We got a chance to interact with young CEO, Devangana Mishra and found out what made her choose the path to be with autism kids and learn great things from them. Let’s read more about her journey.
1. Please Introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Devangana Mishra, the Founder, and CEO of Brain Bristle. I come from a highly gifted & creative family. With the freedom and genes to do anything, I chose autism, giftedness, and mental health as a career path to see where I could take along kids diagnosed autistically.
- What inspired you to choose this industry?
I was terribly shy in my childhood, but a writer to express my world. Then I met very active kids with autism, they were the complete opposites of me- we made a good blend. I met my first grown-up with autism when I was 19 and the complete disregard for his giftedness led me to Columbia University, NY to study autism in detail and depth. This is how my journey with the autism spectrum began.
- What kind of problems did you face at the initial time with this venture?
We live in a male-dominated society, where the need to compete is more important than respecting human beings along their path. The only way we can let our kids with autism turn into disruptors and creators is if we let our kids take their time, teach them to figure their way in the world rather than rush them, slow them down or crush them. This simple message of listening, following, facilitating has been my biggest loss.
- How did you overcome those?
I now quietly follow my own path, my lived experience of working with these kids, I try to listen to other perspectives in the space and keep formulating into my own humanistic style. I follow my own understanding and intuitive style then let an autistic brain mold itself rather than me molding it, in and out.
- Thoughts on Focus and flow in a distracted world, what our kids with autism can teach us about the science of mindfulness.
Our world is loud, distracting, and everything is in flux, this overstimulates a child with autism, disturbing their flow. To be a silent observer of this, teaching a child worldly way then letting him/ her take his time is how we can listen to autism. Their behaviors are a sign we are either moving too fast or too slow, leading to depression, frustration, or outbursts. The concept of mindfulness arose because the world got so busy, people needed to make it a priority. Our kids with autism are born to be lost in their world- pulling them out is when they’re present and alert. To keep this balance of presence and absence is how we can learn focus and flow.
