Monday, September 19, 2022

Talking Fingers Book Review By Ms. Nandini Santhanam

 

                                                   



This is a guest post written by Ms. Nandini Santhanam, a well-known and immensely respected Autism professional in India. She is the founder-director of The Lotus Foundation and has been helping many autistics for more than three decades. Being co-editor for the book, I couldn't review it. So Chitra and I reached out to two stalwarts in the field of Autism in India and requested them to review our book. We are happy to share that both of them have reviewed the book. Let's start off this week by reading the first review:



Talking Fingers

I pick up the book with reverence. How real it feels, these words that rise to meet my consciousness! Who am I to speak about the wisdom spoken by these wise humans, I am but a speck! Not a shred of masking, not one syllable of sweetening, all filled with immense love for themselves, their families particularly their mothers, for humanity and for Earth.

We manage to see a glimpse into the minds of our authors here, who really speak in general for their brothers and sisters too.

“I don’t differentiate between Autism and me, I love myself, Autistic or otherwise but the more my senses learn to process properly, the better my world becomes.” types Anudeep. I am gently awakened to notice that this is so true for anybody, you, me, anybody who wants to have a better quality of life! So where is the Autism? Isn’t it in everyone to some degree? Why then do we discriminate and label them? Let us break through the bondages of our own thinking and start living as we are meant to live.

As regards to learning to communicate and how it changed them, again we meet all the authors as if in one voice saying their lives became better and they felt loved because they felt understood. Says Aditi, “Finding my voice was cathartic and having it heard is liberating.” Interestingly, typing is one of the many modes of communication that the children work through to get their message across. Writing, using technology, connecting through music and games. As Joseph visualizes, “I take communication as a protruding nail, joining me and outside world.”

The Autists explain their choice of non-speaking/ silences so succinctly. Anudeep says, “There is a world of difference between not being able to talk and not having anything to talk.”  I kept reading this section repeatedly. So many layers to it. Every time I read, a new insight pops in my head. I am so sure that the Autists are putting it there! Ha..Ha!

Talking about their dreams, each of them share their personal aspirations and many share the collective aspirations. Their wish to shine through to be with “Golden Human Qualities” as Akshat says. Neerada speaks about “no discriminations in my dream world”. She goes on to poetically visualize, “Life must go on like river Ganga which rushes to earth from heavens to flourish the land.”

As Anudeep implores, “Love, laughter and understanding and compassion bring energy into my life.” All of humanity can use this invitation! We can all deeply benefit from drawing energy from these qualities. Not difficult to cultivate! Living with  these beautiful people can actually teach us a better way to live.

Let their love for themselves, their families, humanity and earth shine a light for us to recognize and celebrate….

“The world needs all kinds of trees

We are all children of God”

Extracted from Anudeep’s dancing fingers…. Get the book to read more. One reading is not enough to unravel the brilliance and the wisdom contained in these pages.

Thank you, Padma Jyothi, and Chitra Paul!

    

Thank you so much mam for taking time to review our book. 

The book is available for purchase from: