A musician & artist, Aditya Roy has beaten a disability to follow his love for arts

16 year Aditya Roy who lives in Bengaluru, was diagnosed with autism when he was four years old. But this youngster has excelled as a musician and is inclined towards paintings as well. He has big plans for the future when it comes to art. His journey to being empowered is truly inspirational.

For 16 year old Aditya Roy, music has been close to his heart ever since childhood. This youngster who was diagnosed with autism when he was around four years old, is indeed a music prodigy. At this young age, Aditya has already graduated in Rabindra Sangeet from the prestigious Rabindra Bharti University. Aditya has big plans for the future, most of them focused mainly on arts. Aditya and his family who hails from West Bengal, is currently settled in Bengaluru.

Autism diagnoses and path to empowerment

Aditya’s mother Kajal Roy recollects how Aditya’s birth was a celebration in their family. Being their first son, Kajal and husband Avijit Roy were super-excited.

Aditya was later admitted to a mainstream school where he was slow in following instructions given by teachers. That is when they got an assessment done for him. He was diagnosed with autism.

Aditya’s diagnosis was a huge blow to us. I went into depression for over a year. But slowly, I started doing more research on autism. Meanwhile, we did therapies for him in the backend. We started looking into what he was good at doing, or rather his strengths- Kajal Roy, Aditya’s mother.

Soon, Aditya was admitted to a mainstream school called Insight Academy in Bengaluru. He has been studying and has a lot of support from the principal and other teachers. He is currently in class 10 and is all set to appear for his board exams along with other regular students.

“I did not want him to be in a separate environment. So everything was mainstream for him. We had our own struggles. But it was all worth it. Aditya has not excelled in academics. But he manages to score a decent 60 percent and I’am happy with that. I want to focus on his strengths than academic scores”, says Kajal.

A musical prodigy

According to Kajal, Aditya was always inclined to arts since a young age. Once, during an event, Kajal noticed how Aditya sang the national anthem ‘Jana gana mana’ beautifully. “That was an eye-opener for me. I decided to introduce him to music. That was one of the best decisions of our lives”, she says.

He started learning Rabindra Sangeet since the age of six from Malancha, a pioneer institute of fine arts. Today, he is a graduate in Rabindra Sangeet from Rabindra Bharti University. Score wise, he topped in Karnataka in a category along with other regular students.

Tryst with painting

Aditya started showing his love for painting and drawing since a very young age. He is still attending painting classes. Aditya’s works have been exhibited at various platforms. They have been sold to various people as well. Kajal says that Aditya’s love for art knows no limits, just like his passion for music. Kajal, who is working in Aditya’s school, is also doing a Ph.D in education.

In years to come, Aditya will be focusing on arts, both music and painting. “I have never given up on my son in spite of the many challenges that we faced in life. There have been days when his breakdown has made me feel terrible. But always stand by your child”, she says.

“Aditya is a carefree child who is loved by each and every one he interacts with. I’am proud to be his father. He has an artistic bend of mind and never gives up on challenges”, says father Avijit Roy.

Watch in Sign Language

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