The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation has chosen a recipient for the island’s first ever academic scholarship geared specifically towards autistic students.

The young recipient is five-year-old Shamarie Joshua Smart, a student at the Sylvia Foote Basic School in Kingston. Diagnosed at the age of three by his physician Dr Maureen Samms-Vaughan, young Shamarie is also afflicted with seizures which affect his health.

The scholarship, which was applied for by the boy’s family, amounts to $40,000 yearly, and is to be used for his academic and therapy needs.

Chung said based on the fact that the provisions for the academic needs for autistic Jamaican students are so limited, the foundation will award the scholarship to a primary school student in one year, a secondary school student in the following year, and a tertiary school student in the other year.

“It was a difficult decision [to choose] with such limited funds and so many autistic children in Jamaica in need,” Chung said. “But in the end the team voted on Shamarie Smart. We intend to grow with this young man and watch his progress with our intervention, and log the progress he makes in order that we may help the autism situation in any way we can from the lessons learnt from his specific case.”

The scholarship was launched last year in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Chung added that the scholarship was motivated by the life and development of the ambassador of the foundation, her autistic son Quinn Garren James Smith, who is now preparing for his CXC examinations.

Autism is a complex neurobehavioural condition that causes impairments in social interaction and developmental language and communication skills, combined with rigid, repetitive behaviours.

The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation started its work in 2008. Its mandate is to develop better ways to assist autistic Jamaicans in ways that really impact their lives.

Interested persons can contact the foundation through mcautismfondation@gmail.com and the website www.mcadf.org for details.

Source: Jamaica Observer