A Forum for aspies from India

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hahaha well it's a good thing Dhawal managed to contact you after all this time! Welcome back

Yes I'm from India, but I was born and raised in Kuwait, and now I am living in Edinburgh, Scotland. I've only spent a few years in India, holidays etc.

Do you live in India? Whereabouts? ---> Nevermind this question. I just read your previous reply

I spent a year in Bangalore

hahaha well it's a good thing Dhawal managed to contact you after all this time! Welcome back

Yes I'm from India, but I was born and raised in Kuwait, and now I am living in Edinburgh, Scotland. I've only spent a few years in India, holidays etc.

Do you live in India? Whereabouts? ---> Nevermind this question. I just read your previous reply

I spent a year in Bangalore [/quote]

I am actually living in Gurgaon, if you want my real whereabouts

I have spent 3 years in Bangalore. Nice city.

Namaskara & Dhanyavaada

It's a pleasure to meet you too Sabu!

So what do you do?

Are you diagnosed with Aspergers?

I work in IT (like most Indians )

I am not officially diagnosed, but everything I have read so far about Aspergers fits me very well. I hope to get an official evaluation some time in the near future.

How about yourself?

Same here, work in IT. Not Diagnosed but symptoms are way too many.

But most Indians are not necessarily in IT. Remember we are a 1.2 billion in India alone and not to count numerous others living around the globe who share their roots from this country.

Yes you're right. Although it seems like every Indian I meet works in IT Some of my best friends are not in IT, so that makes a good change

It nice to meet everyone here. Thanks sabu for having a forum like this. As an advocate. It has helped me understand better about the lives of fellow autistics in india

Last edited by Lady-ivy on 14 Jan 2012, 9:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

India has a very strong eye-contact culture, most countries do.

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd world definitions were created during the cold war - 1st world signifies developed countries, 2nd world is communist countries, and 3rd world is developing countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_World | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_World | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World
India has never been a communist country, so it falls under the 3rd world definition.

These definitions are outdated, so maybe I should say developed and developing countries instead.


The 75% literacy rate is a misguiding statistic. The quality of education is way below the US, specially in government schools where the poor children study. In worst-case scenarios, 14-15 year old literates cannot read or write properly, but those cases are very few. All of them can read-write enough to sign a document, and enough to keep them out of bonded labour or debt slavery (not sarcasm, this is important in India).
And as I mentioned earlier, growth does not imply social improvement. That's why parents of autistic kids see them as stupid/ret*d. There are no autism myths in India, because an
overwhelming majority has never heard the word 'Autism'.

I know about the western scenario, that is why I am afraid of misinformation spreading. We in India have a chance of spreading the right information in first go, so that later we don't have to combat misinformation. That is twice the work. As if one isn't hard enough.

This is why I only try to spread awareness about adult aspergers issues, the only thing that I
know about. I don't know anyone with severe autism, or any parent of autistic child. Most neurologists, psychologists ('experts') don't know about autism. So we are at the very beginning of our task. This situation has challenges, but also possibilities and opportunities which western people never had.


I want to thank you, Lady-ivy. Your questions have helped me to contribute so much to this thread, that I couldn't do otherwise. There was so much in my head that I had never written. You're so receptive and easy to talk to, the thoughts just flow! It is a good thing that you're an autism advocate. The world needs you.[/quote]






Thanks Dhawal it is a really good thing you guys started trying to reach out to others in a place with no awareness. You guys help those who are looking for answers and those ask questions of who they are and why do they what they do. And they find others like them. It brings peace to them. Your place is the real battle, and most people forget that. I think autism experts and autistic advocates need to reach to those in India. Educating doctors is something those experts and advocates from the west can do. Inturn doctors can educate the parents when the doctors diganoss their kids. And the cycle can continue bringing better awareness it helps founding other who have the autism so we tell them they are not alone. The next time I am on an autism specking panel I will say something about doing something about India. And I will hope one day I can make it out there to help.

You should try to get parents as targets too. If say you are doing the blog a parent might look and self diagnose their child and the parents will understand now in way. The child might have a better home life. Those who are low function Can be tricky even in the west. (. I hate using the low and high function as I don't see any autistic this way. This is normally seen as NT dignosese . we all have our own qurks and nt see them as low function becouse they are non verbal and they can think clearly but get frustrated as they cant tell someone. So called low functioners can use a letter tab to communicate. You should bring this up in your blog to help those who are non verbal wanting help. The best way if don't know about something is to learn from others and teach the stuff you learn to others, passing out information

You guy are lucky to have new start with out the mis information. We have to undo the mis
information. All you guys have to do is teach the right stuff to people and have the right compassitive people to teach.

I found out the organization I help in does not reach india. bummer . You need to make your own.

I don't mean to but in but there is stereotype that indians work mostly in IT. I have people tell me since I have Indian in me and look mostly indian they ask me if I can fix their
electronics or if I understand computers I always wander how we can get rid of this stereotype. And what you say is true sabu. We all can work different jobs, my uncle is a cop. And I am a future biologist/ environmental scientist( I don't know if I can count my self as an Indian as I am a mutt.

Biologist/environmental scientist!! Totally awesome.

Some of the Indian stereotypes I have heard of -
Call center reps
Doctors and engineers
Patel motel
Pakistanis are usually stereotyped as taxi drivers.
In Hollywood movies, Indians are always owners of a convenience store getting robbed. Then the star of the movie enters and kicks the robbers' butt .

I am kind of afraid of reaching out to doctors first. They're not going to read the latest discoveries in autism, they'll just go back to the old research which will be full of misinformation, and then it will be in the same situation here as in the west. In no time there will be rich parents' organisations with anti-vaccine propganda and ... you know the drill. Reaching out to parents will also have to same result as they'll go to the doctors for "reliable" information.
In fact, I wish to keep the 'autistic kids' part seperate from the 'adult aspies' part. As I know nothing about severe autism, I plan to work only in the 'adult aspie' awareness area. Even in my blog, I plan to keep to aspergers syndrome. That reminds me, I was wondering if I could use the WP blog for the purpose we discussed. My only worry is that once, one of my posts got deleted from the WP blog. I don't know if it is safe to use it. What is your suggestion?

There are a few organisations in India that focus on autism. But I'm sure they don't have any autistic people working with them. And as long as you don't have any autistic employees/volunteers, you can't really claim to have any authentic grasp of the subject.


Will be looking forward to that!

.

Biologist/environmental scientist is something I always wanted to do as a child so no chould point me into Indian stereotype job college degree jobs and plus biology and environmental science subjects are my obsession besides autism.

It not just in Hollywood. They tend to own conenience stores ( even an uncle of mine I think owns one Too depending on the state in the
US. But that's the biggest stereotype in US. Think the TV show the Simpsons. Were the only indian guy in town owns the quicke mart.
Funny thing about the stero types. I was sitting watching a dance art. And this Indian guy starts chatting with me and offering some of his food and buys me cookies. We start talking about college and he tells me he is a engineer major ( how chould I not see that coming)

Here is some more stereotype.
Smartest person in the class.
Good in math

I am kind of afraid of reaching out to doctors first. They're not going to read the latest discoveries in autism, they'll just go back to the old research which will be full of misinformation, and then it will be in the same situation here as in the west. In no time there will be rich parents' organisations with anti-vaccine propganda and ... you know the drill. Reaching out to parents will also have to same result as they'll go to the doctors for "reliable" information.
In fact, I wish to keep the 'autistic kids' part seperate from the 'adult aspies' part. As I know nothing about severe autism, I plan to work only in the 'adult aspie' awareness area. Even in my blog, I plan to keep to aspergers syndrome. That reminds me, I was wondering if I could use the WP blog for the purpose we discussed. My only worry is that once, one of my posts got deleted from the WP blog. I don't know if it is safe to use it. What is your suggestion?

There are a few organisations in India that focus on autism. But I'm sure they don't have any autistic people working with them. And as long as you don't have any autistic
employees/volunteers, you can't really claim to have any authentic grasp of the subject.






if you came up to them and say I have autism and I whould like to help you guys. Whould
they say no



Do you have the names of the organizations?

If the right people go after the doctors. Think experts and advocate who teach the right stuff. Before the doctors come of hold of bad information. Then we have to unteach this bad stuff

The very rich in other non west countries could of heard of autism already and maybe heard the bad( I hope not) and good of autism information. Plus if the very rich can't find
what they are looking for their child. If their child is officially digoness or there are aware their may have autism. I wish this was not true but They will send there child over sea for better education for there childs needs as they can't find it in were they live. This makes no since as rich have a chance to bring more awareness and change too demanding the need they want for their child. My only problem and you see too with the rich is that they can the possibility of saying
something stupid( everyone will follow it) think jenny mccarthy. Besides expets and
advocates( in my mind are the best but we tend to not have the money. Best to leave the doctors to experts or advocates being sponsored from organizations.

I tend to be a all rounder when it comes to autism. And my country knows autism already so I teach all around the spturim But when it comes to country with no awareness I suggest what you planning already
Just stay on a path teach people about high functioning autism it will be easler for NT to understand. And others will relize they are not the only ones who are aspies.

I suggest you do on your own page not on worng planet. Because not everyone has heard
of wrong planet. When someone from India types in aspergers on google for example and if you had your own site They find your blog. It is easier someone to find it then to put it on a different site as this person needs to look high and low for your blog on wrong planet.but you chould do it on both sites.



Will be looking forward to that![/quote]

All this talk is making me want to come to India now.

Hmmm, Indian guy started chatting with you...
Was he good looking, were there any sparks

Will you believe me if I said, that they would say no? As most of them think it is a disability, they would not want a disabled person to work with them on such an "important" issue.

Here's a comprehensive list - http://www.autism-india.org/afa_otherlinks.html. I have to admit that the list has grown considerably, half of the Indian states have autism organisations. Just not in my city yet . Maybe I should reconsider what I said earlier, and try to find an organisation in my city and ask to work with them.


As far as I know, the chance of an official diagnosis is very slim in India. They would just dump the kid in the usual categories. But I hope this has also changed, like the other things. Same with doctors sponsored by organisations, I'm not sure how well-aware they are, but I hope things have improved.

I guess I'll just stick to aspergers for now. Thanks for the blog suggestions, I'll try to do it on both sites .

It would be great if could visit India. India might seem a little different from the places you've seen, just read up some tourist advice whenever you decide to come, something like http://wikitravel.org/en/India#Stay_safe