Autism no party, TT

THE EDITOR: April is Autism Awareness Month. But autism should not be celebrated in TT.

Wearing blue clothes and buying blue products imply autism is a party rather than a crisis. For families living with autism, the reality is far more sober and their needs extend far beyond “awareness.”

The feel-good frippery of “Light it up Blue” cloaks a debilitating disorder in an air of festivity.

Autism Awareness Month celebrates the unique talents and skills of people with autism. I am all for honouring the achievements of autistic people but the term “unique talents and skills” hardly connotes a global crisis.

Autism is no gift. It is not advantageous. Autism is no walk in Palmiste Park for those who have it nor for their loved ones.

Autistic children wander and run away from a safe environment. They experience accidental drowning. Autistic children are bullied and teased.

Young adults with autism face a bleak quality of life, with lower employment rates than those with other disabilities.

Painting the San Fernando Hill in blue does not improve the lives of autistic people and their caretakers. Celebrating talents does little to educate the public on the intense challenges of the diagnosis and the tough aspects of living with the disability.

What autism in TT needs is not a party, but a sense of urgency and true crisis. We need advocates committed not only to getting them the acceptance they deserve but the critical help they require to survive, in the form of social programmes, education, safety and employment opportunities.

For Autism Awareness Month, let us make a donation to a local organisation. Do not wear blue. Volunteer as an Autism buddy.

Invite autistic children to your child’s birthday party. Let us turn Autism Awareness Month into Autism Action Month.

Parents did not cause autism in their children. We need to stop blaming them for it.

People with autism deserve a bright, not just a blue, future.

AV RAMPERSAD, Princes Town