DR RADICA MAHASE

Walt Disney said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Over the weekend, the Support Autism T&T team opened Rahul’s Clubhouse in Marabella. Rahul’s Clubhouse is an autism-friendly space where individuals on the autism spectrum can engage in educational and social activities to help them develop intellectually, mentally and emotionally.

At Rahul’s Clubhouse, both children and young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder can participate in sensory-oriented games and activities. Activities are tailored to the specific needs of the autistic person and offered at either a nominal cost or free to those from lower-income groups, with a special focus on those from central/south, as they are most affected by inequitable resources and access to opportunities for self-development.

Rahul’s Clubhouse is a dream come true for me personally and for my family. My nephew, Rahul, was and continues to be the inspiration behind our advocacy work. I started Support Autism T&T eight years ago with the main aim of creating opportunities for him and others on the autism spectrum. My sister and I dealt with many challenges trying to get him diagnosed and enrolled in a school. We struggled to afford various therapies and find ways for him to socialise.

From the very beginning, I knew that if I wanted him to have access to opportunities, then we would have to create them ourselves. My vision was always very clear – work towards the creation of a safe space where he would have access to various therapies; an education that is relevant to his developmental age and in a format that would encourage him to learn; where he would learn life skills and be able to socialise with both people on the spectrum and neurotypical youths.

For the past eight years, my team and I have worked consistently towards making this dream a reality.

My niece, Maya Nanan, started the Siblings and Friends Network, which was the youth arm of Support Autism T&T. Sibs & Friends has grown up now and is a fully registered and functioning NGO on its own, with 250-plus youth volunteers between ten and 25. It is only through their commitment and hard work that Rahul’s Clubhouse has become a reality.

[caption id="attachment_961874" align="alignnone" width="977"] Maya and her brother Rahul. - courtesy Sataish Rampersad[/caption]

In fact, funding to set up Rahul’s Clubhouse comes from the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, a network of outstanding young leaders from throughout the Commonwealth. Maya was awarded a grant from the Platinum Jubilee Fund for Young Leaders, in commemoration of the queen’s platinum jubilee, and all three directors – Maya, Celine Frederick and Rajeev Ramlakhan – are members of this distinguished network of young changemakers.

Celine, the manager at Rahul’s Clubhouse, said at the opening ceremony, “A lot of preparation, research, late-night meetings and physical work took place as we wanted to ensure that our safe space for persons on the autism spectrum was well thoug