‘What after me?’ Parents of autistic children find and fund a novel solution

Post-pandemic, many have taken the initiative to set up or invest in residential facilities where their wards can live and. be looked after when they are gone

- Neha Bhayana

All parents worry about the future of their children. But Vadodara-based Shubhra and Saibal Bhattacharya’s worries were even more pressing as their only child, Shaunak, is autistic. They knew he would not be able to live independently in their house when they are no more. So, they came up with a plan. In a few years, Shaunak will move to a residential complex, named Akash-Ganga, in Chikkaballapur on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The Bhattacharyas and 10 other couples have invested Rs 10 lakh each to buy a three-acre plot of land where non-governmental organisation ALFAA (Assisted Living for Autistic Adults) is developing a campus for around 40 people with autism. “We want him to have a roof over his head when we are no more and caring people who don’t drive him away when he throws a tantrum,” says Shubhra, adding that once Saibal retires they will move to a ‘parent cottage’ in the same facility to be near their son.