I completed my Engineering from Hyderabad in 2007 got placed during the campus placement drive. Life was smooth. I had a good job, a loving family and a stable income. In 2010, I had a son, and I loved taking care of him and seeing him grow. However, eventually, I realized that my son was showing delays in reaching some of his milestones. He had not begun to speak properly till the age of 5, and my mother-in-law would tell me that some children start talking late. Nonetheless, I was getting concerned, and in the early years of his school, he found it challenging to interact with his friends and was often neglected. As a mother, that was the most draining phase of my life.

My Son Began Responding To Special Educators

Our family flew to the United States in 2014 due to some work commitments, and my son had to wait for a year to get admitted to a school because he was early as per their school system. I began his sessions with a speech therapist because I observed several delays in his speech. We heard the term ‘Special Education’ when we put him to school. The Educators were more receptive towards my concerns and could understand the pressure my son and we as a family were going through. They showed great interest in working with him, and he continued to receive consistent Special Education classes under the able educators. A child who found it challenging to communicate started engaging in need-based communication, which was an achievement for her and others. I remember my son’s first words were that he was hungry.

Serving Children Was My Calling

When I saw significant progress in her son, I wanted to devote myself to the same issue. I tried to help as many children as possible because I did not want any other parent to cry. When we came back to India, and I went to get my son admitted to a school, several times, the schools would tell me that they did not have adequate facilities for such children. My resolve was further strengthened. After a lot of hard work, my son got admission to an Inclusive school, and he continues to shine bright. He has mastered his delays, engages in age-appropriate communication skills, and progresses in all aspects.

I completed my Post Graduation Diploma in Special Needs and Diploma in Child Psychology in 2019 and bagged the position of ‘Special Educator’. Ever since, I have been working with students having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Developmental Delays, Learning Disability and Intellectual Disability. While I have always received recognition from my colleagues and seniors, seeing the satisfaction on the faces of my students’ parents gives me immense happiness.

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