Kingston, Jamaica — The Jamaican Ministry of Education, through Education Minister Ronald Thwaites, recently announced that it has taken steps in making the early diagnosis of autism in children a priority.
The Jamaican government announced that it has recently re-opened a center which will focus on the early diagnosis of the developmental disorder, with the help of the Jamaican Teachers Association (JTA).
Speaking at the Maia Chung Autism and Disability Scholarship Fund launch, Thwaites told:
“We have, in conjunction with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), reformed and reopened the Voluntary Organization for the Upliftment of Children (VOUCH) centre at West Race Course, in Kingston.”
It was also announced during the same event that the Maia Chung Autism Foundation is granting a $40,000-assistance to families caring for children with autism, to help the provide the children’s special needs, which include therapies and education. According to Maia Chung, the founder herself:
“We believe that joining with the Ministry of Education will allow us to get educators on board. This will not only help people who need the intervention, but we will have the assistance of the educators themselves, who will act as a tier of identifiers and help in making up numbers to spread awareness about autism.”
Source: Jamaican Observer: Education ministry takes action to diagnose autism early