Two years ago, I still remember the day Gokul walked into Flipside. A quiet, shy young adult with his head down and his spirit tucked away. His parents spoke for him, not because they were overbearing, but because he simply wouldn’t speak. Not a word. Any question I asked, even when directed at him, was gently answered by his parents. He just sat there, eyes low, shoulders slouched, and hope barely flickering.
They told me he had studied only up to Grade 10. After that, school became too difficult, and he couldn’t continue. I went through his assessment reports. His IQ was 60, a score that indicates mild intellectual disability.
What does an IQ of 60 mean?
It means that while academic learning might be a struggle and certain abstract concepts harder to grasp, with the right support, a person can learn to manage everyday tasks and function meaningfully in the world. Individuals with an IQ in this range may face challenges in reading, writing, understanding numbers, following schedules, or social communication. But with consistent guidance and real life learning opportunities, they can become independent in daily life skills and find joy and pride in their accomplishments.
So, I asked Gokul’s parents the same question I ask every parent who walks through our doors: “What do you want for your child?”
And their answer was simple: “We just want him to speak. He doesn’t talk to anyone except his mother. He replies in monosyllables and never expresses himself. He doesn’t help around the house or do anything at his father’s store. He just exists quietly.”
Gokul’s father runs a wholesale store that sells plastic packets. They had tried involving him, but since Gokul didn’t understand the concept of money and couldn’t talk to customers, he would just sit there, disconnected and passive.
A few days later, Gokul joined us. And from that very first day, we saw something shift.
At Flipside, we didn’t push him. We invited him. We welcomed him into our modules and routines, slowly, gently. And in time, that quiet boy who never looked up began to meet us with the most charming smile. Still hesitant, still unsure but beginning to open.
He started responding, in Hindi at first. We worked with basic sight words and gently encouraged him to try replying in English. We told him that it didn’t matter if he made mistakes, this was a safe space. What mattered was that he tried. And he did. Every single time we asked him something, he responded. Bit by bit, word by word, he began to build his voice.
We worked on money management, from understanding denominations to learning how to pay the correct amount at a store. He didn’t know what things cost, what a ten rupee note looked like, or how to count change. So we made it real. Through hands on modules, role play, and repetition, he began to grasp these concepts.
We then introduced time management. Learning to tell the time, plan tasks, and be aware of how long things take. Slowly, steadily, it all began to come together.
One of our proudest moments came when Gokul was ready for an internship. We found him a place at a homeopathic clinic. His role? To greet patients, guide them to the reception, and offer basic assistance. And Gokul did it, with confidence and pride. He even clicked photos with a few celebrities who came in, grinning ear to ear as he shared them with us.
He also began helping with weekly shopping for the center. He’d pick up the items, pay using the correct amount, and check the change using a calculator on his phone. What once seemed impossible, handling money, interacting with shopkeepers, moving through public spaces independently, was now within his reach.
And then, something beautiful happened.
He started talking to his family.
Not just his mother, he began having full conversations with his father and grandfather. When we went on outings from Flipside, he would come back home and tell them all about it. His sister, smiling with surprise, told us how much he now chatted with his cousins in their joint family. From a boy who barely said a word, he had become a young adult eager to share his day.
In the beginning, his sister used to book his Rapido rides, from his home to Flipside and back. We took that as another learning opportunity. We began teaching Gokul navigation skills, helping him recognize landmarks along the way and understand where he was, so that even if the Rapido dropped him off at the wrong location, he could describe it and find his way.
And he learned. Today, Gokul books his own Rapido rides to and from work. He knows how to talk to the driver. If he’s dropped at the wrong place, he communicates clearly and gets help. Yes, there were a few mishaps in the beginning, we had to intervene, sometimes book another ride, but those were his learning days. And he learned.
From being a boy who wouldn’t speak to booking his own transport, navigating his way home, working at a clinic, and handling money the best way he could, Gokul’s transformation has been nothing short of extraordinary.
He reminds us why we do what we do at Flipside. With belief, time, and the right environment, change is not just possible….it’s inevitable.
And Gokul, with his gentle smile and growing confidence, is a shining example of that.