Four years ago, Calcutta-based Devika Biswas was faced with one of the biggest challenges of her life. Her four-year-old son had been diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), just when he was about to start school. Over the next few months, Devika, a single parent, made countless trips to different play schools in the Bengal capital but none was willing to take in the autistic child. Most of them had the same excuse: it would become a stressful environment for teachers and caretakers to take care of a child who is “not normal”. He was ultimately admitted to a school but Devika’s search continues for a better place which will be able to adress her child’s needs.
Delhi-based Sanchit Sahu’s travails are similar. Father of a five-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—leading to restricted speech development—Sahu too has run into multiple hurdles in his quest to start his...
