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A mum said her life completely "changed overnight" when a worker at her son's nursery noticed something about him. Mounika Vemula said she was left "completely heartbroken" when the staff member said there "might be something different" about her little boy. The mum, from Solihull , was told Devaansh might have autism but said until that day in 2020, she had "not even heard of autism". Mounika, a developer at an investment banking company, revealed how "scary" the early days of his diagnosis were for her. The mum said: "I had never even heard the word autism until one day, a nursery worker gently told me they suspected something might be different about him. I was shocked." She added: "I came home, searched it online and felt completely heartbroken and scared. That was also when the Covid lockdown began, making everything harder. Life changed overnight." Mounika, speaking to BirminghamLive , said: "Devaansh has Autism, ADHD and a learning disability, so everything together comes under the common term Neurodiversity, and individuals with it are specified as Neurodivergents." She added: "Devaansh is my only child and he is my world ." The NHS says autism is not an illness or disease but "means your brain works differently from that of other people". The health service added: "Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a 'cure'. But some people need support to help them with certain things." Mounika revealed it has been difficult at times with her little boy, saying: "Having a child with special needs is not easy. Devaansh is also very hyperactive; he never sits still, and he finds comfort in routines. "Taking him to public events or classes was tough. They were not regular, and we rarely saw the same people, which made him uncomfortable. I started to feel isolated and lost, even though I had friends and family. It's hard to explain what you're going through unless someone has walked that path." She explained the feelings of being lost and lonely all changed when she found the Birmingham-based autism support group Bridging Brains CIC, around 18 months ago. The group was set up by husband and wife Dr Anuradha Uppaluri and Dr Hari Krovvidi, when they realised one of their twins had autism. The group is open to everyone in Birmingham but has its roots in the local Telugu community, where Anu said autism was still not spoken about as much. Dozens of families have attended sessions, since the group was set up last year, where they do activities like arts, crafts, music, dance, games and sports as well as day trips. Mounika explained how much this group has helped her and said: "Since then, I've been working with Anu and attending weekly activities, calls and workshops. Honestly, this has changed my life. Every week, I get to meet other families who truly understand what I'm going through. We share our stories, our struggles, and small wins. These conversations help me feel stronger, more hopeful and not alone." The mum added that Devaansh is also "much happier now" and enjoys "painting, doing arts and crafts, and absolutely loves the music and dance sessions".
