The invisible teens with autism
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Sadly, Rahul is not the only teenager with autism in Trinidad and Tobago who is in this situation. There are many others like him, both boys and girls who have become invisible in our society. They are at home, away from the public gaze with no access to schools and no opportunities for mental development.
In a recent survey of all the teenagers registered with Support Autism T&T, only one per cent are currently attending a school and they are all high-functioning on the autism spectrum. All of them are enrolled at private schools. Extra-curricular activities are limited and 80 per cent of the parents interviewed stated that they do not take their children out in public spaces such as malls, cinemas etc, as frequently as before, because of unpredictable behaviour and too many stares from people.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
07 Mar 2018, 2:46 am
