September 14-2012
His name is Samuel Clarke and he is seven years old. He lives in Jamaica, Old Harbour St. Catherine.
He is a diagnosed Jamaican Autist and he eats stones, paper and sticks – while refusing normal food.
His mother a poor single woman with 8 children; ties him daily to reduce his risk of hurting his siblings accidentally… or them hurting him in the same manner. His brothers and sisters don’t understand their brother’s plight, but they are all troubled by his obvious suffering.
This tying is detrimental to the boy, but ironically it is also a safety mechanism in use because she loves him.
Reaching out to various entities in Jamaica, she finally made contact with The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (MCADF) 2 weeks ago to seek help.
According to the Managing Director of the MCADF Maia Chung said, “while his mother was on the phone I heard him screaming in the background…it became a priority emergency for me and by extension the Foundation”.
This led to the Agency contacting their chief assessment specialist Ruthlyn James of the Adonijah Group of Schools in Kingston Jamaica, who prioritized an assessment with the boy whom she says is in dire need of intervention and also malnourished. She confirms that Samuel will respond to intervention design for his severe level of Autism.
According to Maia Chung, his mother is anxious to get help for the little boy who is obviously suffering, her tying him was indeed a desperate bid to protect him and her other children and also done out of ignorance of this strange disorder Autism.
She said further, “when I called to indicate that Samuel will be let into Adonijah starting Monday September 17-2012, to his mother whose identity I will not disclose – she was cleaning up fecal matter which Samuel had been unable to prevent from messing up the house as he has no idea how to control these bodily functions”.
Miss Chung confirmed that a fifty thousand dollar donation from the Jamaica Securities Dealers Association (JSDA) made on the anniversary of their Association turning ten, will immediately be relegated to the Samuel Clarke case.
As immediate intervention available at the Adonijah Group of Schools is necessary and has been confirmed will make a difference in the young boy’s life, as well as that of his family.
We had earmarked the funds to help grow the teaching infrastructure of the nation’s disabilities schools, but had to make a redirection upon being exposed this case.
To have him entered into the school’s programme it will take 45-thousand dollars per term and 20-thousand dollars monthly for a shadow, which is a sort of protector and interpreter for the Autistic person to help them navigate the world, within their challenge.
According to Maia Chung when calculations in the United States indicate that to provide the requisite care for an Autistic person for his or her lifetime is US 3 million dollars, where will a non-profit like the MCADF get the required dollars - to sustain these interventions or make them.
As soon as we get any monies they are used to save the ones we can.
Chung added that, “the costs quoted do not include the boy’s meals or travel fare as his help is to be found in Kingston and his mother will incur 3 thousand dollars weekly just to get him to and from school daily”.
Using the case study of Samuel Clarke just to cover his therapy and education needs for a year tallies at 387-thousand Jamaican dollars.
“we are solely dependent on the donations of people who are so moved that they will not let us lose children like Samuel”, said Chung.
The Jamaica Securities Dealers Association’s 50-thousand dollars has enabled us to get Samuel Clarke into a proper Autism care facility as at Monday September 17-2012.
Though we have had to channel the recently given JSDA funds, in a different direction, we are pleased they are there- we have dozens and dozens of cases across the country and we are only reliant on kind people and organizations that choose to give.
We continue to encourage people to spend and support the organizations that support the poorest of the poor Jamaicans through our small efforts.
“I am not certain how we will keep up these interventions, as right behind advocacy the MCADF’s priority is saving lives like that of Samuel Clarke” – said Chung.
The JSDA articulates through its President Gary Peart, that the Association is an organization that aims to build financial instruments markets capable of gaining the highest confidence of investors to Jamaica’s economic growth and development.
Their decision to incorporate our efforts in their work means that we fully support and endorse their efforts, as working with the JSDA sees tangible benefits to Jamaica’s most vulnerable.
Autism has different forms of severity.
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."
CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM
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.
The research indicates the following symptoms are the most commonly found characteristics of Autism:
• The child is unable to coo by 12 months.
• The child also does not point or gesture by 12 months.
• The child does not say single words by 16 months.
• The child does not say 2 or more words by 24 months.
• Has lost some of social skills or language abilities
Other Characteristics include:
• No fear of danger.
• Over or under sensitivity to pain.
• May avoid eye contact with you.
• May prefer to be by him/herself.
• Has difficulty expressing what they want or need - may then try to use gestures.
May echo words or phrases.
