GoodHeart |Sydia Allen leads walk for autism, promoting inclusion

As a mother of two autistic sons, Sydia Allen has learned that putting others before herself is essential, and should be the guiding principle of her life.

In recognition of Autism Awareness Month in April, Allen – a nurse with 20 years’ of experience and founder of the Jamaica Autism Academy – will demonstrate her commitment to the autism community by organising and participating in the Walk With Me March for autism awareness, which will take place on Sunday, starting at 6 a.m. at Emancipation Park.

Following the march, there will be a panel discussion with psychologists for parents and caregivers of children living with autism, allowing them to share their challenges and insights into life at home with autistic children.

“I want to promote awareness most of all, and inclusivity. I want to break the stigma that surrounds autism. I want to advocate for acceptance, embrace neurodiversity, equal opportunities, educate and empower. Many parents out there don’t know about autism and they don’t know how to care for the child or what’s the next step [after a diagnosis],” Allen told GoodHeart.

With her sons – Paul-Michael Diamond, six, who is on the autism spectrum, and Emmett Diamond, nine, who is also on the spectrum with different needs and strengths – she has developed a soft spot for young parents who are scared after receiving a diagnosis for their child. This compassion led her to leave her job at a hospital and establish the Jamaica Autism Academy inside her home.

“It is important for them to know which level on the spectrum their child is. If the child needs any type of therapy sessions, it is important that they start as soon as possible, especially speech therapy. It is not the end of the world. Don’t be ashamed of your child. They are unique and special,” Allen said.

She continued, “I had a parent called me two weeks ago, and she was crying, and I actually met up with her and spoke with her and she said her relatives and the community are teasing and mocking the child, and not everyone’s mental health is strong enough to cope. They told her [that] her child is an handicap, and she felt bad, and she doesn’t know how to manage certain critiques, but I just encouraged her, because it’s not the end of the world.”

BEST SOLUTION

Another reason Allen started the Jamaica Autism Academy was the challenges her sons faced at over six different prep schools. She felt homeschooling was the best solution, and soon other parents asked her to educate their autistic children during the week.

“For the children on the spectrum and attending the traditional schools, they are being abused. They’re being bullied and they’re not getting the attention that they need, so, for a school that is not equipped, we have to have a facility for them that can aid in every aspect of their development,” Allen explained.

It has been two years since Allen began homeschooling her sons. While the school is currently operating on a small scale, she dreams of expanding it into a larger, more inclusive environment. Allen is calling on kind-hearted individuals to help make this vision a reality, enabling her to better support neurodiverse children, including those with ADHD, ADD, and neurotypical students.

“We want to get the school ready for September. However, it has been very challenging for us to try and source a location to put the facility. Reason being that it’s not just a regular facility that houses 50 or less, [but instead], we want something like a mini campus, based on what we want to do. What I want to do is for them to get all of their therapy sessions under one roof, along with their academics; it is hard for parents to leave from this institution and take their child to therapy session, bring them back to the institution, and the therapy sessions cost between $10,000 to $15,000 per session – which no regular Jamaican can afford that, and the child needs more than one therapy session for the week,” she said.

She added, “For a child who is non-verbal and needs speech therapy, I believe that, based on assessment, that child is going to need at least five therapy sessions for the week or more. So, how can a regular Jamaican afford [that]? So, it’s very hard on them and very challenging for them, and we want to change that. We want to provide a facility for them where they can get everything under one roof. All their academic and therapy. That’s the vision of the Jamaica Autism Academy.”

Members of the public are invited to participate in the Jamaica Autism Academy’s March– ‘Walk With Me’ this Sunday, free of charge, to help raise awareness, promote inclusion, and advocate for greater support for autism.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com