Uniquely Hari: POTUS

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An Awesome Year

A sobering reality: I continue to have a ton of autism challenges and have not made much headway on those year after frustrating year much to my sorrow. They do consume a good part of my day; almost 95% of my life. I do wish that we as a society find solutions to those - both on the non-medical and medical front. However I also want to focus on the positives in this post because those give meaning for me to keep going even as I hope and search for solutions on other fronts. So here's the 5% awesome part even as they are tempered by the other 95%.

Awesome 2022

2022 was an awesome year.
An awesome year it was.
Like the tortoise (in Hare & Tortoise), I took slow strides.
Each autistic step - a belief in the Possibility of Me.
#redefine_the_table, #Hari_as_possibility
From Possibility comes Opportunity

Meeting the President and the Vice-President

2022 was the year I got to go to DC. Twice.
First time to meet with VP Kamala Harris at the Naval Observatory.
A second time I went to the White House where I got to shake President Biden's hand.
What an incredible incredible honor.

Who could have imagined stuff like this for me.
Getting an invite to the White House.
Meeting the President of the US
Just how awesome is that!!

I graduate from UC Berkeley

I'm a college graduate in year 2022. It feels so good. This was a kid that was not even expected to get a high school diploma. My lot was to be in special education and not aspire for much more. Education was the candy in the candy store with me firmly told to be outside.

This was a degree ++ with dollops of unexpected extra bonuses. I absolutely am relishing it.

How awesome is this?
I am just so darn proud of that yearned for degree
Young man, you must be doing some stuff right.
Cuz. along with degree there was even more
Additional appreciation in the most unexpected forms.

University Medal Finalist, I sit on Commencement stage with Chancellor & a Nobel Laureate
Departmental Citation, I give the Department Commencement Speech
Highest Distinction (other universities call this Summa Cum Laude)
Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Chi and 4.0 GPA
Awesome icing on a Berkeley degree

Undergraduate Research

As a Haas Scholar I not only got funding and mentoring for a year long research but I got to be part of a sagacious community, amongst aspiring change makers in myriad fields. The research was so varied and interesting and I listened in awe as students presented on topics from illegal trash dumping in Oakland to Prison Reform to circular RNA and the spread of dengue virus.

A special shout out to Leah Carroll who runs and is the glue that holds the Haas Scholars program together. She kept us to timelines and managed resources to help us get our resource done. And there was a lot of resource management logistics involved, like getting those participant gift cards out through Bear Buy.

I presented my research at 2 Academic Colloquia (Jan & April), and a SPSS (Society for Personality and Social Psychology) Poster Presentation in Feb. And I continue to work with Prof Keltner to get 2 papers (on awe and empathy) to publication.

I had a wonderful an encouraging mentor for my research in Prof Dacher Keltner.

How awesome is it...
...to research awe in autistics
....be mentored by an expert in the science of awe.

Just how awesome is that?

Senior Honors Thesis

This research was also part of my Senior Honors Thesis. Every week I sat with my fellow students in the Honors class lead by Prof Linda Wilbrecht. I learned about what my fellow psychology students researched. I was surrounded by fellow researchers both within and outside the field of psychology.

I submitted my thesis on awe to the department in April - all 66 pages of it.

This was a faculty comment about my thesis

- This is truly an excellent honors thesis! The research topic is incredibly important and interesting, and it is unique to probe the autistic experience of awe in comparison with that of neurotypical individuals. The results are very cool, interesting, and complex. Although this is brand new research and more empirical data are needed, the preliminary results, which argue against the emotion deficit view of autistic individuals, are potentially groundbreaking. I hope you will pursue this work further and I hope we will see the work published in a psychology journal in the near future.

How awesome is that?

I think back to when early educators did not want me in their classrooms and every evaluation report and IEPs were a litany of my "lack of accomplishments," or "lack of progress." In fact during my first special ed kindergarten placement, the teacher sent home a note which essentially said that she was concerned at my lack of progress in the first 6 weeks in her classroom. This was to be a repeated story in the all the multiple special ed classrooms I was shuffled around in.

Think, just how awesome it is for me now, to get comments from educators that rate me as excellent. I'm so so relishing it.

Autism Decal

Spring semester was my 7th and final semester of Autism Decal. Creation of this impactful class at Berkeley is one of my proudest accomplishments during my undergrad. Just how awesome is it to hear that material from this class was influencing a grad student in Europe in her research. A class that grew from 17 to 50. It even was honored with mention on a US President (President Obama's) Instagram. Just too Awesome.

The Daily Californian

I wrote my last column for the Daily Cal and waxed nostalgic (understandably).

What a wonderful experience Berkeley has been for me. It was my Golden Bear Song.

PD Soros Fellowship.

I got the call on Jan 7 from Daisy Soros - I'm a PD Soros Fellow. This is a very prestigious fellowship and the chances of getting in were slim. So to get through was rather surreal.
The news was only to be released in April when 30 scholars graced a full page of the New York Times.

The fellows met at a 4 day conference extravaganza in New York in October.
Daisy Soros sure is a powerhouse at 94 - I am in awe!!
We fellows chatted, met with famous alum, toured New York and more - the Met, a Broadway musical, a Jazz club and a formal cocktail hosted by Daisy Soros. The conference sure was a lifetime experience and what an amazing cohort to be in.

Getting into Grad School

I'd applied to grad school last fall.
Results in early spring.
Decision deadline Apr 15.
Headed to Vanderbilt for a PhD in Neuroscience in Fall.

Can you believe this guy from grade 8 special ed now actually headed to grad school?

Media Coverage

There was a ton of media coverage around the PD Soros fellowship, my Berkeley graduation and Vanderbilt grad school admission.

I got multiple mentions in various UC Berkeley sites. Daily Cal covered me (a turnaround as I usually write the articles). I even made it to an article in Forbes. There was coverage in many Indian American newspapers and at Vanderbilt too.

All the coverage felt a little overwhelming yet I am totally grateful for all this acknowledgment of my accomplishments. (It helps counter the years and years of trauma build up with the reports of, will never amount to anything, claims)

From California to Tennessee.

Grad School has meant a move across the country from Berkeley CA to Nashville TN.
It is a new place to adjust too! Transition and autism are not the best of bedfellows.

I miss the extracurriculars and friends back home. I miss the view of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge from my California bedroom window.

It's pretty hot here in summer, a little too hot. But it's also green and lush with lots of rain. The grass is green even in winter due to the rain. Rain-starved California sure could use some of this rain (just not this week as I hear there are Bay Area mudslides due to heavy rains!!).

I'm not missing the annual wildfire smoke of California. One year the sky turned orange from the smoke and the entire town of Paradise was burnt down. And looks like I narrowly missed some recent big earthquakes in the Bay Area.

But there are other natural disasters to content with here - like my first tornado spent anxiously in the basement. What if you are traveling on an open road?

Winter is wet and cold with some snow. I'm not so sure I like this level of cold. I experienced my first snow and was housebound for 4-5 days over the winter break till the slick black ice on roads melted away. Being housebound for even a few days was a little scary but of course it's nothing compared to the plight of folks caught in the Buffalo snow blizzard.

Nature is lovely here - a walk in the nearby Percy-Warner park under the shade of the massive trees reminded me of the tall redwoods in Yosemite. The best part is the daily wildlife show. People travel to see such shows. Turkey and deer grace my backyard, with the occasional fox. I watched baby deer frolic around and grow into adults. Myriad birds perch and practice birdsong on the woody vines that hangs from the tall trees. Wildlife with a backdrop of tall lush trees in summer, changing leaf colors in fall and the snow clad barren trees of winter are awesome sights to see.

Nashville is Music City and I hope to get to experience some of that music soon.....

Grad School @Vanderbilt from Fall

Grad School orientation
A Lab Coat Ceremony with my own Personalized Lab Coat
A Neuroscience Retreat
Lab Rotation at SENSE (Social Emotional Neuroscience Endocrinology) Lab
Participate in the SENSE Theatre workshop.
An own office space at the research lab with my name on the door.
NISE Fellow at the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt.
Did well on the academic front (Synesthesia, Multisensory Integration)

Survived first semester.....

A huge change, transitions that quite make the head spin.
Still adjusting, lots of figuring out left to do... a work in progress the next few years.
Fingers crossed that my unpredictable autism challenges let me travel this journey well.
And make useful contributions along the way.

But really, just how awesome has this year been?

Vacations

Got to visit Italy; Florence and Venice & Tuscany countryside over Spring Break.

India over the summer for my cousin Ved's Poonal ceremony

Memphis over Thanksgiving break.

And the 2 DC Trips and the NY Trip.

Hope for an (equally) awesome 2023

I wonder what 2023 will bring?
In the Possibility of Me?

Dare I hope from others
....Surrounded by folks who are patient, encouraging & empathic of my disability
... Make kind friends outside the classroom

Slow purposeful strides, an elephant I want to be.
... Relish learning and knowledge coupled with endless curiosity
... Use Advocacy & Research to add more pebbles that widen ripples in the pond of change.
... Giant leaps on the journey to emotional equanimity (mood continues to be tough nut)
... Learn to better manage & cope with the vagaries of my unpredictable disability which can feel like a leaky boat.

Wishing everyone an

AWESOME 2023 full of POSSIBILITY

ADA 32 at the White House

Me shaking hands with the President

It's an honor to get invited to the White House and get to shake hands with the President of the United States, more so for 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

I am of the post-ADA generation, born after ADA was passed in 1990. Undoubtedly, it is laws like ADA that the allow the doors of opportunity to open to the possibility of me, and in President's Biden's words, "to work, to study, to make connections."

It is a reason I can, with some measure of confidence, say - So what if I am significantly disabled, I too can pursue a PhD. I too can aspire to higher education, to employment (that's next), to inclusion, and aspire to go toe to toe with my non disabled peers. Perchance, I too can change the world.

It is because of laws like ADA that Lady Liberty turns her torch towards folks like me, so we too get the opportunity to pursue our version of the American Dream.

I am extremely grateful and in deep admiration of all stalwarts who laid groundwork that folks in my generation and beyond can now build on. In her speech, First Lady, Dr Jill Biden, spoke of 8 year old Jennifer Keelan who cast aside her wheelchair and crawled up the steps of the Capitol Hill in March 1990; "acts of protest," (widely televised) which spurred the signing of the law in July 1990. The then Senator Joe Biden has been a co-sponsor of the bill, sponsored by Sen Harkin and signed into law by President George HW Bush.

Thank you, thank you, to all those tireless stalwarts, (including living legends like my hero, Judy Heumann), in Dr Biden's words, for "refusing to be silent about indignities... faced" and for "holding on to the hope of a better way."

Thank you Mr President for acknowledging this momentous occasion for all of us disabled folks and being part if its journey right from inception.

In his speech at the Rose Garden of the White House, President Biden referred to the ADA as "one of the most important civil rights laws ever," as he recalled the words of Justin Dart Jr. (regarded as the godfather of ADA) - "ADA is only the beginning, its not the solution, Its the center foundation on which solutions will be constructed."

Indeed, ADA is a starting point that was crafted 32 years ago and it is up to our generation to continually shape it to meet the changing needs of today and tomorrow.

I feel, the fact of ADA being a work in progress needs to be highlighted, as it seems especially relevant to the wide diversity in autism, which means building in flexibility and open-mindedness, as there is not going to be a clear one-solution-fits-all.

“For our country, the ADA is a testament to the character of our people, to the country... It’s proof we can work together and keep moving closer to realizing the promise of America for all Americans,” Biden said.

(President's full remarks, fact sheet)

We have to continue to look for solutions and workarounds on many many fronts; this is a humankind issue. There is a reason for the word "kind" in the word humankind; "kind-ness" is a fundamental but oft forgotten character trait of people, that has carried us through the troubling periods of human history from time immemorial.

I want to believe Charles Darwin’s take on the human species as one of “survival of the kindest,” and not just “survival of the fittest.” I want to believe our human society has great capacity for goodness and compassion for all its members.

My generation has to carry this torch forward and demand not just a seat at the table of solutions, but perhaps redefine the table itself, and not just in this country but worldwide for humankind.

Blind jazz pianist, Jose Andre Montano, prior to his mesmerizing performance that day, gave some very good and practical advice which was very relevant to our mental health - "life is more wonderful if you love your differences and you love who you are... [otherwise] life would not make sense." We often forget the toll of mental health that accompanies the fact of disability as we are constantly in this race to catch up or meet the ever moving target of what society considers acceptable.

On a personal note, too thrilling to get invited to the White House and get to shake hands with the President. The White House is truly magnificent both inside and out. And to be where such laws were signed.... In total awe.

A Day in the Life

This was an interview I gave for Zoom magazine.

Interview Text follows.

A Day in the Life of Hari Srinivasan, Promoter of Connection,Understanding, and Belonging

Hari Srinivasan is a minimally-speaking autistic advocate and college student at UC Berkeley, California. He works tirelessly as a student, research assistant, and teacher. He is a Psychology major with a minor in Disability Studies, and so far has a 4.0 GPA and is Phi Beta Kappa. At UC Berkeley, he teaches a class about autism, and this summer he will be starting an independent year-long research project on autism as a
Haas Scholar. Hari has a passion for learning about a variety of disabilities, as he feels it helps him understand autism better and gives him a broader perspective on the challenges that many people face.

Hari has been featured on President Obama’s Instagram to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and is a student journalist at the Daily Californian. He’s active on his college campus, even serving as the first nonspeaking autistic president of the student organization Spectrum At Cal, working to expand their outreach efforts and promoting “belonging” over mere “inclusion.” He also serves on the board of ASAN (Autistic Self-Advocacy Network), one of the few
organizations supported by the autistic community, and is a member of the Panel of People on the Spectrum of Autism Advisors (PSA) for the Autism Society of America.

1. What does a typical school/regular day look like for you (or, if there isn't a typical day, describe one that is representative of your life)?

A typical day during the pandemic is a lot of screen time, typing or in Zoom, interspersed with maybe a walk, some exercise, music, TV (more screen time), and staring at the view of the beautiful Bay and the Golden Gate bridge from my window.

2. What hobbies or interests do you have outside of your schooling or work?

Philosophy & creative writing, especially poetry. I have written over 200 poems. Yoga, music, watching football, basketball, cricket, & tennis (I’m learning tennis).

3. How does being autistic help or hinder your work, schooling, or hobbies?

A multi-modal thinking which uses all my senses, not just traditional audio-visual, can be a huge advantage as you are weaving in many streams of thought and consciousness.

The mind is a beauty with its ability to quickly grasp concepts, analyze, appreciate, and enjoy. It's a tremendous advantage to have this mind as I have to spend a majority of the time on the motor output part. For instance, in Calculus the instructor was writing out all the steps on the board. Even as he started, I had the answer, though if someone had asked me to type out all the steps, that would have taken me quite a long time as that is a motor task. I often feel I am on two complete opposite tracks with my mind and body.

If I have to do a motor task, I can get completely lost and disoriented and distracted even between point A and B. Honestly, that part is tremendously frustrating and drags me down and leads to all kinds of anxiety and more “autism behaviors” which further slows me down.

4. What kinds of changes or accommodations do you make in your life to allow
you to be successful?

I think I am still trying to figure this part out (LOL) as my needs go beyond just the communication part, which is hard in itself. I’m constantly having to look for workarounds for each and everything. It's the ADHD, oral-motor apraxia, anxiety, lack of body schema, sensory processing, fine motor issues, body coordination issues, obsessive compulsive behaviors, mood regulation, misc. health issues, allergies, etc.,
all in one package called Hari. There is only so much that goes into the disability accommodations which are very academic oriented. So each day is like a new negotiation with my environment which has been quite the task and frankly quite exhausting. Much of the time, I’m not really feeling all that successful and quite burned out as I am trying to navigate through my maze of a day, day after day.

5. Have you experienced discrimination or bullying because of your autism or autistic traits?

Oh yes, all the time. My disability and “autism behaviors” are all too obvious, much of it quite involuntary, though there are still attempts at masking and camouflaging in other areas. So I can get either completely ignored and excluded or stared at with uneasy or disapproving looks in many places. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Many, many instances by educators, neighbors, programs, professionals, and just folk on the street.

6. What advice would you give to a young or teenage autistic person to help them live their best life, or what advice would you give an autistic adult to help them feel supported in their continuing journey?

No one is an expert on you. No one knows enough about autism to be an expert. Even
the “experts” are still learning. So no one gets to have final say on what your limitations,
capabilities, & needs are.

7. What advice would you give parents of autistic kids about the best ways to support their kids in becoming their best selves? What advice from the so-called "experts" do you think parents should ignore? How can parents best support their non-speaking or minimally-speaking children?

Communication must extend beyond just basic wants. Basic wants are just survival. The next step up are needs around school/vocational/skills/interests which are necessary for building self-confidence and getting ahead. But real quality of life is the ability to express thoughts and opinions. So aim for that in communication—irrespective of the communication methodology used and whether it’s via speaking or via AAC. On the “experts” part, I would repeat the advice to autistics above.

8. What was one piece of advice you received that helped you be comfortable with who you are?
“The human race is so puny compared to the universe that being disabled is not of much cosmic significance.” —Stephen Hawking

9. How did growing up without feeling represented in media affect you?
OMG. That was the essence of my recent article titled “Boy Like Me” for the Disability Visibility Project.

10. How does being a minimally-speaking autistic person affect your experience in higher education and in your advocacy work?

College has been an amazing experience for me as I have found a very supportive environment and faculty in Berkeley. I don’t know if this is the case in other places though. But for all that I get to do, I realize my college experience will still be just a fraction of that of my NT [neurotypical] peers or even my speaking autistic peers.

11. What kinds of topics do you cover in the college course on autism that you teach?

So it's a combination of lectures, class discussion, student presentations, and guest speakers and panels. I manage to pack in a lot in our weekly 2-hour classes—from history, education, therapies, issues across lifespan (childhood - adulthood - geriatric), autism terminology, disability law, housing, relationships, family dynamics, identity, healthcare, mental health, translational research, law enforcement, tech, representation in media, and a bunch more. The 12-13 weeks of classes each semester are not enough to pack in all the additional topics I would like to cover. It felt so impactful when a former student from Europe recently emailed me to say that takeaways from this class led to her current research work.

12. As one of the board members, in what ways do you contribute to ASAN?

I think I both learn and bring fresh perspectives as a both a minimally-speaking autistic
and a person of color.

13. What are some aspects of advocacy work that you find especially fulfilling?

It is the opportunity, that dream, to make a contribution, even if it's a pebble, that will lend to that huge ripple of change.

On a lighter note, I used to obsessively watch Thomas the Tank Engine as a kid. And Thomas always wanted to be a “useful” engine. I guess I’m being “useful” too, now.
LOL.

14. What would you like to do—given your education, work, and advocacy background—after graduation?

In the immediate future I hope grad school is in the cards for me. I’m passionate about learning and knowledge, and my mind is just thinking all the time and I want to do and contribute so much.

15. How can readers learn more about the experiences of non-speaking or
minimally-speaking autistic people?

Are there resources you'd like to point people to, or people online that you recommend following?

Just reading or following what a few of us are writing is not enough. Thought has to translate into action on the ground. Start by interacting with nonspeakers. There will be many in your neighborhood who are getting absolutely ignored or out of sight, tucked away in special education class or day programs. How will you learn unless you interact and start to include? Ask to start buddy programs at school if you are of school age. If a nonspeaker lives on your street, include them in your circle of friends and do things with
them. There are many small things you can do at the grassroots level which together will make a huge difference and normalize the presence of every kind of human being in everyday society.

16. Is there anything else you'd like to share?

While it's nice to see neurodiversity make inroads both in terms of awareness and on the DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] front, there needs to be a bigger effort to include the more marginalized groups like minimal/nonspeakers, and their support needs in such measures and conversations.

17. What are the best ways for people to connect with you (if desired—anything you include in this section will be published, so only include information you want public)? (Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)

I have a bunch of media for interested folks. I write about many things.

Daily Californian: www.dailycal.org/author/haris/
Twitter/Instagram @harisri108
Facebook Page: 108hari
YouTube: tinyurl.com/108hari
Blog: http://uniquelyhari.blogspot.com
But more than FOLLOW, I want you to think ACTION.

This was part of the series.

A mention in August Company

Crip Camp | President Barack Obama Moderates A Conversation on Disability Rights

with Disability Rights leaders and makers of Crip Camp movie.

And... I got a mention. Oh wow!! Oh wow!! A mention in August Company.

https://youtu.be/jG8Vvkn7iPw

In Search of My Promised Land

An early holiday gift from my dad with this message.

"A Gift to the Greatest Son who is finding his own Promised Land"

Can't wait to start reading.

When a President Mentions You

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG....

I got mentioned on President Barack Obama's Instagram. Total honor. too thrilling.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDKTNl7gtZD/

barackobama

Verified

As we continue to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I thought I would share the stories of three young activists leading the charge in the disability rights movement. Storm, Hari, and Noah are working in their communities––at their schools, places of work, neighborhoods––to advocate for a future that is more inclusive and accessible for all people.

Through storytelling, Storm uses her work as a producer to expand representation in the media. She wants to make sure that the stories of people in the Deaf community––one that she’s proud to be a part of––aren’t ignored. As a student studying Psychology at UC Berkeley, Hari educates his peers by sharing his experience as a minimally speaking autistic while teaching a semester-long class on autism. While working as a coordinator for Chicago Adapt, Noah founded an organization to advocate for disability rights for international, first-generation, and immigrant students with disabilities.

Change happens from the ground up––and these three are leading the way in their communities.

------

On Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/hzqe33/berkeley_student_hari_srinivasans_story_shared_in/

Happy Birthday ADA

How can I miss out posting this photo. Total highlight of the visit for the three of us. President 
Barack Obama
, Thank you for being such a huge ally of the disability community. 

Happy 30th Birthday ADA,  - Hari of the ADA generation

With friends Lia & Rebecca  at Smithsonian American Art Museum during my visit to DC last year for the The Autistic Self Advocacy Network ACI training.


Image Description: Three young college age autistics, black haired, wearing glasses, of average height and of various genders proudly standing next to a portrait of President 
Barack Obama