Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 18, 2020 (SKNIS): Through a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Education and Health, 2021 will see the construction of a brand new building in Fortlands to house the St. Kitts Spectrum Services Centre.
Minister of Education, the Honourable Jonel Powell, announced this during a Sitting of Parliament to debate The Appropriation Bill (2021), 2020, on December 18.
The centre, which is currently housed at the Industrial Site Preschool, has been doing tremendous work in St. Kitts and Nevis and has not attracted sufficient recognition as it provides resources and instruction for students who are part of the Autistic Spectrum, said the minister.
The new centre will provide rooms and resources for learning, therapy, and help that has been lacking, he added.
“Too often over the course of our history, persons who have some degree of autism have been misdiagnosed, have been shunned and have not had the opportunities that they deserve to really excel,” said Minister Powell. “Autism is not a bad thing. It just means that these students learn and express themselves differently.”
Already added to the team at the centre are a health planner and a speech therapist out of the United States.
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