New book hopes to lift the veil on autism for Indian parents

Raising a child on the autism spectrum can be a bewildering, often lonely journey. Gopika Kapoor nows that all too well as a parent to a child on the spectrum. She shares her journey and the learnings in her book Beyond the Blue: Love, Life & Autism.

There are many books on autism but few that look at the condition from the Indian perspective. Beyond the Blue: Love, Life & Autism by Gopika Kapoor aims to fill that gap.

In the book Kapoor shares her own personal experience as a mother to a child with autism and hopes it becomes a guide for Indian parents with children on the autism spectrum.

Autism affects around one in 54 children worldwide. The number of people on the spectrum in India is said to be over two million. However, in a country where the subject of mental health is still taboo, there is little written on the subject in an Indian context.

Book for parents in India

After her son was diagnosed with autism in 2008, Kapoor began work as a junior therapist for the autism intervention team at Ummeed Child Development Centre in Mumbai. This NGO works with children with developmental disabilities. Over the next 10 years Kapoor gained experience as a lead therapist and master trainer. “I decided to write Beyond the Blue to help Indian families with autistic children learn about living what it is like to live with the condition and feel hope about the future”, says this best selling author with five books to her credit.

The book, which is launching in the run-up to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, aims to be a roadmap for Indian parents with children on the autism spectrum, as it traces the various stages -diagnosis, moving through the stages of grief to reach a state of acceptance.

Kapoor also addresses the stigma attached to the condition, and the emotional and mental strain on parents and family. There is information on practical ways to enhance the child’s participation in society, and caring for one’s own mental health.

When a child is diagnosed with autism, for many years, this is all that parents see. But beyond the autism, beyond the blue, is a child who is so much more. Beyond the Blue is a factual, informative guide for parents, whether they are starting out on this journey or have been traveling this path for several years. – Gopika Kapoor, Author, Beyond the Blue: Love, Life & Autism

By sharing her experience Kapoor says she hopes to make the journey of parents a little easier.

Beyond the Blue: Love, Life & Autism is available on the Notion Press website, Amazon and Flipkart.

Also Read:

• Children’s books that celebrate disability – gifting ideas for the holiday season