Between diagnoses, milestones, and what-ifs, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters. When things start to feel too much, take a moment. Breathe. Reset.
Here are a few reminders to help you to regain perspective, feel more grounded, and parent with confidence:
One of the hardest things a child with autism/neurodivergence can face is being surrounded by adults who see their differences as a tragedy.
There’s rarely just one right way to do something. So let them explore. Let them try. Let them be. Because in the end, doing matters more than how it’s done. 💛
Neither you nor your child knows the full extent of their potential. But if your child senses you don’t believe in them, they might never try.
Your child looks to you for strength, love, and belief. Love them with no “ifs” and “buts.” Believe in their potential, even when the path looks different from what you imagined. You will be amazed at how far you can go together.
It’s easy to dwell on what feels out of reach because of your child’s autism, but that energy becomes powerful when you channel it into finding the right support and community.
Lead with love, everything else begins to fall into place.
#NeurodivergentParenting #AutismAwareness #ParentingWithLove #DifferentNotLess
A mother’s story of identifying autism early, navigating therapy, school inclusion, and stability. Practical lessons for parents on advocacy and support.
Introduction: Why This Story Matters to Parents
Every parent hopes to understand and support a child’s unique development. Khushi’s two-decade journey, from early signs of autism to higher education, offers a real, practical roadmap for parents navigating the unknown. This story is about love, resilience, and the power of timely action, the right support, and stability. It helps parents recognize early warning signs, advocate for interventions, and plan for school inclusion and adolescent transitions with confidence.
Background: A Loved Child, A Sudden Change
Khushi was born in 2002 to parents Sunitha & Vaibhav who had already lived through the grief of miscarriage. Her arrival brought deep joy and hope. In the early months and years, her development appeared typical. There were no immediate red flags, no missed milestones or glaring concerns. Like many families, her parents felt reassured by “everything seems fine,” and life moved forward.
Early Warning Signs Around Age 2
As Khushi approached her second birthday, something shifted. Her mother Sunitha began noticing distressing changes that didn’t fit her earlier patterns:
For many families, the second year is when subtle neurodevelopmental differences begin to surface: language plateaus, social disengagement, rigidity around routines, or prolonged distress around transitions. In Khushi’s case, the loss of verbal communication paired with escalating irritability signaled a need for closer evaluation.
When Concerns Are Dismissed: The Hardest Early Barrier
Khushi’s parents sought medical advice, only to meet the all-too-common “wait and see.” Dismissal is painful. It delays intervention and undermines a parent’s intuition. If there is one lesson parents can carry from this part of Khushi’s story, it is this: trust instincts and keep asking for answers. “Wait and see” can be replaced with “screen and support.”
The Breakthrough: A Watchful Principal and a Clear Diagnosis
A family move to Noida became the turning point. A perceptive playschool principal carefully observed Khushi’s behavior in a natural setting, transitions, social interactions, responses to sensory input, and encouraged the family to consult clinical psychologist Dr. Sawant Kumar. The diagnosis, autism with developmental delay, was devastating at first. Grief and confusion are normal. What matters is what happens next: channeling that grief into action.
This is where Khushi’s parents transformed as advocates. They asked questions, looked for specialized resources, and didn’t stop at the first door.
Early Intervention: Finding the Right Team and Approach
Therapy is often expensive and can feel impersonal. The family initially encountered interventions that didn’t fit Khushi, services that were available but not tailored. That changed with Action For Autism (AFA), an NGO well-known for autism support in India.
AFA provided paediatric therapies, a dedicated special educator who understood her learning profile, parent coaching and guidance on routines and communication. Under this guidance, Khushi began taking her first steps forward, both literally and developmentally. For many families, this stage is about building a foundation: predictable routines, visual supports, functional communication (even if nonverbal initially), and sensory-aware environments.
The Cost of Instability: When Life Circumstances Interrupt Progress
Financial pressures led to a move to Africa. The impact was immediate: regression. For neurodivergent children, consistency and predictability are crucial. New environments, different languages, school cultures, healthcare access, can disrupt progress. This chapter taught the family a vital, enduring lesson: stability is not just helpful, it can be essential.
They returned to India and began restoring the supports that worked. Here’s a practical insight for parents planning moves:
The Right Educator Changes Everything
Back in India, a special educator from AFA, lovingly known as Sonam Ma’am, became a keystone in Khushi’s growth. The relationship between a child and a special educator can transform learning. It is about patience, consistency, and trust.
But life called again. Another international move, to Congo this time, disrupted the momentum. The pattern repeated, reinforcing the importance of environment and continuity. When they resettled in Faridabad, the family focused carefully on finding a school that could include Khushi with dignity and real support.
Finding the School That Says “Yes”. After many attempts, Legacy School in Gurgaon accepted Khushi. This one “yes” created a path that many parents hope to find. Her inclusion journey began with integrated activities, then gradually increased to full mainstream academic placement by fourth grade.
Effective inclusion looked like:
Academic Success, and the Social Curve of Adolescence
Khushi excelled academically without tuitions. But adolescence introduced a new frontier. Puberty overlapped with deeper mainstreaming, just as friendships get more complex. She had supportive teachers yet still experienced social isolation. This is common for autistic teens. Academic success does not automatically ensure social belonging.
What helped:
Higher Education and Independent Functioning
The pandemic impacted the family’s original plan for Canada, but Khushi charted a new path, enrolling at American University of Sharjah. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Design, handling logistics independently, a major milestone in executive functioning and self-advocacy. The Vice Provost recognized her achievement with a formal letter of appreciation.
For parents, this phase often includes:
What Parents Can Learn from Khushi’s Story
A Practical Guide for Parents Starting This Journey
Closing: A Story of Strength, Stability, and Self-Belief
Khushi’s journey is not a straight line, it is a spiral forward. Through early warning signs, a clear diagnosis, carefully chosen interventions, and the unwavering commitment of her parents, she built the skills to learn, adapt, and succeed. Stability and the right people at the right time made the difference. For every parent reading this: progress is possible. Start with the next right step, observe, act, and build a circle that believes in the child as much as the family does.
Note: The narrative above is based on a parent’s publicly shared experience; details have been structured for clarity and parental guidance.
Even the most patient strategies can’t always prevent a meltdown and that’s okay. Meltdowns aren’t willful misbehavior, they are your child’s way of reacting to overwhelming stress. With your calm presence and a few targeted supports, you can help them ride out these tough moments and build stronger coping skills over time.
They’re triggered by sensory, emotional, or environmental overload, not by your child choosing to act out. Your calm response is their anchor.
Loud noises, bright lights, or chaotic environments can trigger a meltdown. Notice the warning signs, fidgeting, covering ears, restlessness and guide your child to a quieter space.
When your child finishes a task or gives something a good effort, cheer it on! Those “woo-hoo” moments help lower baseline stress. Over time, you’ll see fewer and shorter meltdowns.
Help your child pick a simple line, like, “I need a break” or “That’s too much right now,” or “Stop, I’m not okay with this” to use whenever they feel scared, overwhelmed, or picked on. Having that phrase in their toolbox makes it easier for them to set boundaries and for you to know when to step in and help.
Keep a simple food diary for a week. Note what they eat and when meltdowns occur. If certain foods consistently precede outbursts, consider eliminating or substituting them.
Meltdowns are part of the journey. Think of each one as a clue to what’s overwhelming your child. Use them to spot their triggers and test out new ways to help. With your patience, understanding, and steady support, they’ll learn to handle big emotions and grow stronger every day.
What feels ordinary to you, like the hum of a fan, the texture of a shirt, or the chatter in a cafe, might feel completely overwhelming to your child. Neurodivergent children often experience the world through a heightened sensory lens. Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures that you might barely notice can be distressing or even painful for them.
Bright lights, reflective surfaces, or fast-moving visuals can flood your child’s senses and make it hard for them to process what’s happening around them.
Your child might pick up on sounds you don’t even notice. Everyday background noise (like a TV, appliances, or people talking) can drown out your voice and make it tough for them to focus.
Smell of a soap, toothpaste, places with strong smells like cafeteria, buses or restrooms may lead to extreme discomfort for your child.
You may also notice your child is very selective with food. This isn’t just “picky eating”, it is often a reaction to intense textures or flavors. Your child may limit their diet to foods that feel “just right” in their mouth.
Clothing can also be a challenge. Tags, zippers, elastic around their wrists or neck, or even certain scratchy fabrics can feel unbearable, leading to discomfort or even meltdowns.
Recognizing these sensory differences isn’t about “fixing” your child or forcing them to tolerate discomfort. It’s about creating environments and routines that feel safe, manageable, and supportive for them. Because when your child feels secure in their body and surroundings, they can show up more fully and beautifully as themselves.
When you're starting to seek answers about your child's development, the idea of an "assessment" can feel intimidating. But it’s not about labeling your child, it’s about understanding them better.
Neurodivergence (like autism or ADHD), isn’t a disorder that needs a diagnosis or treatment. It’s a natural variation in how your child experiences and interacts with the world. What they need isn’t correction, it’s empathy, support, and the right tools to thrive.
Assessment is not about grouping a set of variations as a disorder and fitting your child into a box you don’t want. It’s about seeing the full picture of your child’s development, recognizing their strengths, understanding their needs, and getting the right support in place to meet them where they are.
An assessment is a way to explore your child’s development across key growth domains like communication, motor skills, emotional regulation, learning, and more, to understand where they may need a little extra support or guidance.
The assessment process involves both you and your child. A clinical psychologist combines your insights as a parent with their own observations and assessments to create a detailed summary of your child’s unique developmental profile.
After the assessment, you’ll receive a personalized therapy plan tailored to your child’s strengths and challenges, offering strategies that feel natural, respectful, and empowering.
Because the goal isn’t to change who they are, it’s to help them grow into who they want to be.
Supporting your child starts with small, intentional shifts in how you communicate, accommodate, and advocate for them. These strategies can help you build an environment that feels safer, calmer, and more manageable for your child.
Simple and small accommodations, both at home and in school, like quiet spaces, movement breaks, flexible routines, and sensory toys can make a big difference in how your child feels and functions.
Swap out idioms, metaphors, slang, and sarcasm for simple, concrete expressions that your child can easily understand and connect with.
What looks like defiance or disinterest is often confusion or a struggle to process what’s happening around them. Your child is not being difficult, they’re trying to cope.
Sensory overload is often the root of emotional distress. Help your child learn to recognize and regulate these sensory experiences. This can lead to profound changes in their day-to-day experiences and emotional well-being.
Your child doesn’t need to be outgoing or a social butterfly. They just need tools to navigate social situations with confidence, knowing what to say, what to do, and when to move on. That’s enough.
The more you understand and adapt to your child’s needs, the more confident and connected they’ll feel in a world that often asks them to fit in. Your support helps them stand tall as they are.
We are launching really soon & would love to have you among our first esteemed customers.
You'll save Rs 1400 on your child's assessment.
We are launching really soon & would love to have you among our first esteemed customers.
