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Editorial on autism missed some facts

Jul 11, 2014 Letters

Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the Editorial, The Mentally Ill Among Us, in the June 30, 2014 edition of the Kaieteur News.  I am specifically writing in response to the comments and statements related to Autism.  First of all, I highly agree that an increase in awareness and understanding of Autism in Guyana is needed.
I also support the idea of the government; I am assuming the Ministry of Education, providing more specialized support for children with Autism.  However, the author of that Editorial does not have all of the facts.
Autism, now formally referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder, is a neurological disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and interaction and the presence of restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.  Common early signs of Autism include limited eye contact, failure to respond to name being called, no words by 16 months, no pointing or using other gestures, and repetitive movements of the body.
There have been a number of different incident rates reported from different countries.  The latest incident rate reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 1 in 68 children.  To my knowledge, there are no available incidents rates of Autism in Guyana, and in my experience, most of the children with Autism that I have met do not have a formal diagnosis.
Although it is very scary and confusing for a Guyanese parent to know what to do if they suspect that there child might have Autism, awareness and understanding of Autism in Guyana has increased.  Thanks to the efforts of a number of local parents and volunteers, as well as the First Lady, Mrs. DeolatchmeeRamotar, awareness of Autism in Guyana has increased.
This past April, in recognition of World Autism Day and Autism Awareness Month, the First Lady hosted a Light up Blue Vigil on April 2nd, where approximately 100 participants were in attendance.  On April 6th,there were well over 100 in attendance for an Autism Awareness Walk hosted by Mrs. Ramotar.  These are small steps, but important steps toward Autism being recognized and understood by both professionals and the Guyanese community.
I am a clinical psychologist and Autism consultant from the U.S., and I have been coming to Guyana for the past six years, approximately three to four times each year.   There are several different private schools that are working to serve children with Autism in Guyana, and I am a part of one of those schools, The Step by Step School for Children with Autism.
The Step by Step School is a small school that uses a teaching approach called Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).  ABA has extensive scientific support and has been shown to be extremely effective for children with Autism.  The Step by Step School began approximately three years ago, with the mission of establishing a model school based on the ABA Method for teaching children with Autism, assisting parents to effectively help their children to achieve to their fullest potential, developing a training program to train teachers throughout Guyana in the ABA method, and with identifying mechanisms to develop the capacity in Guyana to diagnose Autism.
The Step by Step School currently serves a small group of children and is funded completely through donations of money, resources, and time.  Thus, it is true, as suggested by the author of the Editorial, that there is not currently any government support for the services provided by The Step by Step School.  However, the First Lady has visited The Step by Step School and has expressed her support of our efforts.  It is the hope of the staff, volunteers, and parents of The Step by Step School to be able to work with the Ministry of Education, or other government agencies, to assist with more effectively identifying and diagnosing Autism and with helping ensure that every child with Autism in Guyana is able to receive an appropriate and effective education.
James T. Ellis, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Educational and Behavioral Consultant
Clinical Psychologist
Step By Step Behavioral Solutions
166 Boston Street
Boston, MA  02125

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