When her son Vir, then aged three, was diagnosed with autism, Gopika Kapoor decided that she would do whatever it took to help him, and other children with autism, learn and reach their potential. Kapoor started working within the autism intervention team at Ummeed Child Development Center, a non-government organisation working with children with developmental disabilities. “The fact that I had a supportive family, who were not mired with superstition and that I was privileged enough to get Vir the best medical attention and therapy, I really felt that I needed to do something to give back. While I thought I was helping others, they were helping me come to terms with and truly accept my son’s condition. Over time, I came to appreciate him and love him exactly as he is,” she says.
Starting out as a junior therapist, Kapoor moved on to become the lead therapist and master trainer for 10 years. During her tenure she provided therapy to over 400 families, and also conducted over 100 training sessions on varied aspects of autism and its management in Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Bangladesh. She coordinated and conducted the WHO Caregiver Skills Training (CST) Program’s pre-pilot and pilot sessions across three sites in Mumbai.
Kapoor left Ummeed in 2020 to write Beyond the Blue: Love, Life and Autism. “When Vir was growing up I was desperate for research material on autism through an Indian perspective and I soon realised there was none, so with my experience as a journalist and an autism mom I decided I must write about it. I knew that just working with kids on the autism spectrum was not enough. I wanted to make the world a kinder, more inclusive place for Vir and other people like him, in fact, for anyone who is different from the norm.” Beyond the Blue: Love, Life and Autism is a realistic, positive book for parents of children with autism, that includes her personal experiences of dealing with the condition, as well as varied ways to include the participation of the child with autism within society, and to care for ones’ own mental health. To help other parents on this journey, Kapoor also consults with them individually, to help them accept the diagnosis, find the best therapy plan for their child, answer questions on schooling, leisure and social activities, puberty and adolescence, and serve as a source of support for them.
A writer, parent advocate and autism consultant Kapoor started her journey as a journalist. She is the author of bestselling books – Beyond the Blue, Spiritual Parenting, Spiritual Pregnancy, Spiritual Relationships and Spiritual Success. She has also written for a number of leading publications, and has been awarded the Young FICCI Ladies Orgnaisation (YFLO) Women Achievers Award for exemplary writing. Kapoor currently lives in Mumbai with her husband Mohit, her twins, Vir and Gayatri, and her trusted stress-buster Jazz.