At best I’ve been a curious observer and a wishful partner in the lives of a few families with children who have autism.
Despite having been declared by the U.S. Congress as a “national health crisis” in 2002, autism remains an elusive and multi-faceted phenomenon generating more questions than answers in the lives of numerous families worldwide. There is no known cure for autism, in fact, no one can say for sure what causes it, but “evidence has shown that early educational and behavioral intervention results in greatly improved outcomes for children with autism” (ASA, or the Autism Society of America Foundation). In other words, the earlier individuals with autism are identified and begin to receive appropriate services, the higher the likelihood that they will assimilate to and lead productive lives in our community as adults.
Locally, some parents with children on the autism spectrum have been teaming up and founded the Autism Society of the CNMI initially as a support group and more recently as a collective voice and central coordinator of activities to increase awareness about autism throughout the CNMI community. Their achievements to date include a variety of sponsored activities for the public, the passage of local legislation and a pooling of multiple resources in support of their efforts, but none are more significant than the simple act of letting parents and other family members of children with autism know that they are not alone. While the responsibility and the day-to-day challenges of raising their respective children rests squarely on said parents and families, at least now they can take some comfort and lessons from others who either have or are living with the effects of autism in their family — a luxury that comes from years of dedicated, unyielding efforts of a handful of parents who simply refuse to allow their children to fall through the systemic cracks. Nobody feels more strongly about the rights and needs of children with autism or disabilities in general than their own parents…period.
When individual efforts fail, the Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems Inc., the state-designated agency for protection and advocacy services to individuals with disabilities in the CNMI, may be of assistance and is a good stepping stone toward successful self-advocacy. As a non-profit organization which receives federal funding “to protect the civil, legal and human interests of individuals with disabilities,” NMPASI is in a unique position to provide support for people with disabilities and their families in four primary ways including but not limited to (1) providing direct representation, (2) conducting/facilitating disability-related trainings, (3) disseminating disability-related information to the public and (4) offering information and referral services to members of the community at large. Above all else, we believe that disabilities are a natural part of the human condition and people with disabilities have a right to be free from abuse, neglect and discrimination. As members of our community, they are entitled to appropriate education, health care services, and opportunities to make informed decisions about their own lives. For more please contact the NMPASI office at (670) 235-7273/4 [voice] / 235-7278 [tty] / 235-7275 [fax] or contact us on-line at www.nmpasi.com. For the Autism Society of the CNMI, feel free to call 234-8803/4 or email [email protected].
JIM RAYPHAND
NMPASI Executive Director
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