Frustrations are growing among parents of children with special needs. They believe there is a dearth of inclusive summer camps that take their wards’ needs into consideration.
For hundreds of school-aged children next week when the majority of camps across the island open, it will be a chance for them to meet new friends, be stimulated by outdoor activities and be engaged in other activities after being constrained by the restrictions of the pandemic for the past two years.
However, for children with special needs, whether it is a physical disability or a developmental disorder, traditional summer camps can pose challenges.
Charmaine Walker, whose son Tyler is autistic, said that even worse, she can find no summer camp that is willing to accept her eight-year-old. So, he may have to remain indoors for most, if not all, of the vacation until school resumes in September signalling the start of a new school year. This is a sentiment being echoed by several other parents, many of whom were unwilling to speak on the record. They however are now calling for greater inclusion as they believe that differently-abled children do not have equitable access to camps.
Charmaine and Tyler Walker
While the National Disabilities Unit said it was not offering a camp this year, the two on offer by the Division of Youth Affairs at the Erdiston Special Annex and the Ann Hill School for special needs children require that children are potty-trained or they will need to be accompanied by an adult in order to attend.
“People got to understand that most disabled children have single parents and we can’t work because there is nothing for them to do in their vacation time, since the school is closed. I called two camps and they can’t facilitate Tyler because of the special needs and stuff like that, so it is a bit hard. I do try to do as many activities with Tyler but he still needs the physical and social interaction with other children.
“There is nowhere for the children to go and nothing to do. I know people would say ‘he is your child keep him at you’ but people don’t understand the difficulties sometimes. There aren’t a lot of parents like me who will read up and let me find something that will stimulate him. I would like to go out there and work too but I have to depend on his welfare,” Walker lamented to Barbados TODAY.
Just like Tyler, Faith Chukwuka’s ten-year-old autistic son Ephraim wears diapers and as a result, he will be unable to attend the specialised camps. Chukwuka is a single parent and she told Barbados TODAY she would like some part-time work during the summer holiday to prepare for back-to-school, since Ephraim will be transitioning to secondary school. However, a job, while it would be helpful, is not feasible since there is no camp he can attend during the day.
“Unless the employer is very understanding I can’t be tied down. If I take him to the camp and he dirties himself, I will have to leave work to go and clean him because they will not. So home is the only option now. . . .This is only the first week of vacation and he is already missing being able to go outside and run about. I don’t have room around my house that he can go and run about,” Chukwuka said.
Faith Chukwuka and her 10-year-old autistic son Ephraim. copy 2
In terms of public parks to take Ephraim for some stimulation, the single mother lamented the absence of play areas equipped for special needs children.
“We have community parks in my area. . .but the slides and stuff for him would have the normal stairs part that you got to climb. He can’t use them, he can’t manoeuvre them. To take him to the regular parks to play, besides the fact that he is big for his age, he still can’t climb up and use the slide, he can’t climb a regular monkey bar. The parks aren’t special needs friendly as there isn’t a platform leading up to the slide. The parks aren’t someplace you can really take them, it isn’t inclusive – and nobody can’t pay to go into Chefette every day so that their child can use Chefette’s playpark. There are no options that you can take them to feel safe, unless the child doesn’t have motor issues, the community parks don’t really accommodate them,” she added.
Both Walker and Chukwuka are asking for a greater understanding of children on the autistic spectrum. They believe that autism goes unnoticed.
“Unless you have something like cerebral palsy or down syndrome, many people don’t look at it as a problem, but it is a big problem. Autism is a hidden disability and it is ignored. Even when you go to places, I does got to explain, and some people are considerate about it but most people are not. . . A lot of people don’t understand the disability that he has because if I go out with Tyler and he acts up, the first thing people want to say is ‘your child hardears’. I ain’t vex with them really but it is a lack of understanding and a lack of knowledge about autistic children,” Walker maintained.
Chukwuka added: “I think the government itself is not sufficiently aware of the challenges special needs children face because unfortunately even when you hear this minister or the other minister has a special needs child, you have to understand that their experience is much different to ours.
“Having that type of job and that type of support with a special needs child is going to be far different from ours since we can’t even go out to work a full-time job. The level of care and the lack of accessibility of what we would consider everyday services that other people can find, like approved afterschool care, we don’t get. So, it’s difficult to lead a productive life, work a full-time job and get proper care for your child. For the people who don’t have it, we need governmental intervention to help.”
