personnel and support staff everyone in the school had a very positive approach. The positive vibes could be felt the moment one stepped inside the school. During the years that Siddhanth studied there from the first Grade to the tenth, the school was headed by two very strong and dedicated women. Both the Principals had a very humane side to them and it was incredible in the way they balanced their job responsibilities exuding discipline and clarity in decision making with compassion and innate sensitivity towards the needs of students with special needs.

The decade saw Mumbai face some extraordinary incidents of unimaginable magnitude – the 2005 deluge, the 2006 bomb blasts and the 26/11 2008 Mumbai Attacks. The head of the institution was always out on the field taking charge and guiding the confused and bewildered young minds of students with exemplary actions. Several students were given food and overnight shelter in the school itself when transport was disrupted in the unprecedented rains of July 26, 2005. The Principal, teachers and counsellors would talk to the school students during the turbulent times to allay their doubts and fears and steer their young minds towards caring for the society around us by adopting a sensitive approach in all situations. Needless to say, this socially aware environment in school shaped Siddhanth’s thought processes also.

The school’s teaching methods leaned more towards experiential learning involving group activities and field trips. Reading of news headlines in the School Assembly which ensured turn taking and equal participation by all students and the Annual Sports Day and Cultural Day which were preceded by rehearsals, ensured that Siddhanth had several opportunities for socializing. The school threw open the doors for parents of students with special needs to be part of some of the rehearsals, field trips and picnics to facilitate their children in the transition stages and towards better participation in the events which have more unstructured elements. As a parent, I gained several insights on the social skills that we would need to work upon with Siddhanth. It was also lovely to observe the evolving nature of the bonding between him and his friends as the years progressed. Occasionally block bookings were also done in cinema theatres to take the students to watch good movies. Siddhanth has lovely memories of watching ‘Ice Age’ and ‘Iqbal’ with his schoolmates in emerging multiplexes.

At the same time the teachers and counsellors never missed an opportunity to encourage his strengths – be it participation in Spell Bee contests , reading activities or his art teacher observing that he had very creative ways of colouring which were original and that he should be encouraged to explore freely with colours. His peers too were very appreciative of his unique abilities such as calendar calculations and would share about it with new teachers.

Field trips and picnics enabled Siddhanth to try many new things. Whenever he hesitated at the first instance, there was always an encouraging classmate or a supportive teacher motivating him to get into a swimming pool, a roller coaster ride or dash cars. His art teacher Bhushan Sir always took the initiative to take Siddhanth along with him to enjoy new rides. So Siddhanth started overcoming his fear and discovered the joy of sharing new experiences with his peers. With increasing opportunities he gravitated naturally towards adapting and enjoying himself in not just school picnics but in outings with other groups as well in our social circle.

I can recall a couple of instances when I was around and saw first-hand how Siddhanth was able to overcome his challenges with understanding peers and teachers around. It was one of the rehearsals for Annual Cultural Day when Siddhanth was in the fourth grade. The class was performing a group skit and there were several non- routine elements – changed timings, changed venue, changed activities and so on. Siddhanth was hesitating to follow the class when they had to go to the KG section for their practice. A little prodding by me revealed that there were pictures of birds and animals in that room which included images of reptiles and he did not want to see the snake there. After a little coaxing, he was ready to come but only up to the entrance of the room. His teacher was fine with him sitting on a chair outside and she proceeded with the rehearsal. When his turn came, Siddhanth readily went inside, performed and came back to sit outside the classroom. During the break, his friend Karan took him to see all the pictures including those of the reptiles. He was holding Siddhanth’s hand and talking to him allaying his fear. The gradual entry into the room seemed to work for Siddhanth and he was fine with sitting inside the classroom post the break.

Years later when Siddhanth was in the ninth grade, I had again accompanied them when the students were taken on a field trip to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. After the nature trail, there was an announcement that there would be a talk by an expert on the snakes found in the forests around. It was to be held in the auditorium of Bombay Natural History Society which was in the same premises. I had a brief interaction with Siddhanth and he was perfectly alright with attending the session. In the auditorium, Siddhanth was seated a little in the front in the third or fourth row along with his classmates while I was seated somewhere at the rear with some of the teachers. At one point, the speaker announced that he would be showing 2 or 3 live snakes. The first was to be a cobra and he requested the audience to refrain from making any movement as snakes feel more threatened and tend to be offensive when they notice movement around them rather than being disturbed by sound. He went on to state the example of the snake charmer and his pipe – the cobra raises its hood and it moves along with the movement of the pipe, it has nothing to do with the music. It is a myth that the music induces the snake to sway its hood. Knowing Siddhanth’s childhood fear of snakes, I was a bit apprehensive about the impact on him when the snake would be presented and expressed my concern to his class teacher Darshik Parekh Sir. The latter immediately went and sat in the row directly behind Siddhanth. He put his arms around Siddhanth’s neck from behind and sat there all the while as the snakes were being shown. The show got over within a few minutes and I was filled with immense gratitude at Sir’s presence of mind and his silent gesture which spoke volumes. It was all the more significant as he took very quick action within a few seconds.

In both the above instances, it was the understanding shown by Indrani Madam, Darshik Sir and Karan that uplifted the moments, reiterating my belief that in most social situations there are various possibilities to bridge the gap between neurodivergents and neurotypicals when one has the right approach. Several such spontaneous understanding acts occurring organically in his school days have enabled Siddhanth to explore all facets of life with equanimity thereby shaping his personality in a more positive way.

Siddhanth’s schooling has been one of the most beautiful experiences not just for him but for me too in innumerable ways. When he completed his tenth Grade, his Principal shared with us how several students had come up to her and shared their happiness at Siddhanth’s academic success at the Board Exams. I too felt a great sense of happiness – for it was not just Siddhanth’s holistic growth that I had witnessed over the decade, I had the beautiful privilege of seeing alongside so many of his friends and classmates blossom from young buds into flowers of myriad hues and beauty, ready to conquer the world, equipped with not just academic knowledge, but a questioning mind and a plethora of values obtained from experiential learning in this wonderful school which has the motto of ‘Be Natural through Social for Spiritual’ and which it follows in both letter and spirit.

Author Jaya Sudhakar

Jaya Sudhakar has done her Masters in Physics and was employed as an Asst.Manager in a PSU. Her son’s diagnosis urged her to seek voluntary retirement from service. She is actively involved with Forum for Autism, Nayi Disha and The Spectrum Autism. Friends,tending to plants, reading, writing, music, movies, travelling and a little bit of spirituality are her perennial energy boosters.

Typing of story in Word and Creative graphics done by CreativeSaathi Siddhanth Palaparti, Jaya’s son

Siddhanth is a budding graphic designer, coder and music lover. He has graduated in computer applications and completed several certificate courses. His work trajectory includes internships, freelancing and voluntary work for social causes. He derives immense happiness from remembering birthdays and wishing everyone for it. Swimming, travelling and playing music on the keyboard are his other passions.