Episode 22: Autism and Me - In Conversation with Aahan Patel

Aahan Gurudas Patel is 22 years old from Pune and he is in the spectrum of Autism. He is currently doing his BA in English. He discusses his difficulties in understanding comprehension language, and some difficulty in communication, difficulty in controlling his emotions and dealing with change and transition is something that he really struggles with.

Aahan shares his experiences about:

• He describes an event where he gave a farewell speech for the school principal and how touching it was for her and everyone else.
• He also gave a rose to his dance school owner and hear all about her and the other staff reactions.
• He has collected donations for Ummeed which is in Mumbai.
• He has volunteered to teach computers to girls from Lila Poonawala foundation who had come to his school.
• He also volunteers at an old age home.
• His grandfather winning the Padmashree award and how he expressed his gratitude and pride to him.
• Independent travel experiences by Uber and train from Mumbai to Pune
• Sai Connection in Mumbai
• Importance of early intervention
• Online classes with Evoluer during the lockdown
• He likes cricket, playing the drums and enjoys watching superhero movies
• His mother as his role model and support in spite of her own illness

Your limitations are only those you set for yourself. You can do anything you put your mind towards. Aahan’s biggest strength is his empathy and how expressive he is with his feelings, something which is typically not associated with Autism, and yet here we are!  Let us truly move beyond just awareness into acceptance and embracing differences.