“My grammy fell down…. She needs to rest to get better so I am writing her,” says the Charlottetown man, who has autism.
He types out a caring message, presses the send button, and quickly turns his attention to surfing the World Wide Web. “I like to see what Trump is up to today.”
Surprised that there’s no new tweets from the outspoken U.S. president in the early morning news feed Allen heads to the East Coast Music Association website to check on the festival lineup for the April festival in Saint John.
“There’s so much going on,” says Allen, a student at the Academy of Learning who, after completing Keyboarding and Introduction to the Internet, has moved on to learning software applications like Word 2010 and Power Point.
Besides gaining computer skills, he’s gaining new friends in the professional working environment.
“Greg is a very social student. He’s very positive. He enjoys being in class. And we enjoy having him,” says instructor Randy Burrows.
Focus on the community
- April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day.
- To celebrate, Autism Speaks and Autism Speaks Canada will celebrate its international “Light It Up Blue” campaign. This year they are partnering with Stars for Life Foundation and the Autism Society of P.E.I. to light up Charlottetown City Hall and other businesses and organizations.
- Stars for Life – Go to http://starsforlife.com/
- Project Lifesaver P.E.I. – Go to http://projectlifesaverpei.com/
- Autism Society of P.E.I.– Go to http://autismsociety.pe.ca/
These weekly classes have opened a whole new world to him.
“I like it here,” says Allen, who has an apartment of his own at the Upper Prince Street group home and enjoys a structured schedule. This allows him to relax and better attend the learning tasks at hand.
“I’m always thinking about the future, that’s why having a routine is important to me,” says Allen who, with the help of his community support person, Jerry Gallant, has activities for every day of the week.
Gallant says he’s “come a long way” in the last year.
“At first he had a few (distractions) to get over, like movies. But now he’s able to concentrate better.”
At 35, Allen is one of hundreds of Prince Edward Islanders who have autism. It’s a complex developmental disorder that typically affects the person’s ability to communicate, form relationships and respond appropriately to the environment.
He’s one of the lucky ones, says Nathalie Walsh, executive director, Autism Society of P.E.I.
“Success stories like Greg’s are the result of resources and support from families, government services and community organizations. He’s a positive example, a gold standard of what we’re looking for, and everyone should have that support.”
On P.E.I. there are several avenues of government support including a pre-school diagnostic team in the department of health. There’s also one-on-one intensive behavior intervention, provided by the department of education, for the early years. (prior to kindergarten)
“But, at the moment, there’s a waiting list for both these services as well as early intervention. The scary part is a lot of kids are timing out before they receive intervention and diagnosis,” says Walsh.
What is needed is a national autism strategy so no matter where people live they will get the same standard of intervention and support, regardless of age. “It’s something Autism Canada is focusing on right now.”
At Shawn’s No Frills in Stratford, Allen is focusing his attention on stocking the shelves in the fresh produce department. After volunteering for several months, the owner has just offered him a part-time job.
“Greg is a wonderful addition to the team. To see him come in once or twice a week to help out brings a smile to our face,” says Shawn MacGillivray.
“He likes to help out, mingle with the staff and, as long as gets a snack for break, life is good.”
