Journey from a Journalist and Mother to Autism Rights Activist | Who is Mugdha Kalra?

A mother who understood neurodiversity when it came to her child and became an autism activist alongside a journalist.

Being the mother of a child with autism, she has come to know and understand closely the trials and tribulations of taking care of a vulnerable personality.

The birth of a child is a very important time for every parent. The first cry of the child seems to communicate new enthusiasm. Along with the atmosphere of happiness, the birth of a child also marks the beginning of many responsibilities.

When Mugdha Kalra had a son, her life also changed completely. When her son was four years old, he was diagnosed with autism spectrum.

It is heartbreaking for a parent. But it could not be denied. Then began Mugdha Kalra's journey of acceptance. At the same time, she also realized that taking care of a special needs child as a single mother required a completely different level of fortitude.

Let us know the journey of Mugdha Kalra to become an autism rights activist…

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What does Neurodiversity mean?

Neurodiversity is a term describing the natural variations within the human brain that often affect cognition, sociality, learning, attention, and mood. among other behaviors that can make someone excel in some areas, while others find tasks challenging.

Neurodiversity is the term used to describe alternative thinking styles such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Autism is a disorder of brain development that affects a person's social behavior and interaction. The affected person engages in limited and repetitive behavior, such as repeating the same task over and over again. Its effect is visible even before the child is three years old.

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Who is Mugdha Kalra?

Mugdha Kalra is a journalist. She has over 2 decades of experience in broadcast journalism.

She has been ranked by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as one of the top 100 most inspiring and influential women in the world for 2021. Which included philanthropist and businesswoman Melinda French Gates and acclaimed Nigerian author and feminist icon Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

She is an autism activist and co-founder of the "Not That Different" movement.

Mugdha Kalra specializes in content strategy, social media curation, feature writing, fiction writing, screenplay writing, reporting, and news presenting.

She has also hosted several special programs on a variety of subjects for Network 18. She is also a documentary writer.

Her work is available on multiple platforms such as Netflix and Audible. She is also a corporate trainer and author with Rainmaker on Diversity and Inclusion.

Mugdha Kalra is also a certified Mindfulness Coach.

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How did life change when you came to know that your son is affected by autism?

When Mugdha Kalra came to know that her son is suffering from autism, she felt sad and angry. But this had to be accepted.

She then began to research autism extensively on her own, talking to therapists and more experienced parents.

At first, she felt that her son required more care so she would never be able to work and that her career was over.

But she did not give up and started blogging.

Around 2015-2016, Mugdha Kalra started her blog Mugdha with Autism Tales.

She started her blog to share information about autism and found other moms dealing with similar situations.

During that time her small family of three moved from Delhi to Bangalore. And she took a career break of about three years. She was going through her inner journey of anger, grief, acceptance, and fighting at that time.

By writing the blog, she learned that she was not the only person going through this. The overwhelming response to the blog gave a new direction to Mugdha Kalra. It was then that she truly understood the power of reaching out to people and creating a community of her own.

From focusing on just her child, Mugdha Kalra went on to learn more about neurodiversity as a whole. And what can be done for those who spend their time taking care of their loved ones?

She began to interact more with the caregiver community. Now whether it is caring for a family member, a spouse, or a child, no one really cares about the mental health of the caring woman.

Well, it is a great irony that the mother, the wife who spends her whole life taking care of other family members and thinking about their comforts, no one cares about them or their inconveniences.

As a mother, as a woman, it's easy for someone to say that it's your job to take care of.

Mugdha Kalra's son Madhav is now 12 years old and studies in a special school in Mumbai. When she met a pregnant teacher at her son's school, she learned that the teacher had been instructed by her mother-in-law not to be in that environment because her "fetus would be affected by negative energy."

Mugdha Kalra felt so strongly about supporting women battling such situations that she started writing out loud about it.

When the Facebook and Instagram wave started, she started making videos and connecting with colleagues and stakeholders to raise awareness and support for the caregiver community.

Plus she encourages parents to find the right treatment for their children with special needs.

Understand what their learning style is and see if they need medical help. Most importantly, she urges parents to expose their children to the public.

As a business journalist, Mugdha meets many corporate stakeholders, CEOs, and other leaders whose voices matter.

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How did the idea to write the book NOT THAT DIFFERENT come about?

Mugdha Kalra came to another realization in this journey through Autism Tales. She felt that we were creating a support system for our children within our own community.

She didn't want all special needs families to interact with only special needs families. There's a world out there. And their child needs to be a part of that world, so inclusion is essential.

It was with this thought that Mugdha Kalra got the idea of writing the book Not That Different.

Mugdha Kalra believes that helping children understand neurodiversity can help create inclusive as well as integrative systems. Be it in schools or later in workplaces.

So, she teamed up with Bucosmia and her incredible team of illustrators to create a comic book for kids, teachers, parents, and adults. Which is much more than just a teaching aid.

The comic book is meant to explain autism to young children. It is also for siblings and parents of a child with special needs as it makes it easier to talk about such a difficult concept as autism.

Mugdha Kalra is now striving to reach out to schools and work with them to create awareness about neurodiverse children.

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Name in BBC list

When BBC released its list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world in 2021, Mugdha Kalra was one of the two Indians who made it to the list.

A neurodiversity awareness session for children opens doors to opportunities amid challenges to the BBC recognition.

Now, Mugdha Kalra leads caregivers and disability awareness in the workplace.

In 2021, the government released a new draft policy for persons with disabilities 2021, proposing several measures for their welfare.

Earlier, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 increased the number of disabilities from seven to 21, which includes autism and other neurodiverse conditions.

Mugdha Kalra talks with parents about opportunities for the disabled. Now whether it is how to apply for a job, or what is involved in it.

She spreads awareness about UDID. And how parents can apply for it on behalf of their children.

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What is UDID?

The government has provided a variety of facilities for disabled persons, which help them to fulfill the daily requirements of their life and make it easier.

Similarly, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Central Government has invited online applications for Unique Disability ID Cards.

The government will issue Unique Disability ID Cards and Disability Certificates to disabled people.

People with disabilities can apply online on Swavalamban's online portal. Along with this, you can also check your application status and download a UDID card.

Mugdha Kalra, We salute your efforts.

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