Host of awareness activities to mark World Autism Day |11 April 2015

In order to raise more awareness of the autism condition which affects a number of people here and encourage solidarity with parents who are concerned, a host of activities was organised last week to mark World Autism Day which fell on April 2.

Pearl Seychelles Autism Association, which brings together parents with autistic children, organised a bake sale in front of the post office in town.

Marie-Annette Ernesta, the vice-chairperson of Pearl Seychelles Autism Association, said the parents support group takes great pride in making society aware that autistic people need our help.

“Today we join the world to commemorate Autism Day and our association, parents whose kids are autistic, have come together to raise awareness of the condition,” she said.

Ms Ernesta said the autism association has launched a nationwide effort to promote autism awareness, inclusion and self-determination for all, and ensure that each person with autism is provided with the opportunity to achieve the highest possible quality of life.

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder which is characterised by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication and restricted and repetitive behaviour. Parents usually notice signs of the condition in the first two years of their child's life.

The condition is a wide-spectrum disorder, which means that 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.

All proceeds of the bake sale will go towards the autism association. The association is raising funds to build a centre for people with autism so they can have a place adapted for them to receive the help they need, people to work with them and give them the attention they deserve.

Pearl Seychelles Autism Association also organised a church service at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception to commemorate the day.
Father David Alcindor, the Cathedral parish priest, presided over the service which was held at noon on April 8.

“Today is special, we pray for children with autism. Those kids are really special; they are gifts from God…we are all gifts from God,” he said.
Ms Ernesta, whose eldest son is autistic, shared her testimony having a child with the condition.  

“Children with autism are unique, they are normal people like all of us, they can smile, they can cry, they can have fun…Let’s all work together, let’s all love our children with autism, and accept them the way they are,” she asked everyone present.

A large number of people attended the service including autistic children and their families.
Pupils and staff of the International School of Seychelles (ISS) also joined in the activities in a bid to help raise more awareness on autism in Seychelles. The activities held during a half day event at the school was aimed at “celebrating our differences and our sameness”.

The inclusion manager at ISS, Yolandi Roux and her special educational needs (SEN) team had prepared a programme that made sure that every section of the school was involved in the activities. Children in the early childhood category had a balloon activity which they called their ‘Blue friends’. For the junior section, there was a flash mob telling the story of inclusion through dance. Students of the secondary section also had a flash mob. There was also a blue cake sale and face painting.

“We have a number of children in our school who have been formally diagnosed with autism; so we very much have vested interest in raising awareness and raising the profile for the children with special educational needs but especially for autism,” said Miss Roux.

According to her the message they want to convey is that although they are different,  with support and help autistic people can understand and they will realise that their differences do not have to stop them from being included in society and being included in mainstream school.

She also said the importance of this is that although they are an international school they are an international school within a local context.

“We really pride ourselves on the fact that a number of our children are Seychellois and our focus is on the fact that we are all the same although there are so many differences between us,” she pointed out.

The speech and language therapist of ISS, Annalise Di Belle, initiated the Autism Awareness day for the first time last year.

“We wanted to repeat the same event but on a larger scale. The kids are really involved and from all the ages they are gradually understanding the importance of this day,” she said.

The Pearl Seychelles Autism Association chairperson, Lyn Lavigne, was also present with a stand displaying different awareness-raising leaflets and pictures of famous people with autism, as well as awareness wrist bands ‘Connect with Autism’ on sale.

Pearl Seychelles Autism Association expects to organise autism awareness activities during the whole month of April.   
The accompanying photos were taken during the various activities to mark the occasion.