Autism Parenting Magazine
Zenaviv: The Art of Inspiring
“Your child has Autism.”
As the words came off the doctor's lips, a million questions flooded their minds:
Will my child talk?
Will my child have friends?
What does the future hold for my child?
What does the future hold for us?
Every parent worries, it is one of life’s guarantees; but the difference is, the worries for parents of children with autism never stop.
In 2004, Harish and Sandhya Bikmal’s life was changed forever. Their youngest son, Himal, was diagnosed with severe non-verbal autism at the age of two. Although the diagnosis instilled a sense of fear, the greater fear came when they were told by doctors that the child they love may need to be institutionalized by the age of six – leaving them with a picture of a mere four years with their beloved child under their care.
Completely new to the world of autism and bombarded with a million concerns, the Bikmal’s made the decision that they would do anything and everything to prove the doctors wrong and give their son the life he deserved.
After learning of Himal’s diagnosis, Sandhya became a BCaBA [Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst] and began homeschooling Himal and assisting in his many therapies. As she witnessed the trials and tribulations both herself and Himal faced throughout the process, she felt a calling to expand her support network and share her first-hand experiences. Incorporating both her professional knowledge and personal observations, she began training parents around the world. In the meantime, Harish had dove deep into the world of autism and began building various tools and multimedia programs for special education teachers to utilize in their classrooms. However, despite their best efforts to help their son, they were seeing very little progress. This left the Bikmal’s beyond discouraged and again, worried about Himal’s future – especially once they were gone.
Despite it all, the Bikmal’s persevered and didn’t allow their unsettled feelings to take a front seat on their journey with autism. In fact, as they continued to work with Himal, they came upon an accidental discovery – he could paint. Himal may have been unable to talk and possessed poor fine motor skills, but he had a hidden talent. Sandhya had begun painting as a hobby, and without her knowledge, Himal took notice. “I never knew he was paying attention, but he grabbed my brush and started dabbing paint on the canvas. When he started picking out colors, I realized that we should get him started on creating works of art. He went from spending the day on his iPad watching his favorite cooking videos to focusing on his art,” Sandhya says. At last, they were filled with a glimmer of hope!
With this new discovery, the Bikmal’s hit the ground running – nurturing Himal’s talent, providing him with art therapy and fueling him with pride. And even though it was all so exciting, art therapy added another expense to their already overwhelming amount of medical bills, leading them to host a fundraiser. When word spread of the upcoming event showcasing 50 of Himal’s paintings, people from the community pitched in and donated over 100 additional pieces of art to the cause. With the incredible display of generosity and support, as well as the sale of more than 1,500 greeting cards within the first two hours and over 130 paintings in six hours, the idea of Zenaviv trickled into Harish’s mind.
The fundraiser was a complete success. The awe the community had for Himal’s talent and the unexpected display of confidence throughout the day made Harish want to give other individuals with autism and their families an opportunity to experience such feelings. “Now when [Himal] paints we can see the sense of pride and accomplishment, and at the end of each painting he wants me to take a picture of him with his work of art,” Harish says.
However, transforming Zenaviv from an idea into a social benefit organization was no easy task. With it came long days of work, financial sacrifices, and the challenge of criticism and doubt from the public. Yet, today Zenaviv is able to celebrate the successes, hope, lessons, and challenges that building a start-up brought.
Zenaviv provides a platform that promotes artistic talent by those with autism and encourages others to change their perception of individuals with autism from being people with challenges to people with talents. The purpose of the organization is to boost the self-esteem of these individuals, aid in building them a financial future, provide hope for their families and convince the public to see past the label.
Thanks to the belief of many companies, such as, The Washington Post, Freddie Mac, John Hopkins Medicine, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, etc., as well as members of the community, Zenaviv currently supports 8 artists [each earning 66% of profits from the sale of their art] and allows them to experience that greater purpose to their passion. Debi Jaworek, mother of Zenaviv artist Lee, says “Zenaviv has helped our son Lee by giving him many opportunities that have helped shape his identity and visibility as a fine artist. In turn, that has helped him maintain a good self-image, given him a greater sense of satisfaction in his artwork, and consequently made him feel like a more valuable member of society. Our son is a happier person as a result of Zenaviv.”
Ultimately, Zenaviv dreams of a day where every individual with autism is able to find their talent, nurture it, and experience hope for their future. “As parents, you can only imagine what our feelings are, having our son being recognized like this,” says Bikmal. He has felt and understands the hardships that occur in a life impacted by autism, but he believes that with patience and persistence all families can discover a niche in life that brings their child excitement.
Today, the Bikmal’s world has come full circle and they are now helping other families deal with processing an autism diagnosis. Ironically, even with all the hurdles, autism has become a blessing to their family as it has introduced them to many amazing people in the autism community, allowed them to become advocates for a part of society that is often marginalized and most importantly, given them the opportunity to watch Himal discover himself. Over time, Himal’s diagnosis formed into a link that holds the family together, with Himal painting, Harish running Zenaviv, Sandhya earning a certification in teaching art, and Saket, Himal’s older brother and best friend, attending college and majoring in Neuroscience so he can continue to pave the way for individuals like his brother.
Who knew the moment the doctor uttered the words, “your child has Autism,” would be the start of such a wonderful journey