Small step big thought

  Have you ever wondered why Lord Rama is considered as an epitome of the ideal? Was it because he was picture perfect, without human follies? Or was it because he consciously chose to do what was right, his own conditioning notwithstanding? I would say it’s the latter, and here’s why: The story of Rama’s life is a testament to the fact that every living being is put on earth with a purpose; be that a squirrel, monkeys, eagle or two half brothers who were devoted to Rama’s mission in their own ways; Rama’s victory over Ravana would not have been possible without any of them. Humanity is diverse; and it is so with a purpose. Neurotypes like autism, ADHD and more are a normal part of human diversity - a diversity that has helped humanity evolve. Think Srinivasa Ramanujam, Einstein, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates- all autistic people who have contributed significantly to life as we know it today! Did Rama ever understand the nature of Kaikeyi’s relationship with Dasharatha and why was she s...

  It’s that season in autism land yet again when a theory that by no means provides any benefit to any autistic, but on the contrary paints the most marginalised of us as exotic psychics, is doing rounds; this time in the garb of a 14 episode podcast called The Telepathy Tapes. The theory postulating the existence of telepathy, or mind reading ability , in non speaking autistics is nothing new. This theory was first proposed by Diane Hennecy Powell, a neuropsychiatrist whose work on ESP and telepathic abilities that certain people with  autism and very high support needs possess can be best described as controversial. While there is very little to no scientific evidence to back this claim, with Dr Powell herself admitting that the population which is supposed to possess this extraordinary skill is also a group that is hard to conduct a study on, certain ‘ambitious’ stakeholders including parents, therapists and educators have continued to propagate that their autistic wards, t...