RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT AUTISM
AUTISM Awareness Month is usually celebrated in April every year and is used as an opportunity to foster involvement in a number of activities which help raise awareness about autism spectrum disorders. According to research compiled by Board Secretary of the Guyana Greenheart  Autistic Society, Ms. Valerie Lowe, Autism is sometimes referred to as autism spectrum disorder, or an ASD.
The word ‘spectrum’ is used because, while all people with autism share three main areas of difficulty, that is, difficulties in social interaction, impaired communication and restricted and repetitive interests, activities and behaviours, their condition will affect them in very different ways.
No two people with autism will have exactly the same symptoms. As well as experiencing varying combinations of symptoms, some people will have mild symptoms while others will have severe ones. Hence, some are able to live relatively ‘everyday’ lives while others will require a lifetime of specialist support.
She noted that the effects of an ASD can often be minimised by early diagnosis and with the right interventions, many children and adults with an ASD show marked improvements.

What is being done for persons with Autism in Guyana?
According to Ms. Lawrence, Director of Rehab Services in Guyana, the Ministry of Health does not single out conditions but provide services to all as best as they could and since the ministry cannot afford to bring in specialists on their own, they work in collaboration with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) to bring in therapists specialised in various health fields.     Luckily, for us, she said some of these therapists have strong programmes in autism.
There is also the privately run, Guyana Greenheart Autism School located in the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre in Carmichael Street, which opened its doors to children with Autism and ASD in September 2010.

The school is managed by the Guyana Greenheart Autism Society and, to quote the words of Vice Chairman of the Board, Karen Williams, “it is a society that grew from the perseverance and love of parents for their children.”

Apart from their regular bread-and-butter jobs, board members volunteer their time towards raising funds, soliciting donations, networking both locally and overseas, sourcing special school materials and equipment for the children, attending specialized workshops, getting specialists to visit the school, and getting all the knowledge and facilities they can for the school.

All present members of the society have a child or relative that has autism, so the school is, in reality, a “labour of love.”

WHAT IS AUTISM
Dr. Vivian J. Carlson, who is the Chair, Human  Development & Family Studies of Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, (and who was in Guyana recently, and visited with the Guyana Greenheart Autism School), has written a book entitled: ‘What is Autism’

In Dr. Carlson’s book, Autism is said to be “a neuro-developmental disorder that is present at birth and becomes evident during the first three years of life.”

He noted that during these early years, children with autism have difficulty interacting with others, communicating, playing with toys appropriately, and coping with changes in daily routines. Parents may notice that their child rarely looks them in the eyes, does not point to show what they want or to show the parent something of interest, repeats words or echoes the speech of others without comprehension, or does not use words at all.

Dr. Carlson noted that children with autism rarely engage in pretend play with toys and often use toys in unusual or inappropriate ways such as spinning things or lining toys up. Children with autism are frequently upset when their repetitive play is interrupted or their routines are changed. Parents describe these children as seeming to be in their own world, completely separated from the people around them.

Autism is a complex disorder that includes a constellation of developmental problems that occur along a continuum from mild to severe. Some children with autism have difficulties processing sensory inputs and may exhibit tantrums when exposed to new or different textures, sounds, temperatures, or tastes. Others may show particular talents related to academic skills such as reading or math at a very early age, but remain isolated and unable to relate to others. Sometimes children with autism develop obsessive interest in one particular topic and do not wish to learn or speak about anything else. (Chevon Singh)