“I believe that Autistics should still be treated with the same level of respect. They have the same rights that any normal person has and even though they have a disability, it doesn’t mean they are not capable of anything. They deserve to be treated in a special way so that we can learn from them and they can learn from us. There is no exact explanation of the causes of autism but most of these persons go through life with the help of others and a lot of support from the persons who are dedicated to serving persons with disabilities.”
This is an excerpt from the winning essay submitted by 14 year old Sicourney Jackson of Queens High School, the sole winner of this year’s Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors Competition 2012.
Sicourney has made history by being the only choice this year by judges for her work between January and April 2012, for this year’s Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation’s Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors competition.
During that period she set up displays at her school as well as at a Jamaican mosque working closely with her supervisor, to get the work established.
She wrote letters to the editors of the national newspaper, to advocate for citizenry to be mindful and more careful of how they treat with the nation’s disabled also.
She also wrote a required essay on a disability of her choice, which was adjudged the best receiving the highest score of all submitted 9 out 10 from the competition’s judges.
Out of 100 entrants from across the nation, Sicourney distinguished herself as the only young person to stay the course of the three month assessment period, maintaining a high standard of delivery of all the requirements to win the contest.
The judging panel which consisted of all 8 members’ board of directors of the Foundation as well as new sponsorship partners such as dancehall legend Don Yute and Senator Norman Grant patron of the Autism and Disabilities Foundation.
Sicourney researched and wrote about Autism for her required piece an essay saying - “parents who have a child with autism usually feel a sense of confusion because they have to relate to their child differently than relating to a normal child”.
She added, “even though a person with Autism doesn’t communicate with others in the normal way, the help from others or even a parent will help them to know that there is someone that they can relate to. When you are getting to know an Autistic person you not only teach them but they teach you. They can teach you how to approach a situation cautiously or even how to observe keenly to their behavior, their likes and dislikes”.
Sicourney volunteered to help disabled children during the course of here assessment while balancing her schoolwork and cited that experience as really eye opening.
Again the competition proved telling according to Foundation managing director Maia Chung, - we need these youngsters to see that it is stamina and dedication that is necessary to treat with the disabled.
Ms. Chung added that – “we are determined to ignite behavioral change among the next generation of government leaders, special educator, parents of the disabled coworkers and general citizenry that will have to deal with an ever growing and relevant part of the population; the disabled”.
Chung added, “ we have many other programmes to address our mandate - TV programmes, PSAs, the Autism information Kiosk at the Tom Redcam library in Kingston Jamaica, Fundraisers, partnerships to support Autism and Disabilities care facilities - but each mechanism, targets a different part of the problem”.
Ms. Chung said “this competition is our flagship effort to commemorate or mark global Autism month, which occurs in April”.
Director of the Board Nicole Hayles said, “This year like last year we sought six ambassadors. Last year we found three, Nicole Nation overall winner, Javanna Haughton and Shavell Skeel. These young women won just roughly 200 –thousand dollars’ worth of prizes, internships and scholarships”.
Ms. Hayles added “this year the prizes are valued at just about 500-thousand dollars which will all go to Ms. Jackson she really deserves them, at just 14 she has already showcased the grit we need as a part of the work we do, and how we want to be represented as an organization”.
She continued, “She will receive all the prizes as a result of her extreme focus and excellent efforts which tens of thousands in cash prizes two computers a laptop as well as a handheld computer, she will be the guest of honor at the fully sponsored Wyndham Kingston Jamaica inaugural Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors Banquet.
That banquet will cater to 35 exclusive guests.
According to Director of the Board Jeanette Gordon, “the prizes have increased in value this year taking us from roughly 200-thousand last year, with international chain Wyndham coming on board to put on the fully sponsored banquet our prize value is just about half a million. This means that the brand we have is gaining credibility and we hope this will bring more sponsors on for the future, so we can use incentives to get the youth populace involved. We need these young people buying into this situation, as the real change may emanate from their efforts”.
The banquet will see Chino McGregor international reggae recording artiste as a special guest, lending his status as positive entertainment role model to the mix, also a part of the MCADF’s strategy of aligning itself to positive programmes, persons and projects to help the disabled.
The Foundation employs several strategic methods to increase Autism awareness with the view to spurring the necessary action to improving current conditions under which they exist here in Jamaica.
This particular competition is designed to address the needs of making the youth populace of Jamaica become aware of their responsibility for the marginalized in their country, using incentives to drive their involvement.
Board member Cassius Watson says, “Our Foundation is happy if we find one worthy winner, despite each year looking for six”.
He adds, “Quality is what we seek, with the view being that we believe one can make such a significant and impactful change, which will be the tipping point we seek to change the paradigm that now pertains for Jamaica’s disabled, for the better”.
Sicourney, who is currently attending The Queen’s School, has taken an interest in the world of teaching because she believes that teachers make a great impact in the lives of students.
She quotes Victor Hugo, “he who opens a school door, closes a prison” as her main motivation in pursuing the job as a teacher in History, Social Studies or English Literature.
Sicourney says in five years, she sees herself attending the Shortwood Teachers’ College Jamaica, to pursue a Bachelor of Education in Teaching in Secondary Education.
She came to enter the competition when on January 31, 2012; she was looking through the newspaper and read an article about the launching of The Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors competition.
She was interested in entering this competition because she wanted to learn more about disabilities and experience something new.
Sicourney admitted it was not easy for her but she placed all her effort into this competition with the help of not only her school supervisor a requirement of the contest, but her friends in her class.
She said it was also a fun and interactive experience, especially when she visited the Mustard Seed Communities to volunteer.
According to Sicourney, “at the end, I have learnt a lot about the disabled and the rights they had to be heard”.
Autism is defined by the Autism Society of America (ASA) as: "Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.
Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development."
Most signs or characteristics of Autism are evident in the areas of speech or communication (verbal and non-verbal). Many of the signs or symptoms of Autism begin presenting themselves between 2 and 6 years of age.
mcautismfoundation@gmail.com
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