World Autism Awareness Day In Bermuda
Events in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day took place on the steps of City Hall, Hamilton earlier this week, with the ceremony marking the beginning of Autism Awareness Month in Bermuda.
Bermuda joined autism communities from around the world in celebrating the 7th annual World Autism Awareness Day, which was established following a 2007 United Nations resolution. It is one of only three official condition-specific United Nations Days and aims to bring the world’s attention to Autism Spectrum Disorder [ASD], which affects tens of millions of people worldwide.
Minister Trevor Moniz officially proclaimed World Autism Awareness Day:
The celebration saw Minister Trevor Moniz read the official UN declaration and also featured performances by the Prospect Primary School Choir, the Prospect Primary Superhero Autism Class, and popular local singer Joy T. Barnum.
During April, Bermuda companies and organisations are encouraged to follow the example of C-Mart and mark Autism Awareness Month by joining the global Light It Up Blue campaign. Famous buildings around the world, such as the Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House and the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, will be lit up in blue at night to “shine a light” on autism as a growing global health crisis.
World Autism Awareness Day activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism epidemic and provide information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Additionally, it celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe. For more information, visit worldautismawarenessday.org.
Amani Peets, a child with Autism, addressed the City Hall crowd:
Jenny Purvey, president of Bermuda Autism Support & Education [BASE], said that heightened awareness has led to an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism in Bermuda but the true figures are unknown, as many children are thought to remain undiagnosed.
“We have, as a community, made great strides in increasing autism awareness in Bermuda,” she said. “With support from Government, children with autism have been accommodated in mainstream education since September 2011 when West Pembroke Primary opened their classroom. Similar classrooms were established at Prospect Primary School [September 2012] and Paget Primary School in September 2013.
“In September 2014, the Ministry of Education will extend the programme to a middle school for the first time. The location of the classroom will be announced later in the year.
“Programmes such as these are a tremendous help in fostering acceptance and understanding of autism as well as helping children with autism to fulfill their potential and contribute to society.
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It was the best of times,it was the worst of times,it was the age of wisdom it was the age of foolishness,it was the epoch of belief,it was the epoch of icredulity,it was the spring of hope,it was the winter of despair,we had everything before us,we had nothing before us,we were all going directly to heaven,we wereall ging directly the other way…….having said that….it is important to realise…were are all autistic to some extent….some are a bit more afflicted…
Just in case you weren’t aware o’dat…
There are sentient itellectuals…pseudo intellectuals….who with all they have going on .. still have great difficulty knowing right from wrong!