Our vision is to inform, educate, and support parents of neuro-diverse persons so they can be more effective guides and champions for their children. We also seek to raise awareness among teachers/ mentors and other members of the community so they can enable the development of neuro-diverse persons.
“It takes a village to raise a child.” This is particularly true for neuro-diverse children and adults, and their families. We believe that the life-long learning of a neuro-diverse person proceeds first with the love and nourishment from the parents, followed by supportive teachers/ mentors, and then an inclusive community. Such multi-pronged efforts enable neuro-diverse people to have degrees of independence in their lives.
Soon after a diagnosis, parents start worrying about thearpies. They are worried about the child's education and independent living possibilities. None of us live by ourselves. Our message is to invest in a community that provides support, learning, and independence for life.
“shiksha” means education in many Indian languages. “valli” means a plant that grows independently yet is attached to a tree. In English, the suffix “-age” is usually applied when referring to “result of” or “act of” something. So the name “Shiksha-valli-age” is a play on this notion of education that enables neuro-diverse persons to attain independence even while attached to the underlying support network.
There is yet another meaning to our name. Shikshavalli is the first chapter of Taittriya Upanishad, and is in essence a contract between the student and society. The phrase “mAthru-dEvo bhava, pithru-dEvo bhava, Acharya-dEvo bhava, athithi-dEvo bhava” appears in the eleventh anuvAka of Shikshavalli. While this phrase itself is about the duties of the student, it also captures the sequence of those who help and influence the student. It also is appropriate to the idea that the parents, guru, and the broader society are needed to help neuro-diverse persons.
Hence the name, “shiksha valli-age”! shiksha-valliage is our pivotal concept for 2022!
The LIFESMART 100-Day project was launched in May 2021. It as quickly taken root in our parent community. The 100-Day project is taking shape as our primary vehicle for practicing LIFESMART. Since parents in our community have children of dfferent ages and at different stages of development, we needed an approach that was applicable to diverse users. An added advantage is that users are quickly immmersed in a short-term project. They are encouraged to practice LIFESMART concepts and tools as they are doing their 100-Day project.
The 100-Day projects are short-term projects that evolve daily LIFE. Focus on what is doable now with resources at hand while choosing 100-Day projects. Consider the four LIFE questions while choosing 100-Day projects.
The 100-Day projects are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-framed) projects. Project goals evolve and become SMARTer over time.
Our community as of December 31, 2021. Many members are in multiple groups. For example, many members in one of the Whatsapp parenting groups are also on our Telegram group.
LIFESMART Parenting - Whatsapp
LIFESMART 100 Day Lab - Whatsapp
LIFESMART Families - Telegram
LIFESMART Labs - Facebook
The 100-day project is taking root in our community as a vehicle for implementing LIFESMART.
100-Day projects are short-term projects that support long-term LIFE goals. Watch our first virtual meetup on the 100-Day project featuring a 100-Day project by Shinjitha Joshi-Pant, a parent in our LIFESMART community.
One of our goals is to provide LIFESMART users the right tools for our users. A variety of paper-based and computer-based tools can be used for planning and tracking 100-Day projects. The LIFESMART kit is a simple paper-based tools that makes it easy to learn and use LIFESMART. Users familiar with the LIFESMART kit can use other tools over time.
Homeschooling enabled me to work at my own pace. As an autistic person, a flexible schedule was important because I could not concentrate for long hours. I could also experiment and use visual thinking and other tools. So I would like to help learners with disabilities learn in ways that work for them. Because of COVID, I want to help all learners and their families learn together.
Coordinator, Learning4LIFE
Ananth's story is a story of many teachers and mentors who believed in him and encouraged him.
