New Delhi: The family of Aishani Chakraborty, an autistic teenager from Faridabad, had once wondered if she would face trouble with school. But her latest achievement has put their worries to rest.
The 17-year-old has emerged as the topper in the Children With Special Needs (CWSN) category in the CBSE Class 12 examination, with an impressive score of 97%. “This is a blessing from God,” remarks her mother, Anuttama Chakraborty.
Aishani scored 97 marks in English, 98 in painting and 95 in Home Science. A student of Delhi Public School, Sector 19, Faridabad, for Aishani, art and music have always been strong areas. Encouraged by her mother, who works at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Delhi as a professional designer, Aishani developed a keen interest in creative fields.
“Her love for music and art guided her subject choices for the 12th board exams,” Anuttama, 44, tells ThePrint, adding that practical subjects — Home Science, Yoga, Music, Typography, and Art — gave Aishani the platform to excel. Identifying her struggle with subjects such as mathematics, the school faculty allowed her to opt for alternative subjects at an earlier stage.
Language had been a major hurdle growing up, with Aishani speaking Bengali at home, and learning Hindi and English at school. “For an autistic child, picking up language is troublesome, and when there are three, the challenge becomes threefold,” Anuttama says.
Aishani’s board exam journey was marked by extensive preparation, personal attention, and a supportive environment. She was provided with a scribe to assist her a month before the exams. Anuttama notes that her daughter’s ability to absorb and express knowledge practically contributed significantly to her performance.
Aishani’s journey so far
Anuttama says that she was at work when she found out about Aishani’s results. “I was overwhelmed,” she recounts.
Over the years, Aishani’s parents have stopped measuring her success on the basis of academic scores. “She’s bigger than her academics,” says Anuttama.
She recalls that at Aishani’s third birthday party, two friends — both doctors — had suggested that they get her evaluated by a medical professional. At that time, Aishani had been continuously flapping her hands, which her parents had mistaken for mere excitement.
Anuttama says that they were initially in denial, but a week later, the process of taking her to different doctors began, and everywhere they went, she was declared autistic. “Until then, autism was only a label for us. Though we knew the term, we didn’t understand it,” she adds.
For Aishani’s parents, the journey was about learning and adapting to a new way of parenting. Autism, being a spectrum, meant that her symptoms and needs were unique, requiring personalised strategies and consistent support. Initially, her participation in class posed significant challenges, including her struggle with instruction, social interactions, and language development, says her mother.
“In third grade, education became application-based, and she couldn’t memorise even basic stuff,” Anuttama said. Aishani faced difficulties with vocabulary, social behaviours, and dealing with authority, which necessitated constant reinforcement.
In the initial years of school, Aishani was also faced with bullying and social isolation. According to Anuttama, Aishani’s school played a crucial role in her overall development as a student. Teachers and classmates gradually became more sensitised to her needs with the intervention of counsellors. “Her counsellor became a bridge between us and the school, helping them understand her condition,” Anuttama says. When she moved to the fifth grade, the family sought additional help from specialised centres.
“We tried going to many places to learn more about Aishani’s condition. Then, we found Adhyayan Inclusive Learning Centre. They have, along with the school, helped us a lot through this journey,” said Anuttama.
Until Aishani passed Class 8, Anuttama says, she would be called to school for the parent-teacher meetings on a daily basis. But she, along with Aishani’s father, would keep reiterating that Aishani’s success could never be measured by her academic scores.
Today, as Aishani continues to explore her passions in art and music, her unique perspective and creative expressions stand out, Anuttama says. “She has her own language and expression. She’s very happy,” she adds, appreciating not just Aishani’s academic success, but her overall growth. “As her mother, even I have grown up with her. I would have been ordinary, otherwise.”
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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