The Museum of Digital Society: A Living Archive of Digital Inclusion
Siva Prasad is an eighteen year old young adult with Autism. He has completed his 10th standard in NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) Board. He is capable of reading and writing but cannot concentrate on anything for more than a minute or two. None of the special schools accepted him and other organizations demanded fees which the family couldn’t afford. So the parents decided to take care of him on their own.
Being at home all the time, he used to get irritated and hurt his younger sister and other members around him. Sometimes he used to hurt himself too. After meeting him on his visit to makerspace through a reference, it was decided to work with him everyday for two hours. At the beginning, he was not interested in doing any work but had conversations with other children. Eventually he got used to the place and felt confident and comfortable. He mingles with other children and helps younger children in spellings while writing and reading.
In order to improve his engagement within makerspace it was decided to work developing his motor skills, eye and hand coordination, nerves and muscle coordination. So, he was assigned with activities like paper cutting, free hand sketching, and glass painting so his concentration span was increased. To make him feel confident he was given the task of hammering nails in wood. Though he was scared of hurting himself initially, he learnt to hold a hammer and did well. Now, he understands, enjoys and also remembers the work.
To understand him better, he is accompanied to the nearby stadium four days a week where he learns running, jumping and some basic exercises. The objective was also to improve his bone and muscle coordination. He is open to socialising and enjoys playing every day.
Thus has been the journey with Sivaprasad in exploring his learning environment that has helped him to work with ease and enjoyment.
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