“Autism is not a disease; it’s just a condition wherein the one affected has a development disorder that makes their interactions a bit complicated. However, what majority of us do not understand is that autistic individuals actually have immense caliber and in addition to the various challenges they face, have distinct set of strengths,” says Biju Issac, secretary of Autism Club, Ernakulam. It’s these amazing set of strengths that awed the people who arrived at the Krithi International Book Fair a day ago.
Sreyas Kiran’s classical music performance
The event titled Spectrum Spectacle organised by Autism Club, witnessed outstanding performances like day prediction, singing, instrumental music and drawing by talented children on autism spectrum. Inaugurated by music director Hesham Abdul Wahab, the show earned wide appreciation from the audience.
Happy about the responses, Biju says, “Many people who categorise autism as an illness were surprised to see these children performing several times better than ‘normal’ kids. A boy named Basil Varghese left the audiences awestruck when he predicted the days for any given date. There was no chance for manipulation as well because the dates were randomly asked by the audience and Basil would give the answer without a hint. Sreelakshmi, an immensely talented painter, and Nikhil, who played the keyboard, received a standing ovation from the audience.”
Sale of books as part of Spectrum Spectacle
Biju opines that talent has no boundaries and that beingautistic does not limit anyone from portraying their talents. He says that such events are an opportunity for the people to know how these children think and react. The show has an aim – to bring these individuals to the forefront of society. Biju says that it comes with multiple benefits, “One, it gives them a platform to exhibit their talent that earns them confidence and acceptance in society. Secondly, it creates public awareness on autism and helps change wrong perceptions. Acceptance is the greatest gift that one can give them.”
As an encouragement, the Autism Club distributed mementos to the participants. The club is planning more such events in the future. On World Autism Awareness Day that falls on April 2, a show will be organised in Lulu Mall, Edappally.
