Dear people in charge

DR RADICA MAHASE

Dear people in charge,

My name is Chris and I am 13-years-old. I was diagnosed with autism when I was five years old. I attended a pre-school for regular kids until I was seven and then my mommy had to put me in a special school. I liked my special school but then it got too crowded and noisy and it would hurt my ear. Also, as I got older it was more difficult for me to sit for long periods of time and do work and so I had to stop school.

People in charge, today is September 3, school reopened today. All the kids I know went to school this morning. My cousin Kevin got a new book bag and shinning red lunch kit and new books. The little girl from next door got new uniforms and she was so excited to start primary school. I heard her mommy telling her that she packed a sandwich and juice for her. I want my mommy to pack my lunch and take me to school too. But I don’t have any school to go to.

My mommy couldn’t find a school for me. She said the only hope for me was the special school I attended but now my head just hurts from all the noise and too many children there, so there is no school to go to. I know it really bothers my mommy and I hear the sadness in her voice when she tells my aunty that she cannot find anywhere for me to go to school.

All mommy wants for me is a place that I can go and learn. She wants a place that she can drop me off and she knows that I am safe; where the teachers would understand me although I do not communicate verbally. She wants a place where I can do fun activities, where I can get up and walk around for a few minutes if I am getting frustrated or tired. I can write words and short sentences and I know all my letters and numbers and my mommy is happy with that. She said that she wants me to learn to do things myself and be independent more than she wants me to learn academic things.

For the past year my mommy has been looking for somewhere to take me, somewhere that I will be comfortable and have fun. People in charge, can you not build a place where I can go at least three days a week? It doesn’t have to be every day you know. I just want to go out sometimes and meet friends and do craft activities and sing and play with other children like myself.

Can you not build a place where I can go and just be myself?

Maybe this place can have a speech therapist who will help me to say more words, because I want to say more words but they just don’t come out.

Maybe this place can also have a developmental therapist who will help me deal with puberty because sometimes it’s really difficult for me and I don’t know how to handle it and then I get meltdowns and then my mommy worries even more.

I know that if I have a place to go to then my mommy will stop worrying. She will also get some time for herself when she drops me off to school. Otherwise she has to stay with me all the time and she’s tired. I know that she just wants me to have an opportunity to do things; to get out of the house, to learn new stuff, to interact with others. Once I have a place to go to everyone will be happy. I will make friends and I will be more independent.

People in charge, can you please make this happen. If the other kids can go to school surely I can as well? Can you not make a place especially for me and other kids with autism? Shouldn’t I be given the opportunity to do things like other kids? Our national anthem says, “Here every creed and race find an equal place” but I don’t feel like I have an equal place. I feel like there is nothing for me, not even a basic education and you know what People in charge, you all can change that for me.

Thank you People in charge.

Dr Radica Mahase is founder/director of Support Autism T&T