Autism Awareness and HelpThe big jhappi podcast “Keep er lit” is back with yet another episode from our very own effervescent Ashuti Menon.
So, let’s say “The different journey but what the heck” ..
“मन – day की बात SpecialSaathi के साथ”
Enriching Family Interactions with Theater Arts
A therapy mindset, constant stream of information on problems and challenges, and many other factors can get parents into a constant problem-solving mode! Your mindset matters! I was delighted to hear from two parents last week that after being in the LIFESMART group for a few months, they have started relaxing and starting focusing more on rich interactions with their child. Remember, your child will develop for life. So will you.
The question to consider is:
How can you bond with your child, have enjoyable interactions and support his development?
Theater Arts for Holistic Development (TAHD) offers a pathway. Theater arts provide a set of tools for engaging and enjoyable interactions between family members. The five tools of Theater Arts for Holistic Development (TAHD) developed by Dr. Ambika Kameshwar include movement and dance, music and rhythm, storytelling, drama, and arts and crafts. Parents of babies and young children intuitively sing to their child, move with their child, tell stories to their child, use dramatic expressions to interact with their child, and do arts and crafts with their child. So we have all encountered TAHD elements in one way or another.
Enhancing Family Interactions: The TAHD Way
The ingredients are familiar but how do we use them in a mindful way to achieve different outcomes?
How can we weave in TAHD throughout the day to enrich interactions between the parent and child?
I am starting with this question in the second part of our 100-Days of Theater Arts for Holistic Development (TAHD) Lab to shift attention from “fixing” the child’s challenges to creating the right family interactions to help the child grow in the long-term. Join the TAHD 100-Day Lab here.
Remember
1.TAHD is not a drama course!
It is a way of teaching, learning, and living!
2. Your child is not a problem to solve.
TAHD gives a way of engaging your child in a more joyful way while addressing varied learning and development needs.
3. Evolve a more intuitive parenting style
One of Ananth’s therapists used to say that much of parenting is subconscious. It is very difficult to parent with ease with thousands of objectives and challenges running around in our brains all the time. TAHD can help you discover a more intuitive approach while addressing your child’s challenges.
A Guided Tour of TAHD
We are starting from Day 51 this week. As my goal in starting this group was to encourage parents to think about TAHD and support them, I will organize my daily shares as a guided tour. While TAHD is new to me, I have used elements of the framework for years because of our Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) experience, Waldorf/Enki education experience, and because of Ananth’s Bharatanatyam experience.
LIFESMART and TAHD
Since LIFESMART is my way of looking at development of neurodivergent (and neurotypical!) children and adults, I will use LIFESMART elements too in my presentation
L: Learning daily | I: Interests | F: Family interactions | E: Engagement with Community
Worksheets and Resources
I will also start sharing a few worksheets and resources that I am developing for parents to think about TAHD and its application in a systematic way. Please review and respond to posts when you can as it will help me develop such resources for parents
About Our Journey
Ananth started his journey with RASA (Ramana Sunritya Aalaya in November 2020). I discovered TAHD and decided to do the four levels of TAHD courses to help parents learn TAHD, work with TAHD professionals, and realize the benefits of RASA programs. Dr. Ambika Kameshwar is featured as the changemaker for February. Read about her journey here.
I completed level 1 of my training this week.
Many parents get certified in Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) etc. Until I found TAHD, I was not moved to get certified in anything. Theater Arts for Holistic Development (TAHD) is the only approach I have been moved to get certified in even though I know nothing about arts. I do know something about parenting neurodivergent children and I think TAHD is a pathway for more joyful parenting.
Dear parents,
My message to you:
Yes, you can! It is possible to experience joy and happiness while parenting neurodivergent children while addressing their challenges and putting in enormous effort every day for many years. It is question of how you see your role as a parent, what you prioritize, and where you invest your time and resources. Choose well!
We wish you a merry Christmas.
The rocking ParentSaathis the power couple Janice and Bryne Rodrigues alongwith their super-awesome kids Joanne and Brydan wish you all a Merry Christmas through an episode from their YouTube Channel Autism and Beyond – A Positive journey of J & B https://youtube.com/channel/UCVBs2GDz5hJFa19KdIbWuAQ.
Merry Christmas!! 🎅 🎄 ❤️
To all the Super Duper Awesome and Fantastic Bachhas!!
A very Happy Children’s Day to you all!
Team specialsaathi wish you a fantabulous and fun filled, enjoyable moments and the happiest returns of the day, not only today but forever!!
All the Saathi members of Specialsaathi team are extending their heartfelt wishes to you through this post.
“So true …
When I read it .I was thinking as a parent of special needs…and I just feel the same analogy for my son This is true for all the parents here too and for the kidos ..young or adult,
boy or girl..
They may not do anything as per their age and as per norms of society but their presence in our life is enough for us ..what we get is that छाया, like that पेड़..in their unconditional, unstoppable love and laughter .
Thanks to the writer who wrote this …
*”हर पेड़, फल दे”*
*यह “ज़रूरी” नहीं…*
*”किसी – किसी की”*
*”छाया भी”,*
*बड़ा “सुकून” देती है!!!*
Happy Children’s Day
God bless everyone
Love and blessings”
Arpita Yadav
&
Laughing Buddha
aka
Nirbhay
“Every child is mother nature’s precious gift, blessings from heaven, a wonder to behold and a treasure to cherish. Let’s nourish, embrace and help them shine.
Dear kiddos, childhood is just not all about being wild, having fun and enjoying a carefree life but to enjoy each and every moment of it till it lasts.
Lots and lots of love and blessings to you all; Happy Children’s Day!” – Shilpi Mayank Awasthi
“My dear Children!
It’s a poem I wrote long ago for all of you who have to lead the country.
I don’t have any advice for you , It’s a promise I want to take from you all as the older generation who will have to now sooner or later step aside. Read my poem here…A promise
Happy Children’s Day”- Simmi Vasu
“Children are my passion, they teach me how to live and love life, unconditionally.
I am blessed to give them whatever I can, to achieve their best potential.
This process makes my life complete.
Wishing all of you a very Happy Children’s day !” –Yamini Goenka
“My dear kids !! You all are the most beautiful and amazing human beings I have ever met or seen.your presence , your smiles , your gestures of love bring so much energy and life. I always admire you for all the hard work you have been doing . Keep dreaming , keep rising and keep shining. Lots and lots of love” – Vandana Gautam
“I extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to you all… A Happy Children’s Day. In addition, let’s celebrate this day with joy and fully appreciate the gift of childhood that has been given to us.” – Anshul Batra
“To all my people out there. You could be a child, a parent, an educator…it does not matter. You are all my fellow humans on this journey that we are on. A journey at is in equal parts exciting, infuriating, frustrating, joyous but above all liberating. It liberates us from any limitations that we may have put on ourselves in terms of our endurance or strength, for on this journey we meet our true selves, a powerful one one who fails at times but then bounces back. The very spirit of our child like resilience. Let this Children’s Day be a salute to the child within all of us. Our truest form whose spirit remains untouched, free of shackles and full of joy! Love and Light to all.” – Sonia Jaitley
Dear parent,
I have three suggestions for you
1. Follow the 4Es. Explore with your child, engage them in a variety of Experiences, create opportunities for your child to Express themselves, and Enjoy your time with your child.
2. Use the five theater arts tools (movement and dance, music and rhythm, storytelling, drama, and arts and crafts) to implement the 4Es.
3. Find ways to enable your child to express himself or herself using angika (body movements and nonverbal communication), vacika (speech and language), aharya (props and setting), and satvika (emotional expression).
Learn more at https://specialsaathi.com/2022/11/13/theater-arts-for-holistic-development-tahd-my-way-forward/
We homeschooled and lived this way but TAHD has provided a way to organize and communicate this message to others.
Dr. Ambika Kameshwar. 2006 _Theater Arts for Holistic Development._ Ramana Sunritya Aaalaya Trust.
Rama
Ananth’s mother
LIFESMART and TAHD Parentsaathi- Dr.Dasaratha Rama
“Happy Children’s Day to all our .. Every child is an unique kind of flower and all together make this world a beautiful garden. We assure you all to make this planet more congenial for you.” Blessings From Praval Yadav
“Lil kids and friends
There are three suggestions I want to give you.
1. I think movement is good for neurodivergent children because they cannot do desk work for eight hours. I have been dancing for ten years. I also like to go on long walks.
2. I recommend folding with Wholemovement because found it to be a relaxing activity. I have been folding circles since I was nine years old.
3. Playing the piano is also a relaxing activity and I think it is good for neurodivergent children.
Please visit my website at http://www.ananthraghunandan,com. I will be starting a page with suggestions for parents and children soon. Happy Children’s Day” -Ananth Bhaiyya
“You can learn something new everyday if you listen to your children because children are most positive people you”ll come across..
Happy Children’s Day” – Heena Sahi
“Our blessings & love for you all & forever. You all are and will always be winners in our eyes. God bestow you with his choicest always. Keep smiling and keep reminding us the importance of being kind and compassionate. We love you.”Kreeti Maasi
Congratulations kids!
Participating in an event itself is an accomplishment, and you crossed that hurdle, went further and won the prize!
You have made not only yourself and your parents proud but to the whole community and esp your peers!
Keep going and God Bless you all! – Shinjita Pant
I feel blessed to extend my warm wishes to the little angels on the occasion of Children’s Day! Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. I whole-heartedly pray the best future for our children! May they prove to be an asset for the nation! – Dr.Vikas Dixit
My dear little champions,
Today I wish you all the best in life. This day is dedicated to you. May you all stay healthy, cheerful and successful in every thing you do.
You give strengths to us parents. Thank you for being part of our life.
Shishir Kant Misra
Grand father (Nanu) of Roshnee.
Hi kids,
You are one of the sweetest blessings of the Almighty.You present before us different opportunities to explore.You are full of love, kindness and care.
” You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think”.Your special strengths and challenges will make you shine and enlighten the world!!
Love you loads kiddos!❤️❤️- Archana Shankar
Happy children’s day to all my beloved kids. Their speciality made us to learn more to meet their speciality and we became special educator for others. – Poonam Pandey
May the innocence that they hold, stays forever in their pure heart and bring the best out for each and every one of them. Children are blessings on Earth, nurturing them is are way of showing gratitude. Nourishing them is our prayer for the future.
Happy Children’s Day to everyone celebrating Rakshita Misra
I m grateful to Shilpi for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the art competition. Each art work was beautiful so judging it was not easy. As such every art created is a wonder in itself . Thank you once again. Monika Saroch
