Show Notes:

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad Podcast, host AAron sits down with Dr. Vaish Sarathy — educator, scientist, and mom to an 18-year-old non-speaking poet with Down syndrome and autism. Together they unpack what it truly means to “assume intelligence aggressively,” challenging outdated ideas about IQ, communication, and learning potential. Vaish shares her journey from chemistry PhD to pioneering inclusive education for neurodivergent learners and reveals how empathy, patience, and dismantling bias can transform how we see and support every human being. This conversation is both deeply personal and powerfully practical for parents, educators, and advocates alike.

Key Takeaways:

Assume Intelligence Aggressively – Move beyond “presuming competence” to fully believing in every learner’s potential, even without conventional proof.

Redefining Inclusion – True inclusion means equitable access to opportunity, not just sharing the same space.

Education Without Limits – Non-speaking or minimally speaking students can excel in advanced subjects when given meaningful instruction.

Empathy with Strength – Real empathy recognizes intelligence and worth in everyone, not just sympathy.

Dismantle Assumptions – Challenge ingrained biases linking speech, movement, or appearance to intelligence.

About the Guest(s):

Dr. Vaish Sarathy:

After years of running behind degrees (I have two masters and a Ph.D.), I realized 14 years ago that none of the degrees had taught me how to help my son (who was born with Down Syndrome and was later diagnosed as being Autistic) learn anything.

Worse, experts in Autism Education had no idea either.

I explored conventional options for the first 4 years of his life: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY, COMMUNICATION THERAPY, HORSEBACK RIDING, OUR LOCAL DOWN SYNDROME CLINIC, DOCTORS …

I am sure I am forgetting some!

One look at him, and EVERY practitioner I met told me that genetics could not be helped, and I must resign to having a child who would experience extreme intellectual delay with minimal chances at life!

His teachers even said he was one of the most intellectually delayed kids they had worked with.

When I dipped into my depression, my anger, my frustration, and came out through them on the other side, I simply knew that THIS WAS NOT TRUE. It couldn’t be (my ego did some of the heavy lifting here- after all I was so smart, why wouldn't he be?).

So I decided to figure it out myself. I was already teaching some neurotypical students Math and Chemistry by then.

I knew how every kid could learn. I knew labels were mostly for the convenience of the system.

So I dug in deep. And fast forward, my son is 18, HE HAS LEARNT ALGEBRA, HE WRITES POETRY, and yes, he is still non-speaking! In fact, his first book will be published by a major publishing house in Fall 2025.

I believe that cognition is a faculty available to children of any disability / label.

“An equal accessible education and sound nutrition are the birthright of every child!”

Dr. Vaish's definition of inclusion:

Inclusion is the availability of the opportunities without any lowering and without any purposeful dumbing down and without any presuming that this person cannot do it.

Connect with Dr. Vaish Sarathy:

Website: https://www.drvaishsarathy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drvaishsarathy/

Listen to her Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/non-linear-learning-rethinking-education-for-neurodivergent/id1478145610

Watch Her TEDx Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/vaishnavi_sarathy_who_decides_how_smart_you_are

SPAM© Count:

Host:

Yes

Current Guest: 

No

Cumulative Guest Stats:

Yes - 65

No - 87

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