Anuj Autobiography

I still remember the day when my younger brother Anuj was born. He was such a cute, precious baby, sleeping peacefully in my mom’s arm. It was a blissful moment for my family. I was so overjoyed as I couldn’t stop talking to him. I knew I had to wait for a few months until he would talk back to me.

Two years went by and I was still waiting for Anuj to talk. The fact that I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t talk to me or talk to anyone for that matter provoked me. If he wanted food, he would hold my hand, pull me towards the kitchen, and point to the food. If he was happy, he would simply jump and run in circles. If he was sad, he would sit in a corner and cry. He couldn’t express his feelings verbally, the way the siblings of my close friends had expressed theirs.

I share responsibility for taking care of my special needs younger brother named Anuj. Teaching Anuj how to speak, taking care of him, participating in his speech and applied behavior analysis therapies, and motivating him to attempt new tasks with his abilities reflected in my personality as a mentor.

As a result of prolonged care, love, and the efforts of an army of therapists, teachers, doctors, and our family, Anuj started repeating sounds and words near his third birthday. While this experience may not seem substantial, Anuj’s progress taught me importance of being empathetic and to understand other person from their point of view. I learned to focus on ability instead of disability and how Inclusion promotes a healthy interdependence, which identifies everyone as unique pieces of a larger puzzle.

Anuj’s uniqueness taught me what I could never learn at my school. I learned that each of us is unique and we are all pieces of a big puzzle. Understanding other person with their point of view not only help themselves, but also helps the society and relationships through better