THE Guyana Greenheart Autistic Society (GGAS), located in the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre at Carmichael Street, Cummingsburg, Georgetown, recently collaborated with Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) International to conduct the first ever National Autism Training for children with autism and their teachers in Guyana. The activity was held at Herdmanston House at Lamaha and Peter Rose Streets in Queenstown, Georgetown. The November 3- 4 forum had as its theme, ‘Support, Educate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)’, and attracted a modest gathering of keenly enthusiastic teachers, committed to the cause and purposing in their hearts to make a difference in the lives of the children in their care.
Teachers were drawn from the Autism School currently housed at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, and from mainstream educational institutions.
Kerensa Gravesande, acting Secretary to the Board of Directors of the GGAS, said the programme was funded by VSO International through the Disabled Support Fund, and basically had as its mandate the following:  Raising awareness on Autism; Teaching people what Autism is, and how to detect it; and addressing the concerns of children living with the problem.
Some of the topics covered were teaching techniques, behavioural patterns, behavioural management, sensory processing, visual schedules for early identification of the disability, ages and stages.

She outlined that it is becoming increasingly useful to incorporate teachers from mainstream schools into interventions surrounding autism, since some children enter mainstream schools and their teachers do not know what autism is, and so would not know how to cope with such children. “From time to time, we may have going into mainstream schools children who are not performing,” Gravesande said.
Experience has taught that some autistic children have been literally ignored by teachers who did not understand that their behaviours were peculiar and that their behaviours were motivated by health conditions for which they were not responsible.   Pathetically, such children would have been sidelined, resulting in further negative spin-offs.

What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability.  It is part of the ‘autism spectrum’, and is sometimes referred to as ‘autism spectrum disorder’, or ADS. (Please note: it has nothing to do with AIDS.).
President of GGAS, Ms. Karen Williams, said that, simply put, Autism is a brain development disorder and has no cure. It is mainly found in boys, and to a lesser extent in girls.
Williams is a professional who has worked with autistic cases for more than seven years. She has a vision for taking the association forward, with the aim of getting the best out of every child suffering with autism.
The overall objective of the GGAS is to “bring awareness to autism and empower our children for a successful future”.
The word ‘spectrum’ is used because, while all people with autism share three main areas of difficulty, their conditions will affect them in very different ways, she said. For example, autism cases can be severe or mild. Some sufferers are able to live relative everyday lives, while others require a lifetime of specialist support.

Detecting autism
There are no medical tests that reliably detect autism. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over the past 15 years, there has been an enormous or alarming increase in autism diagnoses among young children. The academy is therefore calling for every child to be screened for autism.

Guidelines have been developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for detecting autism and getting early treatment.
* Autism is a neurological disorder in which people have difficulty communicating and interacting socially with others.
* Autistic children often speak little, ignore others, and display repetitive behaviours, such as spinning in circles or focusing on one object for hours. They may excel at something in detail, such as spelling or playing a musical instrument, but they become overwhelmed trying to navigate the world at large.
* In the United States, approximately 17 percent of children have a developmental or behavioural disability, such as autism, mental retardation and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Other signs to look out for

Officials of the GGAS say the following should also send a warning bell:
* Odd responses to sensations.  For example,  fascination with visual stimuli
* Difficulty understanding or using gestures
* Hyperactivity (bubbling with seemingly excess energy)
* Sometimes speaking very little
* Appear to be all excited and just can’t keep steady.  For example, a child who constantly rocks or flaps his arms to stabilize what’s happening in the brain.
* Limited attention span

The Guyana Greenheart Autistic School is the first ever in Guyana. This long-awaited institution is a direct result of the persistence of dedicated parents, educators, relatives and friends of persons living with or affected by autism, says President Karen Williams..
The institution was started at a parent’s home, and exposed other parents of autistic children to information, resources, and developmental sessions by overseas specialists in the field of behavioural intervention, namely ABA.  To date, the institution is registered as the Guyana Greenheart Autistic Society and enjoys the network it has made thus far, while looking to strengthen its current network and create other networks, Williams said.