Dear friends and SpecialSaathi Community members,
I want to take a few minutes today to open up—not as a founder or managing director, but as a fellow human navigating this wildly beautiful, complex, and often exhausting life. Many of you know me through SpecialSaathi, Yuvaan Research Foundation, or as “Yuvaan’s mom.” But behind all those titles lies a layered life—a life full of overlapping roles, deep commitments, and an emotional bandwidth stretched to its very limit.
Let me walk you through the many roles I juggle every single day—not for applause or sympathy, but to share a piece of truth that often goes unseen.

●The Founder and the Managing Director: Building an ecosystem from the ground Up

Running SpecialSaathi( an Ecosystem with multiple initiatives) and Yuvaan Research Foundation(a Non-profit organization) isn’t just work. It’s purpose. It’s a calling born out of lived experience and the gaps I saw in our support systems.
Our platforms are home to over two dozen active initiatives—from internship programs and parent support to awareness campaigns and consulting services and professional collaborations. I manage operations, lead strategic planning, answer messages, brainstorm programs, and constantly innovate new ways to support the community.

When I say “fastest growing and most trusted,” I don’t mean just metrics. I mean the fact that organizations and hundreds of families reach out to us as their first source of support. That’s a huge responsibility!

Each day starts with managing operations across various initiatives. There’s always something brewing—workshops, blogs, articles, resources, new collaborations, tons of meetings, maintaining intern’s calendar and deadlines, new events and programs, parent support chats, promotional campaigns, awareness projects… the list is endless.
I coordinate with a passionate and like-minded people, professionals, and volunteers, ensuring every idea I plant sees the light of day. And because I believe in inclusivity in action, many of our team members are neurodivergent or specially-abled themselves. This means my role is not just administrative; I become a mentor, coach, and emotional anchor too.

It’s an enormous responsibility, especially because SpecialSaathi has become the go-to place for so many families navigating disabilities. We’ve grown fast because we care deeply—and that care comes with the pressure of never wanting to let anyone down.


●Yuvaan’s Mom: My most sacred role

Now comes the part of me that matters the most—being a mother to my incredible son, Yuvaan.
He is 7, in 3rd grade, and has savant skills that continue to surprise therapists and educators alike. He learns at lightning speed, creates with intention, and expresses himself in ways noone ever imagined possible.  He has the kind of brain that makes you stop and say, “How is this even possible?” His memory, grasping power, and creativity are nothing short of magical. But as many of you know, parenting him also means deep emotional stress, unpredictability, invisible struggles. navigating sensitivities, meltdowns, sensory overwhelm, and rigid routines.

I’m not just his mom—I’m his teacher, therapist, planner, friend, cheerleader, and safety net. I am his full-time educator, curriculum planner, therapist, and support system. I design his curriculum, track progress, modify interventions, customize his learning modules, create lesson plans, worksheets, monitor his sensory needs, do his therapies, incorporate new learning styles, celebrate every win, hold space for every meltdown and celebrate every little breakthrough.

Every hour of his day is thoughtfully planned—and I’m the one behind that plan. I know what it’s like to feel lost in the system, I make sure Yuvaan never has to feel that way.

I remain in constant touch with his coordinator, class teacher, subject teachers, special ed department, and SEN coordinator almost daily – there’s always something new to discuss!

It’s not easy. There are days when I feel like I’ve hit my edge. But then I watch him learn a new toughest of the skills himself by self-learning in seconds or create something beautiful out of nowhere—and I’m reminded why I pour so much of myself into this journey. It’s a full-time job that never really ends. But it’s the one I treasure most.


●The Social Entrepreneur: Helping others thrive

I often say this: Our work only matters when it uplifts others. That’s why at SpecialSaathi, we don’t just offer services—we create opportunities. At SpecialSaathi, we don’t just talk about inclusion—we practice it.

We’ve created opportunities and we offer mentor and support to neurodivergent children, teens, young adults and adults as interns, researchers, illustrators, and content creators. Some are non-speaking. Some are exploring their strengths. But every single one of them has a voice, and I’m committed to amplifying it. Many are still discovering their skills. But every one of them is valued.

Guiding them, creating a calendar or a planner and assigning tasks, holding review meetings, coordinating with their parents—it’s work, hell yes! But it’s also joy. Because I know these young minds are the future, and I feel lucky to be part of their story.

I take time to mentor them, check in with their parents, assign projects based on their strengths, and ensure they’re growing in a safe, respectful environment.
Because when we talk about building a more inclusive world, it has to begin with us.


●The Coordinator and the Manager: Holding the Fort

If you’ve been part of our team, or team groups or even in the initiatives’ groups, or now in our Skill Development groups, you all might know a little on how many things are constantly moving within our organization.

There’s content calendars, feedback loops, collaborations with national and international professionals, partnership discussions, fundraising and budget proposals, design approvals… you name it.

My days are packed to the core! From WhatsApp groups buzzing 24/7 to writing, scheduling blog posts, from creating content for our YouTube channel to managing social media updates, to organize and conduct events to making presentations and speeches for the events. From helping parents find resources to responding to their messages, emails, and calls (often for over an hour!). From writing hundreds of proposals, and notes to attending meetings with a wide range of stakeholders, from executive members to directors and top-level management of various organizations. 
I try to make sure everything runs smoothly, that everyone feels heard, and that we keep building together.
It’s a whirlwind, but I’m always on the move!
But I won’t lie—some days feel like a tidal wave.
People often joke that I’m a human CRM. But in all seriousness, this role requires constant switching between tasks, projects, and emotions. I try to be present for each one of you while making sure that no thread falls loose.


●The Homemaker: Managing the Little Things with the Same Love

And then there’s the other full-time job: managing home. The quiet yet unskippable role
Behind all the “work” roles, there’s the role that no one applauds but everyone depends on.
Home. Meals. Chores. Health. Exercise. Scheduling. Doctor visits. School circulars. Cleaning. Packing bags. Lunch. Keeping the fridge stocked and the clothes folded. All of it gets done—sometimes at night, sometimes early in the morning, sometimes while attending a Zoom call, sometimes on treadmill and often with a Yuvaan ’s soundtrack in the background. But I keep going, because keeping the home functional is what makes all the other roles possible.
These tasks may not get spotlighted, but they are the glue that holds the rest together.

●When Life Happens: Illness, Delays, and Prioritizing the moments that shake the balance

Now let me talk about the days that derail everything.
Often, there are days, when things fall apart.
Yuvaan gets sick.
I fall ill.
Family or school emergencies pop up (most often).
Burnout creeps in.
The volunteers and team not meeting a deadlines.
And when that happens, the whole system feels it. Deadlines get pushed. Deliverables get delayed. Some messages may go unanswered for a day or two. Things don’t just pause. They pile up.
When things pile up, I reassess everything. I move a few things around. I delegate. I push non-urgent tasks. I prioritize. I breathe. I pick up again the next day.

I’ve learned to prioritize, to let go of perfection, and to accept that I’m only human. On those days, I ask: What needs me the most right now? The answer changes—but the compassion I try to show myself stays the same.


●Why I Keep Going

I don’t do this for applause or titles. I do it for the sanity, for my purpose, because this is the change I wish existed when I first started this journey. I do it because every neurodivergent individual deserves dignity and opportunity. I keep going because this isn’t just about me or my child. This is about every family, every individual, and every child who deserves better systems, more dignity, and real inclusion, and for every parent who has ever felt alone.

●This is not just my work—it’s our shared vision.

To my team: your patience, commitment, and empathy are the heartbeat of this ecosystem.
To fellow parents and caregivers: I see your invisible labor. I walk this path with you.
To my dear Yuvaan: thank you for showing me what brilliance and resilience truly look like. You are my biggest teacher, my joy, and my daily reminder of what truly matters.
And to anyone reading this: if you’re balancing too many roles, if you’ve missed a deadline, if you feel like you’re failing—you’re not. You’re doing your best. And that is always enough. This community is here for you. Always.


With love and gratitude 🙏
Shilpi Mayank Awasthi
Founder | Mother | Neurodivergent Advocate | Always Learning