Building Community Archives

Parenting, Autism, and Inclusion with Chitra Paul | Just Your Normal Missfit

About the Guest:
Chitra Paul
Co-Founder & Director, Allinclusive Foundation
India Lead, Institute of Neurodiversity (ION)

Chitra is a strong advocate for participatory inclusion and the power of neurodiversity. She considers herself an Ally of the Autistic Community and is extremely passionate about communication inclusion. She firmly believes in the power of lived experiences and the need to include autistic individuals in all aspects of life, including but not limited to those concerning them. She strives to follow the tenet – “Nothing about us, without us!” in every sphere of her life, professional and personal.

Chitra completed her MA in Special Ed and Inclusion from the University of Northampton, UK, and her work involves training special educators and empowering parents. Being trained in the philosophy of Social Role Valorization greatly influences her work; she occasionally contributes as an Associate Faculty for Keystone Institute India. She is also trained in the practice of Narrative Therapy which she uses in her work to support parents of children with autism.

Allinclusive Foundation is an organization that Chitra Co-Founded. The organisation based in Bangalore works to change environments to make inclusion a reality. The role she considers most precious and the one that constantly inspires her, though, is that of being a parent to her 19-year-old autistic son.

Social Media Links:

www.linkedin.com/in/chitrapaul
https://allinclusivefoundation.org/home/
https://ioneurodiversity.org/

In This Episode

🌍 Breaking Barriers in Inclusion & Neurodiversity 🌍
In this episode of Just Your Normal Missfit, I sit down with Chitra Paul, Co-Founder & Director of Allinclusive Foundation and India Lead, Institute of Neurodiversity (ION).

As a parent and advocate for neurodivergent individuals, Chitra shares her journey raising a non-speaking autistic son, navigating early diagnosis, and building a community of support.

We dive deep into:
✅ The emotional journey of receiving an autism diagnosis
✅ The importance of alternative communication methods
✅ Creating truly inclusive spaces at home, school, and work
✅ The role of technology in supporting neurodivergent individuals
✅ The Gendered Impact on Caregivers
✅ The ‘disappearance’ of neurodivergent individuals with high support from society as they grow older

This episode talks about normalising disability and questioning the way we look at productivity.

Empathy in action: Rashmi Shetty on Autism, Myths and Inclusive Narratives

In this episode of ‘Just Your Normal Missfit,’ we speak with our very special guest Rashmi Shetty, founder and CEO of Cohort Communicationz about the intersection of strategic communication and parenting a child with autism. Together, we explore the intersection of strategic communications and parenting a child with autism. Rashmi, an autism advocate and certified psychology counselor, shares her personal journey and professional insights into creating empathy-driven narratives. The discussion delves into the basics of autism, the importance of customized environments for autistic individuals, and the impact of a supportive community. Rashmi also discusses the Hidden Disability Sunflower initiative for invisible disabilities and what it means for parents who worry about their children’s future after they are gone.

Tune in to learn about the importance of community, the role of communication in inclusivity, and practical solutions for supporting children with autism.

The Power of Allyship: Building an Inclusive Duniya with Pooja Sharma

In this episode of Just Your Normal Missfit, host Ann Thomas sits down with Pooja Sharma, a neurodivergent adult and founder of the Sarvodya Collective. They discuss Pooja’s personal journey of growing up with a sibling with an intellectual disability, discovering her own neurodivergent identity, and her mission to promote neuro-inclusion through her ongoing campaign, Inclusive Duniya. The conversation dives deep into the importance of empathy, identity, and the role of ordinary people in fostering an inclusive society. 💛

Discover the importance of allyship, the challenges of advocacy, and the small actions that can lead to big changes in creating a world where everyone feels seen, supported, and safe. 👇

Neurodivergence, Neuroqueerness & Community in India With Arpita Gaidhane

What if the way you move through the world, slower, differently, non-linearly, wasn’t something to fix, but something to honour?

In this episode of Just Your Normal Missfit, host Ann Thomas is joined by Arpita Gaidhane, an artist, facilitator, and creator of Fireplace, a free and intentionally held community space for people seeking emotional safety and belonging.

This conversation explores neurodivergence, neuroqueerness, and what it means to live creatively in a culture obsessed with hustle, productivity, and “normal” life timelines.

Arpita speaks about concepts like crip time and queer time, the emotional cost of masking, and how both neurodivergent and queer lives often resist linear ideas of success, growth, and adulthood.

Together, Ann and Arpita reflect on:
– Neuroqueerness as a creative and resilient way of living
– The pressure to keep up in a fast, productivity-driven world
– Building emotionally safe and brave spaces through Fireplace
– Unlearning shame around difference, disability, and identity
– How community, slowness, and honesty can become acts of care

This episode is an invitation to slow down, to question the rules we’ve inherited, and to imagine gentler, more authentic ways of being with ourselves and each other.

🔥 Watch the full episode to learn more about Arpita and Fireplace.