Dear Community Members!!
We are thrilled to announce that SpecialSaathi has conducted a number of initiatives and awareness programs on the occasion of World Autism day on 2nd April and during the month of April celebrating it as an “Autism Awareness Month” with full vigor and enthusiasm.
April being Autism Awareness Month, and this year, SpecialSaathi made an incredible effort to create awareness and support for our community. From our various initiatives to spreading awareness about autism, we have worked hard to make a difference in people’s lives. As we come to the end of this month, it is important to reflect on the progress made and the work that still needs to be done.
In honor of Autism Awareness Month, SpecialSaathi has launched its monthly newsletter to wrap up the news and information on all the initiatives that took place during the whole month.
■ One of our most popular initiatives was “MySuperSaathi Yuvi and his friends”, which got an overwhelming response from worldwide on various groups and on Twitter. These adorable characters captured the hearts of everyone, and their messages/awareness quotes were a perfect way to spread awareness about Neurodiversity. Our “MySuperSaathi” initiative has featured Autism awareness comic strips- “MySuperSaathi Yuvi and his friends” daily in April month, providing a unique and engaging way to raise awareness about Autism. An exceptional artwork by our CreativeSaathis alongwith a popular quote added to each strip was there to create awareness about Autism spectrum disorders in an unique way. Visit https://specialsaathi.com/services/mysupersaathi/ to check out all the comic strips of April month.
■ We have also updated our SoochnaSaathi page with some useful directory of helpful resources for parents and caregivers. Visit https://specialsaathi.com/services/soochnasaathi/
■ To raise awareness about Autism among different segments of society, we have conducted a Schoolsaathi awareness program. Visit https://specialsaathi.com/services/schoolsaathi/ During this month,
Ms. Shilpi Mayank Awasthi, Founder of Specialsaathi has been invited for an Autism awareness program in Satyam College of Education Noida and for an awareness program “Knowing to acceptance” for Salwan Montessori School Gurgaon. Read the stories here https://specialsaathi.com/2023/04/14/changemakersaathi-inclusive-campus-satyam-college-of-education/
■ Additionally, Specialsaathi has conducted a series of ParentSaathi talks on our platform beginning with Dr. Gayatri Narsimhan (Founder Director Prakramika Institute of Vocational Training) promoting skill development and vocational training for children with Autism, on “World Autism Awareness Day 2nd April“.
Importance of Communication beyond speech was discussed in a panel discussion on Talking fingers’ book(Hindi version)by the co-editors and other respected experts on 16th April, and a talk on the new educational policy by Mr. Deepak Krishna Sharma was conducted on 29th April.
Webinar recordings from our YouTube channel of SpecialSaathi
■ And, our ChangemakerSaathi initiative has featured the best special schools in Noida. Namely- Sunrise Learning Foundation, Orane Kids, Margshree Special School and therapy center, Nirantar Prayas, and Soham Learning Foundation. Visit https://specialsaathi.com/services/changemakersaathi/
In addition to that, SpecialSaathi has also featured ChangemakerSaathi stories from some guest bloggers, ChangemakerSaathi Young leader: Anjana Sathyabodha, who shared her experiences and thoughts about autism. Read her story here- https://specialsaathi.com/2023/04/29/anjana-satyabodha/ And ChangemakerSathi for the month of April Ms. Padma Ramani. Read her inspirational story here https://specialsaathi.com/2023/04/12/padma-ramani-storytelling-for-a-positive-impact/
■ To commemorate the “Autism awareness month”, We have launched our initiative “Main SpecialSaathi Awareness Mascots” in the month of April. This campaign aimed to raise awareness about individuals with disabilities by featuring them as mascots on our website. Through this program, we hope to showcase the unique talents and abilities of people with disabilities, and break down the stereotypes and stigmas that often surround them. By featuring these individuals as mascots on our website, we hope to promote a more inclusive and accepting society, where everyone is valued and respected. We featured 3 supremely talented individuals in this segment. 1. Benzy – Indian classical singer and award winning performer. 2. Rodrigues siblings’ Joanne and Brydan Rodrigues– Athletes, Guinness book of record holders, supertalented teenagers. Visit https://specialsaathi.com/services/main-specialsaathi-awareness-mascot/
■ Our awesome CreativeSaathis has created awareness through their exceptional artworks for the daily blogs, SuperSaturday and SuperSunday blogs by our CreativeSaathis and for creating amazing artworks for the “MySuperSaathi Yuvi and his friends Autism awareness comic strips”. Visit www.specialsaathi.com
■ Our amazing Bloggersaathis has spread awareness and created powerful resource tools through their exceptional blogposts. Visit www.specialsaathi.com These blogs have been a great way to showcase the diversity within the autism community and provide a platform for those who wanted to share their knowledge and experience.
■ We have also incorporated a new brand “Jiggy jiggy jigsaw by Nakul Poojara” in Satviki SpecialSaathi’s e-commerce platform to empower our Neurodiverse individuals.
Visit https://specialsaathi.com/shop/ and shop for your loved ones.
■Due to surge in Covid cases we could not organize our planned Playsaathi and SwaasthyaSaathi initiatives’ programs.
To wrap up Autism Awareness Month, we have shared today our last comic strip for this month. https://specialsaathi.com/2023/04/30/mysupersaathi-yuvi-and-his-friends-29/
Overall, SpecialSaathi’s efforts during Autism Awareness Month have been instrumental in raising awareness and acceptance of Autism spectrum disorders, and we have truly made a difference in the lives of many individuals and families. Our commitment to spreading awareness and support for the autism community is path- breaking, and we look forward to seeing more of such amazing teamwork in the future. We hope that our initiatives will help raise awareness about Autism; will provide platform and valuable resources to parents, caregivers, and educators. We invite everyone to participate and support us in our efforts to promote Autism awareness together. We invite everyone to go through the valuable resources available on our website and learn more about the important work being done by our extremely experienced and professional team to support individuals with ASD and their families. By raising awareness and understanding of autism, we are creating a more inclusive and supportive society for everyone.
Let’s Welcome the Month of May: Mother’s day special month
SpecialSaathi is thrilled to announce that the month of May will be dedicated to celebrating Mother’s Day. We want to honor all the super-awesome mothers out there who have been the driving force behind their family’s success.
During this special month, we will be featuring a series of interviews, ChangemakerSathi माँ stories, and ParentSaathi talks, showcasing some amazing mothers who have overcome challenges and achieved greatness.
To start off the month, we are excited to share an exclusive interview and ChangemakerSathi story of Mr. Aditya Tiwari, a visionary and exceptional leader who has proven that motherhood is not restricted to one gender. As a single adoptive parent in India, Mr. Tiwari has set an inspiring example for all parents.
Next, we will be featuring an exclusive interview and ChangemakerSathi story of Ms. Indrani Basu, an Autism Interventionist who has changed the face of Parent-child training programs in India. Her work has helped numerous families overcome the challenges of raising children with autism.
We are also honored to feature an exclusive interview and ChangemakerSathi story of Ms. Akila Vaidyanathan, Founder and Director of Amaze Charitable Trust. Her tireless efforts have helped improve the lives of countless children with special needs.
In addition, we will be featuring some super Mothers who not only made it for themselves and their kids but also helped the society and the fellow parents in this journey. We have the privilege to feature Ms. Jaya Sudhakar, an Autism Advocate, and Ms. Gouri Ganti, Founder of Maasi, as ChangemakerSathi माँ.
We hope that by sharing these inspiring stories, we can celebrate the remarkable achievements of mothers and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Let’s celebrate this special month.
At SpecialSaathi, we are committed to making a positive impact in the lives of individuals with disabilities, and we will continue to work towards this goal beyond Autism Awareness Month. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to sharing more updates with you in the monthly newsletter in the future.
Best regards
Shilpi Mayank Awasthi
Founder SpecialSaathi