Increase in autism diagnoses in SVG

St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is seeing an increase in the number of autism diagnoses, and stakeholders are hoping that more steps can be taken to integrate affected children into the mainstream school system.

This was one of the primary concerns coming out of a panel discussion with stakeholders including those in the areas of health and education on a recent episode of VC3’s Round Table Talk to mark World Autism Day on April 2.

Teacher at the School for Children with Special Needs, Slyvia Jack, said despite the lack of empirical data, those involved in diagnosing and treating Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have noted an increase.

“You know in St Vincent we don’t have definite figures, but as my colleagues have noted, there has been an increase. Worldwide though, we have one in eight children diagnosed with autism. Here there has been an increase, but no definite figures.”

Consultant Paediatrician and Neurologist at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Dr Mishka Duncan explained that ASD is a disorder that affects language, social, and behavioural development in children and can be caused as a result of genetic, environmental or maternal risk factors. Symptoms of the disorder include delayed speech, speech regression, a lack of eye contact, hand-flapping, fixating on objects, aversion to changes, and other restrictive behaviours.

Dr Duncan noted that due to the nature of the disorder and where a child falls on the spectrum, attending school with children who do not have developmental challenges can be an option.

“Children on the spectrum may be able to integrate in the school system with some slight restructuring. The MOE is moving toward integration of children on the spectrum in mainstream. I don’t think we are 100 per cent there yet but we are heading towards that. And they are piloting this in Bequia. There are other pilot studies going on in St Vincent when it comes to speech therapy in the school system. We are still miles away from where we would like to be.”

Dr Duncan added that for the inclusion of children affected by ASD into mainstream schools to be beneficial, it would require individualized education plans for kids and also altering the standard assessment procedures.

Dr Duncan pointed to the need for parents and caregivers to get children screened for autism and to take advantage of the resources available locally.