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The Global Autism Project
In celebration of Worldwide Autism Awareness day, I'd like to share
the story of the Global Autism Project. Though we currently have a
project in Ghana, West Africa with the Autism Awareness Care and
Training Centre, we have plans to expand all over the globe. Please
check out our website and learn more about us today at
www.globalautismproject.org.
Our Mission
We
exist to address the needs of children with Autism in developing
countries, to address the fear that plagues parents of children with
Autism where there are few resources, and little or no understanding of
Autism.
We address these needs by
first establishing and utilizing any available resources and setting up
partnerships to work with the local individuals currently providing
services.
We feel strongly that
education does not stop with the child and seek to offer family and
community education through workshops and hands on training. We aim to
teach parents how to effectively work with their own children, as well
empower them to educate others who work with their children.
The fundamental belief that all children with Autism and their
communities deserve effective resources guides our work, as well as the
belief that education leads to understanding and acceptance of
differences.
Our Vision
Our
vision is of a world where all children with autism will have access to
effectve services wherever in the world they live.
Our History
In September of 2003, Molly Ola Pinney moved to
Ghana to continue providing ABA therapy services for a child she worked
with in Seattle. When his family decided to move to Ghana, the care of
their child with Autism was a concern. To address this concern, they
felt their only option was to bring their own therapist to Ghana with
them. After being in Ghana for less than two months, several families
had sought Molly's assistance in gaining resources to help their
children.
One Ghanaian mother
whose child was diagnosed while briefly living outside of the country
told Molly: "When my child was diagnosed with Autism, I would have
preferred the diagnosis was a terminal illness, I was so scared. It has
taken me years to get to the point of talking about it without breaking
down."
Though she felt alone and
isolated, she was not. Stories like hers were overwhelmingly shared. Eventually, one of these parents led Molly to Mrs.Serwah Quaynor, the Directrice of The Autism Awareness Care & Training Centre.
The stories that Molly was hearing for the first time were stories that were all to familiar to "Auntie Serwah" and Molly and Auntie Serwah began working together to see how the Global Autism Project could best support AACT.
Molly returned to the US where she and Renee Beus
(an ACA kayak instructor) launched the Paddle For Autism Awareness, our
signature fundraising event.
This
was also the summer that Nic Fox, a childhood friend of Molly's joined
the project! Nic had recently finished his US Peace Corps. assignment
in Mali, and decided that he was not ready to leave Ghana. While Molly
moved to NYC to continue her education, Nic moved to Ghana to support
AACT's business and fundraising practices and prepare them to
officially begin to accept volunteers.
This June, our third volunteer service trip will be taking place and include for the second time our Clinical Director, Ann Beirne who will be working closely
with the Educational Director of AACT to continue creating and implementing
educational programs for the children of AACT. We are excited to see AACT becoming an International center of excellence for children with autism!
Our Mission
We
exist to address the needs of children with Autism in developing
countries, to address the fear that plagues parents of children with
Autism where there are few resources, and little or no understanding of
Autism.
We address these needs by
first establishing and utilizing any available resources and setting up
partnerships to work with the local individuals currently providing
services.
We feel strongly that
education does not stop with the child and seek to offer family and
community education through workshops and hands on training. We aim to
teach parents how to effectively work with their own children, as well
empower them to educate others who work with their children.
The fundamental belief that all children with Autism and their
communities deserve effective resources guides our work, as well as the
belief that education leads to understanding and acceptance of
differences.
Our Vision
Our
vision is of a world where all children with autism will have access to
effectve services wherever in the world they live.
Our History
In September of 2003, Molly Ola Pinney moved to
Ghana to continue providing ABA therapy services for a child she worked
with in Seattle. When his family decided to move to Ghana, the care of
their child with Autism was a concern. To address this concern, they
felt their only option was to bring their own therapist to Ghana with
them. After being in Ghana for less than two months, several families
had sought Molly's assistance in gaining resources to help their
children.
One Ghanaian mother
whose child was diagnosed while briefly living outside of the country
told Molly: "When my child was diagnosed with Autism, I would have
preferred the diagnosis was a terminal illness, I was so scared. It has
taken me years to get to the point of talking about it without breaking
down."
Though she felt alone and
isolated, she was not. Stories like hers were overwhelmingly shared. Eventually, one of these parents led Molly to Mrs.Serwah Quaynor, the Directrice of The Autism Awareness Care & Training Centre.
The stories that Molly was hearing for the first time were stories that were all to familiar to "Auntie Serwah" and Molly and Auntie Serwah began working together to see how the Global Autism Project could best support AACT.
Molly returned to the US where she and Renee Beus
(an ACA kayak instructor) launched the Paddle For Autism Awareness, our
signature fundraising event.
This
was also the summer that Nic Fox, a childhood friend of Molly's joined
the project! Nic had recently finished his US Peace Corps. assignment
in Mali, and decided that he was not ready to leave Ghana. While Molly
moved to NYC to continue her education, Nic moved to Ghana to support
AACT's business and fundraising practices and prepare them to
officially begin to accept volunteers.
This June, our third volunteer service trip will be taking place and include for the second time our Clinical Director, Ann Beirne who will be working closely
with the Educational Director of AACT to continue creating and implementing
educational programs for the children of AACT. We are excited to see AACT becoming an International center of excellence for children with autism!
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