Georgetown : First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, today, encouraged donors and other enthusiasts participating in the Step by Step Foundation/Republic Bank ‘Light it up blue’ Autism Awareness Walk to continue to support the Foundation’s efforts to nurture and educate children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The First Lady made this appeal in her address at a reception held in the Promenade Gardens after an awareness walk to kick-start Autism Awareness Month, yesterday. She praised the collaboration between the two groups, noting that it is a signal event for Guyana and is the eighth walk of its kind internationally.
At the same time, the First Lady noted that it is essential that focus continues to be placed on helping children affected by ASD to reach their highest potential as a large number of children affected by this disorder are now becoming adults.
“We have to look at how we deal with our special children and how we maintain their growth and development and assist their families,” Mrs. Granger said.
She also pointed out that there is only one autism school in Guyana, which cannot accommodate the scores of affected children countrywide, as such, “it is vital that they are included in the education system” where there special needs can be met, and their special gifts nurtured. Mrs. Granger reiterated that she is honoured to be patron of Autism Month and thanked all the ‘Light it up blue’ supporters for participating in this morning’s exercise.
Scores of persons turned up in their ‘Light it up blue’ T-shirts to participate in the awareness walk, which started from the Promenade Gardens Middle Street entrance, through several main streets in downtown Georgetown and closing off at its starting point. ‘Light it up blue’ is the global theme for autism awareness.
In giving a brief history of the Step by Step Foundation’s progress, Dr. Suraiya Ismail, Chair of the Executive Committee, expressed gratitude to the donors who have supported the Foundation from its inception. She noted that the Foundation was registered as a charity in 2011 and opened its school in September 2011. Today, Guyana is recognised as having the best institution of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Dr. Ismail noted that this is due, largely, to the support the Foundation continues to receive from its dedicated US-based consultants Dr. Jim Ellis and Dr Kerry Davis, the tutors and donors such as Republic Bank which is mainly responsible for today’s activity marking World Autism Awareness Day.
“We have grown from five children and three tutors to nineteen children and seven tutors. Our growth was achieved through the generosity of many, many donors, from the private sector and from individuals too many to name,” Dr. Ismail said.
Autism stigma
However, she called for a change in the attitudes meted out to children with ASD and their parents, who continue to face stigma due to a lack of public understanding about it.
“Autism is a complex brain disorder…which shows itself in a young child as a mix of behavioural, communication and social symptoms,” Dr Ismail said, noting that there is no known cause or cure.
While the Foundation has “made a significant beginning in enabling children with autism to develop their maximum potential and in helping their families to cope with the many challenges they face,” she said, there is still more to be done.
Dr. Ismail noted that the school “has a wait list of 40 children seeking admission” who cannot be accommodated as the Foundation has neither the space nor the funds to employ more tutors. However, she is pleased to collaborate with the Ministry of Education and is grateful for the land it has provided to build a larger facility.
In addition, the Foundation and the Ministry will be embarking on a training exercise whereby the Ministry will assign teachers to the Foundation for a period, where they will learn how to manage children with the disorder; the teachers will then implement that knowledge back in their own schools. Dr Ismail expects the training to greatly impact how children with ASD are nurtured. The Foundation is now actively seeking funds to construct its new school.
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