The first ever camp on autism will be held in July

22nd of July – 27 marks an important period for autistic children, their parents, teachers, guardians and religious leaders in St. Lucia. From Monday, July 22 to Thursday, July 25, a summer camp will be held at Dunnottar School.

The camp targets 30 autistic children with complex additional problems or behavioral problems. Therapists from St. Lucia and abroad will work with these 30 children, their teachers and their parents on how to handle this disorder in order to help the child reach his or her full potential. During the same week, workshops will be held for religious leaders who will learn strategies for managing autism in the church. The week will end with a conference at Saint Joseph Convent on Saturday, July 27th. This conference is for parents, educators and caregivers of people with autism.

The Autism Summer Camp (the first of its kind to be held in St. Lucia) and this second Autism Awareness Conference are being organized by the Outreach Awareness Project. St. Lucia Autism (whose lead coordinator is Dr. Delia Samuel), in collaboration with Dr. Kim Gardner of the Child Development and Guidance Center (CDGC).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of people with an intellectual disability that can significantly affect a person's social, communication and behavioral abilities. ASDs are characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, as well as behavior patterns, interests, and limited and repetitive activities. People with this disorder exhibit a wide range of symptoms and levels of disability – hence the term "spectrum".

In 2018, one child out of 59 has been identified with an ASD in the United States. In St. Lucia, 75 children were officially diagnosed with ASD at CDGC in March 2019. In addition, 22 children have social communication problems and are undergoing badessment and diagnosis. CDGC is the only multidisciplinary center for badessment and intervention for pediatric development in Saint Lucia. It was created because of the need to identify and respond quickly to children with developmental delay. To date, the CDGC team has evaluated more than 2,000 children and continues to receive an increasing number of referrals. In 2018, 356 children were referred to CDGC for evaluation. At the present time, there are no speech therapists and pediatric occupational therapists in St. Lucia. Therapists usually come from abroad and lend their services to provide the much needed intervention for people with ASD.

The first Autism Awareness Conference was held at St. Joseph Convent on October 17, 2015 and its resounding success marked the beginning of many opportunities for autistic children, their parents and their educators. Since the conference, the number of people looking for a diagnosis has increased dramatically and more and more children have been diagnosed with autism. However, much remains to be done to continue raising awareness in Saint Lucia. Parents and caregivers facing this disorder need ongoing support and badistance, especially when they experience feelings of doubt, confusion, guilt, anger, and fear. despair. At the present time, many parents of people with autism are going through periods of despair and depression because of their inability to cope with this challenge. What makes it even harder for them is that they are not getting the proper support and resources that they desperately need. Educators also need significant support to effectively educate and manage people with ASD. In addition, religious leaders need to learn strategies to manage people with ASD in their congregations and find ways to better serve them.

The intervention and support needed by children with autism and their parents, as well as other people who play an important role in their lives, will be provided at this Autism Camp and Conference.