An estimated 1 in 8 children in India is neurodivergent, and 1 in 8 families navigating an atypical life. Inclusive policies exist, but everyday attitudes and system readiness lag, leading to inadequate implementation of support and systemic exclusion which begins in schools and compounds across the lifespan.
Many neurodivergent children are denied admission, or present in classrooms but not meaningfully engaged — misunderstood, socially excluded, teased, or even bullied by peers.
In the Indian context, most of these children grow up alongside at least one sibling. These siblings take on caregiving responsibilities from early on - shaping their identities, choices, and wellbeing across a lifetime. Yet their experiences remain largely invisible.
Educators often have little capacity to support neurodivergent students or special siblings in their classrooms, due to limited understanding, skills and resources. Uninformed peer attitudes often make schools difficult spaces to belong.
Neurodivergent children miss crucial opportunities for identity formation, social interaction, and skill-building that affect later independence and participation in society. Siblings, meanwhile, grieve, adapt, and navigate their role in isolation.
Change happens with active allies. #InclusiveDuniya was created to build this allyship ground-up, by helping people - students, teachers and the community - understand neurodiversity and actively make their spaces more inclusive.
Everyone has a role to play, but everyone's #InclusiveDuniya needs something different. So we meet each ‘actor’ of the ecosystem where they are: teachers, students, and siblings. Each strand is designed for their needs, but all working toward the same goal. We use 3 interconnected elements:
Open-access content informs and educates teachers, students and the community - from our Insta-comic (Naina’s Inclusive Duniya) to micro-learning resources on allyship and inclusive teaching practices, and research on lived experiences.
Structured conversations:
Inclusive Duniya Circles and SEL Huddles are formats centred on our comic to seed an inclusivity mindset in children; designed as light-touch, and to be led by anyone aged 14+
Sib-Talks bring special sibling experiences into public discourse using stories and ‘Sibling Addas’, closed peer spaces where siblings of neurodivergent individuals connect, reflect, and find community.
Capacity-building supports school staff, students, mental health practitioners and community members, to better support neurodiverse families and drive contextually-relevant inclusive practices and solutions. This includes teacher training, student sensitisation and action-oriented programmes, and building awareness of special siblings’ wellbeing support.
We also foster growing communities of Youth Champions, inclusive teachers, and volunteer allies, keeping them connected to the mission of an #InclusiveDuniya.
The initiative began as India’s first neurodiversity comic. As we identified emerging needs in schools and communities, Inclusive Duniya developed into a programme to address them.
We launched our teacher training programme in 2024 - structured modules designed to shift teacher mindsets and upskill them with practical knowledge and strategies; as well as bite-sized content as micro-learning resources.
We now offer a continuum of opportunities for students - from sensitisation and awareness-building experiences to deeper, immersive programmes that nurture leadership and allyship competencies.
In 2026, we launched our Sibling Care Programme - bringing the experiences and needs of special siblings to the attention of school leaders, educators, and practitioners.
In 4.5 years:
- We have reached 30K+ students and trained 1500+ educators
- Naina's Inclusive Duniya was featured in HundrEd Global Collection 2025
- Our allyship-focused work was given the Nayi Disha Caregiver Changemaker Award
- A student-led project won the Ciena Solutions Challenge 2025 Sustainability Award
- #InclusiveDuniya Sib-Talks have brought special sibling stories into mainstream spaces including Manotsava (India’s National Mental Health Festival) and Global Autism Convention 2026
In the next 3 years, we aim to make our training on inclusive teaching accessible to more teachers, establish 100+ student-led Inclusive Duniya projects, create resources for schools to support special siblings' wellbeing.
Start by exploring our open-access content
- Visit our (un)Learn page for thought-starters on disability, ableism, and allyship;
- Follow our Insta-comic, Naina’s Inclusive Duniya with neurodiverse characters, to understand lived experiences and everyday acts of inclusion
- Subscribe to our Youtube Channel (@inclusiveduniya) for #Tuesdays for Teachers, bilingual bite-sized guidance for neuro-inclusive classrooms
Help raise awareness with guided conversations
Educators, student leaders, parents, or volunteers can use our Inclusive Duniya Circle or SEL Huddles to sensitise children in classrooms and beyond.
Fill in the form to receive the Toolkits: https://bit.ly/IDVolunteer
Build your capacity to contribute to the cause
- Teachers can join our training on neurodivergence and classroom strategies
- Students can explore our continuum of opportunities based on interest and time
- Volunteers and organisations can collaborate with us to design neurodiversity or inclusion-themed events or initiatives
If you know a special sibling, point them to our 'Sibling Adda' or reach out to us for ways to support them.
Follow us on Instagram (@thesarvodyacollective) to stay updated on new resources, student projects, workshops, and ways to get involved.
You can begin with any of these entry points and scale up based on interest and readiness. Scroll down to get more details. For tailored support or collaboration, reach us at contact@sarvodya.org or srushti.patel@sarvodya.org.
