MINISTRY OF EDUCATION TO PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN 2025

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 19, 2024 (SKNIS) – Taking into account an increase in the number of diagnoses in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Ministry of Education intends to place greater emphasis on autism spectrum disorder in the upcoming year 2025.

That assurance was given by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, while outlining his ministries’ plans and objectives for the next financial year, during day three of the 2025 Budget Debate on December 19, 2024.

Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socialises with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behaviour.

Deputy Prime Minister Hanley reported the latest statistics to the National Assembly which revealed that 306 students in St. Kitts have been diagnosed with autism.

“We are lending all of the support that we can in this area,” the minister said, as he commended Dr. Josephine Claxton-Richardson and her team at the St. Kitts Spectrum Services Centre for “the fantastic job they are doing to assist our students in this area.”

Additionally, the deputy prime minister said he has secured the assistance of experts at Dalhousie University, in Canada, to provide additional training to teachers in St. Kitts and Nevis on techniques and strategies on how to deal with autistic children.

“To further help these students, Madam Deputy Speaker, we have placed teaching assistants in all of the schools that require these, and if they need more, then we are going to use the resources where we need to,” Dr. Hanley said.

As Minister of Education, Dr. Hanley appealed to persons in St. Kitts and Nevis to consider pursuing careers in areas of speech and occupational therapy, noting that the ministry is exploring the possibility of making scholarships available in these fields of study that are critically needed in the Federation.

In June of this year, the Early Childhood Development Unit (ECDU) and the Ministry of Education opened multi-sensory rooms for students with autism spectrum disorder at four daycare centres on the island.

The sensory rooms will help the children manage their sensory needs, regulate emotions, and focus on learning. The rooms provide a safe environment where children can explore sights, sounds, textures, and movement experiences.

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