Autistic kids’ brush with Nobel laureate

VADODARA: “Scientists are also like autistic people,” quipped Nobel laureate professor Venkatraman Ramakrishnan aka Venki on Thursday morning during his visit to Spandan School for mentally challenged in Karelibaug.
Venki cracked the joke when a trainer of the autism centre of the school told the scientist that the autistic children do not make eye contacts with people while talking and they do not mix socially.Apart from autism centre, he visited the cerebral palsy centre, learning centre for special children, psychological centre and the activity room of the school.
Venki saw the work that the students do and the stationery materials that they make. He also enquired about where these products are sold and how much money is generated from its sale. The trustees of the school also explained to the structural biologist how the students are taught in school and after they have achieved a certain level, they are shifted to general schools.
During the formal function, Venki appreciated the work of the students and the dedication of the staff members of the school. “It is a known fact how the least fortunate people of the society are treated and the great difficulties these children have to go through. In such times, the work done by these students is an incredibly worthy enterprise,” he said.
After the program the teachers and students longed to click photographs with the scientist. On being asked about the attention that his son is getting, Venki’s father C V Ramakrishnan told TOI: “He is very modest and feels awkward when people wish to click photographs with him but until his visit benefits these students, he does not mind.”