Luv, my brother, is a client at APAAR since 2014 when APAAR was founded. He comes to our sheltered workshop, where he and his peers have walking and sports time, handicraft making, aerobics, kitchen time and of course monthly outings.
APAAR is serious about outings since 2015- we mostly go to nature spots with gardens .Luv's family loves to travel, That had been curtailed the last two years due to the pandemic and then due to our dad's fragile health.
Luv has been acting out at home. I knew a vacation to the mountains was long overdue but due to APAAR's new rural centre and another project I am doing on health parity here in Punjab, that was postponed from July to Aug.
Finally . last weekend, we left on a four day break to the mountains - the Shivalik foothills .
Luv had the best time there. No acting out there.
He took long post dinner walks in the forest rest house. He sat by Tikkar taal where youngsters played music by the lake shimmering in lights. He and I trekked to a village nearby, Luv was unperturbed when he shared the narrow road with two horses. Horses Luv is not used to. Dogs and cows he sees on the streets and his neighborhood park all the time .
Luv enjoyed the view of the lake from this village home we were invited to. He sat on their hand woven charpoy and sipped buffalo milk tea with delight. The hosts in turn got to know about autism.
Luv earlier took the toy train from Kalka to Dharampur . He is used to trains now. He had taken the train to Sultanpur Lodhi just two weeks before for a night's stay.
I have urged other APAAR families to take their sons on these train rides to nearby Punjab towns.
Indian Railways are affordable and pleasurable.
Three days after returning from the Shivaliks, Luv visited Amul's ice cream parlor inn Johal Market. It is air conditioned with brightly colored ice cream photos covering a whole wall. Luv whooped in delight and excitement. Evenings at air conditioned shopping places are his other favorite to visit. He had an ice cream soda I had ordered, but enjoyed the solid scoops of paan supari ice cream more.
We are consulting in a local care home weekly where APAAR is advocating outings for mental health. I urge families of persons with ID or other mental challenges to simply take their loved ones out of their home confines few times a year, preferably overnight. Then watched how refreshed they feel. The behavioral challenges will vanish.
