Thriving on the Spectrum

In our final episode of this series, we discuss the work of the CanBridge Academy on preparing young adults with autism for independent living. We are joined by Beena Mohan and Srividya Alavandar, representatives of the parent community at CanBridge. Beena is the mother of a 28 year old with autism. She has 20+ years of experience in special education and works as a mental health professional. Srividya is the parent of a 20 year old with ASD. She presently works at a school, with over 9 years of experience working with children with special needs. To wrap up our series, we are in conversation with the Co-Founders and Co-Directors of The CanBridge Academy, Kavitha Krishnamoorthy and Sharada Rajaram. The CanBridge Academy, based in Chennai, India, is a college-like space that trains young adults with autism. Founded in 2018, the organization aims to help young adults with autism be future-ready, building life skills and helping trainees identify and grow their passion.

In this episode, we discuss a unique facility for independent and codependent living at CLAPS. We are in conversation with the parent leaders, Sanjay Rao Bantwal and Chandrasekhar Rao, and Arvind, a special citizen at CLAPS. Arvind also supports the CLAPS team in maintaining the facility's library. CLAPS, Community Living Association for Parents of Special Children, aims to create a safe place for living for persons with special needs, building their independence for the future. CLAPS is parent-run, with a group of 50 parents collaborating to establish a campus and residential facility to take care of persons with intellectual disabilities throughout their life.

Meet Sarabjeet, Angad and Shivang, three residents of Ananda. They talk, with great honesty and straight from their hearts, about their lived experience in Ananda, covering a range of topics from their daily routine to relationships to their aspirations.  Sarabjeet, a graduate in hotel management, loves reading books and listening to English songs. Angad loves watching TV, cycling and works in a sheltered workplace. Shivang regales everyone with his music and has recently joined Amazon.  Ananda is an assisted living facility initiated by Action for Autism, in Gurgaon, NCR. It is a home away from home for 13 autistic people.

In this episode, we are in conversation with Merry Barua, a pioneer in championing autism rights in India. Merry is the Founder Director of Action for Autism. A parent of an adult with autism, she has spearheaded multiple initiatives to support the autism community. We discuss the impact of living arrangements for adults with autism, diving deep into AFA's assisted living programme - Ananda.    Action for Autism (AFA), founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization that strives to facilitate an inclusive environment to enable empowerment for persons with autism and their community.

In conversation with Usha Rajagopal, Managing Trustee of ESVI Sarada Foundation, Chennai, we continue our discussion around arrangements for independent and co-dependent living. Usha has over 17 years of experience, working on areas such as vocational training, self-help, independent and group living. In this episode, we talk about the latest initiative of the Foundation - Gruha, a residential facility which aims to bridge the gap for lifespan services. Recognising a lack of institutional support to help special individuals prepare for the future, ESVI Sarada Foundation, established in 2006, focuses on helping young adults with special needs and works closely with V-Excel Educational Trust.

In this episode, we kick-off our discussion on the second focus area of our podcast series: planning for 'What After Us?'. We are in conversation with Neena Wagh, Founder Trustee of ALAP, Assisted Living for Autistic Persons. Neena is a parent of a youngster with autism, a poet, playwright and Hindi language translator. She has represented the Autism Community during the drafting of the RPWD Act, and has spearheaded the team for setting up the Autism website for the National Trust. ALAP, Assisted Living for Autistic Persons is based in Gurgaon, India. Founded in 2018, ALAP offers residential facilities where persons with autism live independently and learn activities and skills for daily living.

This conversation with Akila Vaidyanathan bridges the two key focus areas of our podcast series: meaningful engagement and planning for independent living for adults with autism. Akila, Co-founder of the Amaze Charitable Trust, felt the need for a training institute that focused on skill-building for her son who is autistic. She is a software professional with immense experience in creating innovative programs leveraging technology to ease the lives of persons with disabilities. Amaze Charitable Trust was set up in 2012 in Coimbatore, India. Amaze was created with the vision to create a 'lifespan solution' for persons on the spectrum, offering unique skill training programs and capacity building initiatives.

Sharada Rajaram, Co-Director, CanBridge narrates the story of three youngsters at The CanBridge Academy - Rupak, Ramanathan and Ahed -  and the journey to find an engagement that is born of their interest and strength.  The CanBridge Academy, based in Chennai, India, is a college-like space that trains young adults with autism. Founded in 2018, the organization aims to help young adults with autism be future-ready, building life skills and helping trainees identify their passions.

In this episode, we explore the role of training programs in building interest, employability, and life skills to help individuals with autism be meaningfully engaged. We are in conversation with Sarbani Mallick, Founder Director of the Biswa Gouri Charitable Trust. Sarbani is passionate about the field of autism and introducing innovative approaches for training students. Biswa Gouri Charitable Trust was established with the vision to create 'an inclusive society built on trust, respect and equality for individuals with autism and other intellectual challenges to live the life they choose'. Founded in 2009,  Biswa Gouri Charitable Trust is the parent organization that runs three key initiatives: Bubbles Centre for Autism, a school program for children with autism; Pragati Towards Livelihood, a vocational training program for young adults with autism; Workstation at Pragati, a supported employment initiative.

In this postscript to episode 7, Rudy (Rzhude) David talks about how music can build new neurological pathways, irrespective of the age of the person.

In the first of a 2-part episode, we explore the role music plays in the lives of autistic individuals. We are joined by Rudy (Rzhude) David, a musician and sound designer who discovers the healing power of music through interactions with individuals on the spectrum and early learners. Rudy has evolved a purpose-designed HumDrum and Rudiments of Music program through which he engages neurodiverse individuals. In addition to this episode, do tune in to its Postscript (episode 7a) where Rudy talks about music as a gateway to neurological development.

Continuing our series on meaningful engagement, in this conversation with Mala Chinnappa and Kavitha Krishnamoorthy, we discuss how the arts play a transformational role in the lives of autistic young adults. Mala is a facilitator at A Brush with Art, a mother of a 20-year old girl with autism and an advertising designer. Kavitha is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of CanBridge Academy, a parent of a young adult with autism, and a certified Arts-based Therapist. A Brush with Art, ABWA, is a visual arts program for the neuro-diverse and is based in Chennai, India. CanBridge Academy, based in Chennai, India, is a college-like space that trains young adults with autism.

In this episode, as part of our series of episodes on meaningful engagement, we discuss entrepreneurial opportunities for young adults with autism. We are in conversation with a mother-son duo, Veena and Varun Naren who share their journey, learnings and experiences as Varun pursued a multitude of interests over the years. Varun Naren is a young adult with autism, diagnosed with FragileX syndrome. He is an artist, a doodler, a photographer among many other things! He presently runs virtual art and doodling classes. Veena Naren, Varun's mother is a special educator and helps Varun with his different businesses.

Join us as we discuss what meaningful engagement looks like at Cafe Arpan. Cafe Arpan was founded in 2018 in Mumbai, India under Yash Charitable Trust with the vision that persons with development and intellectual disabilities (PwIDD) will live and work in the community of their choice with dignity and self-respect. Cafe Arpan is the first cafe in Mumbai that is solely run by persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities. We are joined by Sushama Nagarkar, the Co-Founder of Cafe Arpan and Nikhil Sharma, a neurodivergent adult and counter assistant working at Cafe Arpan.

In this episode, we discuss what meaningful engagement looks like for young adults with autism and how one could facilitate it. The conversation also identifies practical tips to help sustain an autistic individual's interests and pursuits. We are joined by the Co-Founders and Co-Directors of The CanBridge Academy, Kavitha Krishnamoorthy and Sharada Rajaram. The CanBridge Academy, based in Chennai, India, is a college-like space that trains young autistic adults. Founded in 2018, the organization aims to help young adults with autism be future-ready, building life skills and helping trainees identify their passion.

In this episode, we discuss the crossroads faced by young adults with autism as they transition from school to college. We do a deep-dive into understanding the perspectives of the autistic young adults and their immediate community. Through our discussion, we identify certain opportunities to create a supportive environment for individuals with autism. We are joined by the Co-Founders and Co-Directors of The CanBridge Academy, Kavitha Krishnamoorthy and Sharada Rajaram. The CanBridge Academy, based in Chennai, India, is a college-like space that trains young adults with autism. Founded in 2018, the organization aims to help young adults with autism be future-ready, building life skills and helping trainees identify their passions.

Welcome to Thriving on the Spectrum! After weeks of preparation and speculation, our podcast series is finally live! We are excited to share the learnings and perspectives of parents and  practitioners caring for young adults with autism. In our first episode, we are joined by the Co-Founders and Co-Directors of The CanBridge Academy, Kavitha Krishnamoorthy and Sharada Rajaram. We discuss our motivations to start this podcast and what one can expect in the episodes to follow! Thriving on the Spectrum is produced by The CanBridge Academy, a college-like space that trains young adults with autism, based in Chennai, India.