Transforming lives of autistic children from surviving to thriving

Determined to bring in best practices from around the world and spread awareness about child mental health care in India, Neena Rao founded Margika in 2017

Hyderabad: When Dr. Neena Rao’s 12-year-old son Harshavardhan was suspended from an adept school in the city, their world fell apart. But little did she know that this traumatic episode’s domino effect would bring her closer to her life’s purpose.

Neena Rao is an academic based in Hyderabad and Florida with expertise in environmental policy and worked with multiple organisations on both private and government projects for over 20 years.

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While she was living her dream life working in the development sector, her son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a developmental disorder that affects an individual’s ability to socialise and communicate.

“As we couldn’t find proper facilities for my son here, we moved back to the US. Within the first few months, my child started to do better. He also won awards for being the most improved kid. That is when I realised that western countries are 15 to 20 years ahead of us in giving care to children with special needs,” she says.

Determined to bring in best practices from around the world and spread awareness about child mental health care in India, Neena Rao founded Margika in 2017, an NGO focused on training caregivers.

Supported by several passionate volunteers spread across the country, Margika serves as a guide to educators, parents, and other caregivers of a differently abled child. In Telangana alone, over 800 caregivers were sensitised with the help of Bhavitha Centres.

“It is important to understand that children with special needs, be it mental or physical, are as normal as anyone else. It is our responsibility to accept them, and create an inclusive education system for them to thrive,” says Neena Rao.

During the Covid lockdown, the team organised a virtual talent show called ‘Meraki’ where the special children showcased their artwork. This inspired Neena Rao to work on Mindscapes, the country’s only coffee table book that brings forth the artwork of autistic children and heartfelt stories written by them and their caregivers.

The foreword of the book is written by spiritual leader Dalai Lama and is slated to be launched within next few days. With pre-orders open on Amazon, it will also be available at noted bookstores in the city.