Life Happens

By Hridhay Bashyam

Lot lot lot I ask, how mom not get me

Lot lot lot I think, how the world addresses me

Lot lot lot I wonder, what Autistic means

Lot lot lot I realize, I am different

I am four, Life happens!

Morning of May Sixth, dear Neha came to me

Mom’s dear boy felt mom loved her more

Am lot angry God gave me competition

More I knew her am entering a world of love never known

My Blessing, My Angel Sister!

I am six, Life happens!

Lot lot lot, am really bored

Bored of the real world

World flowing with the same attitude

“Autistics are not born to achieve!”

Lot lot lot, I am really lonely

Lot lot lot, I am very anxious

Feeling desperate and lost

I am nine, Life happens!

Lot lot lot, old mom read

Lot lot lot, eager mom learnt

Mom saved me from a dark place

Lot lot lot, sanity lost is back

Lot lot lot, am rising from loneliness

With RPM* in my life, am reborn!

I am ten, Life happens!

Lot lot lot, I am learning

Knowledge is lot powerful

Goodness love brings is nice

Lot lot lot, I am hopeful

Lot lot lot, I am longing

Longing for my own identity

Not “Normal”, Not “Autistic”

I am eleven, Life happens!

*RPM also known as Soma’s “Rapid Prompting Method” is a method of teaching academics and communication through the use of the child’s open learning channels at the time of learning.  Hridhay uses RPM to learn and communicates with a letter board.

Hridhay Bashyam is an 11 year old who lives in Saratoga, California.  He loves learning, outdoors, skiing, acting and being on stage.  His favorite subjects are poetry (reading and writing), science and math. Hridhay is extremely insightful and has a great sense of humor.  He has been communicating and learning via RPM for a year and a half. He wishes all his friends would have access to RPM since they all have a lot to say.