My Special Journey with Advaith

On 6th Aug 2026, I had the privilege of being a speaker in the panel discussion “Special Education – Building Independence” at the Circle of Care Conference organized by Mitra for Life. It was yet another enriching experience — reaching out to more people, reconnecting with friends and mentors, and reaffirming that we are all working together for the same cause. I was honored to share the panel with Vaisali Pai ma’am and Hema Natraj ma’am, both pioneers in this field. The opportunity to exchange thoughts and experiences with them was truly inspiring, and as always, I drew deeply from my practical journey to offer meaningful inputs. ✨ The event was beautifully conducted by Mitra for Life, bringing together parents and professionals in a shared space of learning and collaboration. Moments like these remind me of the strength of collective effort in building independence and inclusion.

  Smrithy was invited to present paper in Stanford university Neurodiversity Summit 2025 at Stanford University, California

  Indian Book of Records

You must be wondering—how can a non‑speaking individual become a moderator? That was Cisco’s doubt too.   Last week, Sarbani ma’am called me and told me about a panel discussion as part of Cisco’s autism awareness program. She asked me to join as a parent advocate, and the most exciting part was that Advaith (Addu) would be the moderator along with Aparna, an art‑based therapist he already knows well. I knew it would be difficult for him to handle his anxiety in a new environment, but I was not ready to give up on this opportunity. We decided to prepare him step by step, believing everything would be fine.   Some of my husband’s friends at Cisco shared pictures of the hall where the program would happen. I showed those pictures to Addu and explained about the event. Then Aparna and I discussed how to plan it according to his comfort level. She suggested creating folders with different points, which I prepared and introduced to Addu as rehearsal. He was happy and exci...