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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Contribution Supports Pilot Programs Focusing on Speech and Occupational Therapy
About 20 Nassau families struggling to support their loved ones with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will receive extensive free occupational and speech therapy training this summer through R.E.A.C.H., thanks to a donation from Commonwealth Bank.
“Our top priority has always been to make sure every Bahamian is given access to adequate educational resources,” said Commonwealth Bank President Ian A. Jennings. “For families with children on the autism spectrum, the most valuable educational resource is knowing how to relate to the child with autism in a way that is non-threatening and encouraging. That training is one of the many valuable services that R.E.A.C.H. provides. Thus, we are proud to support them.”
Founded in 1998, R.E.A.C.H. – Resources and Education for Autism and Related Challenges -- is the only organisation in The Bahamas that offers comprehensive assistance to parents whose children have autism and related neurobiological disorders.
“Our numbers have been growing annually in terms of membership,” said Marcia Newball, Executive Director for R.E.A.C.H. “Our parent support group is a viable community and they keep inviting more family and friends.”
The Centers for Disease Control in the U.S. estimates that one in 68 children are born on the spectrum in comparison to one in every 2,500 children 20 years ago. Because ASD creates social, communication and behavioral challenges, many children with autism resort to tantrums, uttering guttural sounds of anguish or lashing out physically just to express basic human emotions like hunger, pain, discomfort, fear or stress. Even more exacerbating is that these cries for help are often dismissed as nothing more than “bad behavior” by the general public.
“That’s why speech and occupational therapy training for families is crucial,” said Neil Strachan, AVP Marketing and Business Development, Commonwealth Bank and a director of R.E.A.C.H. “Without consistent behavior modification strategies both in school and at home, the exhaustive cycle of being shunned, judged and misunderstood by society continues for children with autism. In fact, one of the major challenges R.E.A.C.H. faces in Nassau is a shortage of these specialized therapists. Resources are limited, not to mention expensive. Many parents in The Bahamas struggle to keep up with the normal costs of raising and educating children, much less the higher costs of raising children with special needs.”
In addition to providing funding for the 2016 summer pilot programs, Newball said that in the three years since she’s been with R.E.A.C.H., funding from Commonwealth Bank donations has been used toward building a new facility at Queen’s College on Village Road, monthly parent support groups and social activities including an annual Easter Egg Hunt which offers some more than 85 families the chance to take part in a festive holiday activity that those who don’t have children on the spectrum may take for granted.
“It’s important that all Bahamians have a place where they can go and be accepted,” Jennings said. “We are proud to be a part of making this happen for those living with autism.”
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