The words inclusion and neurodiversity acceptance have been much talked about lately with more parents, organizations and neurodivergent adults expressing their views and struggles in their journey. On one side the government is saying that we should work towards building an inclusive society, on another side addressing them as “Divyangjan” and declaring projects for autism villages and other gated community facilities. The sole responsibility for the upliftment of these communities again falls into the hands of a small number of people. There is unimaginable diversity and beauty in the creation of the Almighty. So are our specially abled children. But they are not a masterpiece to be kept in a museum. People are constantly appreciating our children, crediting the parents for the struggles , and sharing some social media posts. Then they continue with their own life. And they think they are doing enough to build an inclusive society. Is inclusion a hypothesis or a reality?

Simple things go a long way in building strong, inclusive practices.
You don’t need to study any course to start practising inclusion and acceptance. Inclusion can begin with a simple smile from a toddler who thinks neurodiverse children are not weird and accept them as equal. It begins with a family who is not ashamed of our children’s mannerisms (which is their way of expressing emotions) and is supremely proud of them to take them out to all social places without the fear of staring eyes. Inclusion will become a fruitful reality when people around take the initiative to communicate and be supportive friends rather than differently abled children making multiple attempts to communicate. It is a myth that autistic children don’t socialize. It is just that their efforts are always misinterpreted as weird behaviours. Inclusion is about advocating for the child’s condition, challenges, and strengths without any discomfort to the family, neighbourhood, and friend’s circle. It should never be from a self-victimizing angle which shifts the whole focus from the child to the parent’s struggles. This is one of the reasons why many parts of society still see our children as a punishment given to parents. I am not sugarcoating things or brushing off their struggles. We can share our struggles with other parents of differently abled children so that they feel that they are not alone in this battle and support them. A mother’s life experience is the biggest knowledge treasure which needs to be shared with the right audience. If it is heard by people holding false beliefs, they will use our examples to prove their points like punishment for committing grave sins etc. I believe that the focus should be on the child when we talk about inclusion. When we get comfortable with our child, people around will automatically follow and gradually have a smile on their faces. I repeat “Never be ashamed of them in public and guilt trip them”.

Start with young minds to make the world a better place.

All awareness classes regarding inclusive practices are going on one side with a restricted audience. But not reaching neurotypical children and youngsters. They already have a preset mind that these classes are for the differently abled community and not them. What can be done to change the younger generation who are obsessed with trolls and reels? It sends a chill down my spine thinking I am bringing up Ibrahim to a world where all weirdness and differences are being ridiculed and shared on social media. Abusers are being celebrated for their cruelty, curses are considered cool, and selfies are taken even with dead bodies. There is very little involvement from youngsters who just sympathize with the differently abled, but never consider them equal or even fit for a friendship. Ideally, we should start early to instill these values through play, practice, and a lot of modelling. School curriculum should also be modified along with proper parental awareness to develop a compassionate, anti-bullying and empathetic mindset in children even from kindergarten age. These values will set new hope for future generations.