Autism : A Story

Stargazing was a good idea. After all, Akash had started responding to us from the day we started watching stars, lying down on the terrace that often got heated by the scorching sun of the day. The heat did not bother us much and we did not crave for an air conditioner. We just lied down peacefully, gazing at the marvel. Akash made no noise but his eyes glazed with wonder. He gaped at the sky as if he would paint his world in the hue of the sky.

Before I connect the dots and present to you the story, let me tell you my 6 year old nephew, Akash has autism. He was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) at the age of 3 when he couldn’t speak anything except for the word NO. Like all Indian parents, his parents got immensely worried and devoured every book on autism; took him to therapy sessions, but none of it worked. Akash was sent to two schools and both the institutions had him thrown out in the true sense of the terms. He was home schooled till he was five. I met him when he was five. I had no one tell me about his special abilities as a child but staying with him for a couple of months made me realize, how we, as a society are extremely unfit to accept special abilities of children and how we, make taboos out of simple problems. Also, before the story gains momentum, let me tell you, ours is a society which masks filthy and narrow mindsets in the name of being broad, we wear capes to hide how flawed and not impeccable we are and above all, we are hypocritical in every endeavour that we undertake. We have utterly failed as a society. Let me tell you why:

Akash likes to play but no one plays with him. The age, in which his giggles should have echoed in the playground has on the contrary, found him in dingy corners and narrow lanes; where he sits with his mom or dad and spins objects. He is blessed with the ability to spin anything that he comes across. He can spin idli stands, mobile phones, caps of pens, photo frames and every commodity that has a fixed size and shape. He doesn’t like when we take a different route to home. He desiderates that we do not change, he detests change. He is often found with a twitching finger or a hand that is continuously flapping. Even when hunger pangs hit him hard, he does not complain, he sits in the quiet of a room and stares blankly in the void. He has been the silent toddler with downcast eyes and a walk that would not be termed as the best gait that you have observed. On some days, he impresses us all with his quirky habits and on some days, he is observant while being silent. He watches how my fingers move on the laptop and he adores the colour of my nail print. His mom says that his favourite colour is blue. He has a Spiderman bag in blue colour.

Don’t we celebrate an autism month in April and correct me if I am wrong but blue is the colour of that month. It is ironic that a month dedicated to the cause has still not stirred the hearts of the masses. Autism has been pervasive in the society for ages but nobody vocalizes their thoughts on the topic. Living with Akash taught me a lot things, I may be the accepted definition of normal but I am the problematic one; he is special, he is the normal that we want. He does not argue over food, solves math at a speed which would have some math teachers run for their money, he now says yes no, smiles when talked to and holds my hand tight when we go for a stroll down the park. He listens to the banter of other children, observes them quietly and smiles when he catches me looking at him. He does not differentiate between the colours of skin, caste, faith or any other prejudices. He does not hold grudges against boys who do not play with him and calls him names.All these things are done by the so called people in our world. I tell you, we are so abnormal, even God would shy away after seeing us.

One fine day, I was sitting with them on the terrace and he suddenly said to me,”Dekho” (meaning look!) looking up at a star that was twinkling bright in the sky. He was talking to me. I felt ecstatic and was elated on hearing such a cohesive statement from him which followed; “Dekho Didi, star!” I told him, “Haa, kitna sparkle karta hai na!”, (yes, look how it sparkles). We lied down and counted stars that day. We repeated this day after day and Akash spoke lots of words while he ogled at the stars. Autism is not a nuisance, it is not a tantrum, it is not a problem, it is a part of Akash. And Akash is a gentle child. He loves unconditionally, laughs playfully, calls me Didi which probably makes me some years younger and I shall wait till he calls me Bua (Aunt). And above all, loves stargazing. Told you, Stargazing was a good idea!