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Today, April 2nd 2021 is Autism Awareness Day. For this year’s observance, the United Nation’s theme is: ‘Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic World’.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and changed the lives of many individuals in the areas of employment, family, education and health. It has brought to light the many inequalities that exist in our society, particularly in the area of education in Trinidad & Tobago.

How is it possible for autistic individuals to be included in the workplace when they are refused the right to receive an education? How can they become productive members of society when their rights are constantly trampled?

The Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes “the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others,” and to a “work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.”

Since APATT’s foundation in 2015 as an activist group, we have been very vocal about the responsibility of governments with regards to these issues. It took some time, but we were glad to see many other voices joining us with our theme of “education being a right” and the state being the solely responsible agent administering for it rather than a charity project placed upon NGO’s .

We have met every single key individual in government and outside government and we addressed these very important issues on behalf of our parents. We provided all the data and information needed, the problems our families face daily as well as the solutions APATT proposed to alleviate many of these challenges.

From Government Ministers, heads of international organizations to the President of the Nation, we met them all in countless meetings. Unfortunately, meetings have become a way to make parents believe “something is being done” but not one of these meetings produced anything significant that practically helped address these concerns.

We are still observing requests for “data”, for “national consultations”, for “feedback about the present state on disability resources” in an endless and vicious cycle of purposeless meetings and excuses.

We realized that we did everything in our power as an activist organization and as Autism Parents ourselves, without any kind of funding or paid staff. We never asked for nor promoted donations as we felt that only further commercialized and created the illusion that somehow parents were actually getting therapy and education for their children.

However, when people still chose to give monetarily we ensured that 100% of it actually went to the autism parents and their children. The maintenance of web sites, ads, video production and so forth has been funded in its totality by the pockets of APATT founders who are also the parents of three on the autism spectrum.

We started this organization with the hope of bringing a NEW voice into the disability community and we accomplished just that, empowering parents, groups and organisations to speak up and demand what is rightfully theirs rather than accept what others decided their children needed.

There are very serious issues among the special needs community in this country. There is a lot of suffering, sadness and neglect that activities, parties, balloons and fanfare will not fix. Unless an honest, consensus and direct approach is made to intervene on a national scale then all that will happen is what is known locally as ‘the same ole, same ole thing’ year after year.

April 2021 will be the last Autism Awareness Month for the Autism Parents Association of Trinidad & Tobago (APATT) as an organisation. The founders will continue advocating as parents and individuals but no longer as a NGO.

We want to thank all those, especially the media, who have helped us highlight the needs of autism parents and their children during this six year run. We wish each one of you ALL the best and let us continue pressing forward with a focus on the rights of our children.

It took a mere minute’s response to the question: “What considerations have been put for students with special needs?” during the media conference hosted by the Ministry of Education, for Dr. Nyan Gadsby Dolly, Minister of Education, to shatter all hope for true change with regards to special education in T&T.

Dr. Gadsby Dolly stated the following:

“So the special needs children, of course, they would require the use of… some of them the use of aides and so on, and that is put in place for them. There may be some classes… because you know some of our special needs students are involved in the regular population and so they will be catered to by their teachers, in the normal way and the special aides and teacher aides and so on. They are still available for assistance for our special needs students if necessary. So that division, is already primed and ready to assist our special needs students.”

It seems as though Dr. Gadsby Dolly is not aware of the serious inefficiency taking place for many years in the area of Special Education in T&T and yet she refers to the division as primed and ready to assist special needs students?

The Autism Parents Association of T&T (APATT) would like to ask/state the following:

1.  Who and where are these aides “still available for special needs students”? When we met representatives of the Student Support Services last year, and we asked how many students’ aides the Ministry has, we were told they have 98 for the entire country. This figure does not include OJT personnel that acts as aides in schools without being formally qualified to do so.

Let us remind the Ministry and the public that during the JSC (Joint Select Committee) Inquiry On Special Education, the MOE took the standpoint that a candidate for the position of Special Education Teacher Aide must only have a willingness to work with a child with a disability and upon receipt of “internal training” is tasked to provide support service to the child.

The Committee had to remind the MOE of the importance of qualified staff in adherence with Article 24(2)(e) of the UNCRPD that states, “State parties shall ensure that Effective individualized support measures are provided in environments that maximize academic and social development, consistent with the goal of full inclusion.”

 2. Furthermore, we were present in a meeting where Student Support Services personnel stated that if a child has a formal diagnosis done by a professional and it is recommended that they need a student aide in order to facilitate their learning, it is ultimately the Ministry of Education’s decision whether or not the child needs a student aide regardless of said child’s formal diagnosis and recommendations. This is the definition of absurdity.

 Just last year, when we went to meet SSS we were told they are over 300 students waiting for a student aide in the country and parents have to wait for years to have one (if they are lucky). In many cases, the child passed through the entire system, completely unassisted, because they were not provided with one.

3.  What about the hundreds of children with disabilities that don’t even know what a school is like because there are no proper schools that can cater for their needs? They have been for years, not just during this pandemic, at home looking at four walls and being denied the right of an education. The state has completely abandoned them but surely their pens were shiny and ready when they ratified the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

The Ministry of Education is now worrying about how to teach children who CANNOT physically go to school and yet special needs children have been going through this sad reality for years? Parents of special needs children have been practically begging for their children’s right to be fulfilled by the state, which is for them to have access to proper education with qualified teachers, just like the rest of children in T&T.

Special needs children must be given the tools to develop and become productive members of society. Yet, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears no matter the government in power.  Parents of neuro-typical children have been worried, concerned and very outspoken about their children being out of school for one term due to this pandemic. Perhaps now, they can understand, just a tiny bit, the raw reality of hundreds of special needs children in this country who are not going to school, because a significant investment in both resources and man power to cater for their special needs is not given serious consideration.

The 1966 Education Act of Trinidad and Tobago included a statement on provision for students with disabilities, and in 1981 the Special Education Unit was formed. Consequently, the Student Support Services Division was created in 2004. So the Ministry of Education had 54 years to make things right for the special needs children in this country. If 54 years is not enough, will 5 more years make a difference? Time will only tell.

On the 7th July, 2019 APATT wrote a review on the JSC (Joint Select Committee) on Human Rights, Equality and Diversity Inquiry that was held on July 5^th, 2019.  Prior to this inquiry, APATT, along with other NGO’s were asked relevant information about the present state of Special Education in Trinidad & Tobago. We have received an update from the JSC about the outcome of that inquiry and we would like to share some of the points, recommendations and discussions that were brought forward.

The following are some of those points and our comments however there are many more therefore, we ask our parents to read the committee’s report since all of this affects your child directly. This report also includes the internal procedure for Special Concessions (page 165).

1. According to the Committee, there are 3,735 students approximately that require Special Education Services. However, the committee stated that they experienced difficulties to definitively determine the number of students due to the fact that the MOE’s data of confirmed and suspected cases of children with disabilities was just an estimate.

APATT: The 1966 Education Act of Trinidad and Tobago included a statement on provision for students with disabilities, and in 1981 the Special Education Unit was formed. Consequently, the Student Support Services Division was created in 2004. Is the Ministry stating that within 54 years, 39 years and 16 years respectively has not been enough time to obtain robust figures and not simple estimates?

The Committee also noted an absence of collaborative efforts between the MOE and the Central Statistical Office (CSO) to determine the number of children with disabilities as well as that both the MOE and CSO having different definitions for ‘disability’. Even though The MOE stated that the CSO definition excludes a number of students with a disability, it is important to mention that the MOE data excluded children with a disability outside of the school system as well as an absence of a comprehensive assessment and screening process for children.

APATT: It is important to highlight that the MOE’s estimates, excludes children with disabilities outside of the school system. Many autistic children, who are not in the public school system because there are no public schools with qualified teachers that can cater for their specific needs, are left behind. APATT would like to find out exactly what the Ministry of Education has done in order to reach out and include the children who are outside the educational system due to no fault of their own. This situation exists because of the sore negligence of the state.

2. At the Public Primary School level, St. Patrick, Port of Spain and St. George East Districts had the highest number of diagnosed cases of children with a disability and North Eastern and Port of Spain; St. George East Districts had the highest number of suspected cases of children with a disability.

At the Public Secondary School Level, Port of Spain and St. George East districts had the highest number of diagnosed cases of children with a disability; and St. George East, North East and Caroni districts had the highest number of suspected cases of children with a disability.

In both, the category of learning disabilities was attributed to the highest numbers of suspected cases of disabilities.

3. In the report, there is mention that the MOE has as its disposal, (40) schools equipped with infrastructural facilities for students with special education needs (see Table 6 for a list).

APATT:  How are these schools equipped to cater for the needs of autistic students specifically and has the MOE shared this list to NGO’s and other stakeholders for their perusal and feedback?

4. The Committee advised that the MOE develop a strict monitoring mechanism to eliminate all cases where a child with a disability is denied entry to public primary and secondary schools of their choice.

5. The Committee noted that the submission of insufficient documentation (as well as late stage submission) was the primary reasons for the non-approval of a concession application (according to the MOE).

The MOE data for the academic years 2016/2017 and 2018/2019 indicated there were eight (8) concession applications received and approved from public special needs schools. The Committee recommended that the MOE publishes the examination concession application guidelines and the current concession provisions on the Ministry’s website in an accessible multimedia format as soon as possible.

APATT: Where is this information posted in the Ministry of Education website per the recommendation?

6. Special Education Teacher Aides: The MOE took the standpoint that a candidate for the position of Special Education Teacher Aide must have a willingness to work with a child with a disability and upon receipt of internal training is tasked to provide support service to the child. The Committee restated the importance of qualified staff in adherence with Article 24(2)(e) of the UNCRPD that states, “State parties shall ensure that Effective individualized support measures are provided in environments that maximize academic and social development, consistent with the goal of full inclusion.”

Therefore, the Committee recommended that the MOE conducts a consultation with disability stakeholders, in order to achieve consensus on the qualification requirements for a Special Education Teacher Aide.

As of May 2019, the MOE reported a demand of 369 student aides and as of August 2019, four educational districts have indicated that requests to the OJT programme have been made for 60 additional OJT aides assigned.

APATT: It was important to notice the committee’s recommendation because it highlights the paramount importance of proper qualifications for someone who wants to work as a student aide. These students have very specific needs that require serious and proper training as well as adequate professional qualifications. So far, the MOE has been using OJT personnel to work with special needs students since their qualification criterion has been merely a “willingness to work with special needs students”.

 Please note that APATT’s President was present in a meeting where SSS personnel stated something disturbing. If your child has a formal diagnosis done by a professional and it is recommended that your son/daughter needs a student aide in the classroom in order to facilitate his/her learning as well his/her integration in the classroom, it is ultimately the Ministry of Education’s decision whether or not your child needs a student aide regardless of your child’s formal diagnosis and recommendations?

 It is very troubling that a student who needs a student aide (per the recommendation of his/her psychologist) ultimately might not be able to get it because the MOE might not find the student needs it.

7. According to the MOE, they plan to fill vacancies in the following positions:

a. Nine (9) contract vacancies for the position of Clinical Psychologist by the end of December 31, 2019.

b. Seven (7) contract vacancies for School Psychologist will be re-advertised by the end of April, 2020.

c. Sixty-five (65) permanent positions within the SSSD by June 2019.

d. Sixty (60) OJTs to be assigned as Special Education Teacher Aides by September 2019.

8. The eleven (11) policy actions identified in Education Policy Paper 2017 to 2022, the MOE as of March 31, 2019 has only completed two (2) policy actions out of the eleven (11).

APATT: It should again be stated: Since 2017 and as of March last year, out 11 policy actions, the MOE has completed 2.

9. Staff Student Support Services Division:

a. There are eighty-nine (89) positions on the permanent establishment and forty-nine (49) establishment vacancies for the positions of Special Education Teacher I and II.

b. Forty(45) positions are expected to be re-advertised in order to be filled.

c. There are three hundred and fifty-two (352) contract positions and two hundred and sixty-four (264) contract vacancies (without bodies) for special education staff within the Student Support Services Division.

APATT: Where are these 89 positions going to be filled? Are these teachers going to be stationed in one particular school or are they going to be moved from one school to the other?

10. MOH data as at August 27, 2019 indicated that there are three (3) registered occupational therapists employed by the Regional Health Authorities (RHA). However, submissions from the University of the Southern Caribbean outlined that as at May 28, 2019, there is one (1) full-time occupational therapist in the public school system.

APATT: This data seems contradictory; nevertheless whether are 3 occupational therapists or 1 to serve the special needs students of the entire NATION, what exactly is the Ministry doing to address this unacceptable shortage?

11. According to the report, during the period2016 to 2019,the MOE indicated that the average waiting period between the assignment of an assessment to a clinical psychologist to the parent’s receipt of a diagnosis report is an average of three(3) to four (4) months. This prolonged waiting period was further reiterated, as students awaiting assessment as at the end of the academic year 2018/2019 had a waiting period of one (1) to two (2) years between referral and diagnosis.

APATT: It is disingenuous and misleading to state that the average waiting period between the assignment of an assessment to a clinical psychologist to the parent’s receipt of a diagnosis report is an average of 3 to 4 months, it is absurd and borderline disrespectful. Parents are waiting for years to receive such a report and in many cases; they have contacted the SSS division and have not received the help they are seeking.

APATT logged on to the Ministry of Education Web site (May 18^th, 2020) to check if the recommendations that the committee gave to the MOE (see point #5) has been fulfilled. There was a block for “Special Education” but it was not accessible (no link) neither were we able to access any information about Special Concessions.

 It is truly a disgrace, at this point in time, that children with special needs in T&T continue to be at the mercy of those who erroneously believe they are doing well enough — this report highlights it is quite the opposite.

During the 5^th sitting of the House of Representatives session, on October 15^th, 2019, the Minister of Education, Anthony Garcia, made a few disconcerting and misleading statements (once again) surrounding the topic of special needs particularly Autism. It seems like despite the distressing widespread plight of hundreds of autism parents and the larger special needs community, the Ministry of Education continues taking a position of conceitedness with this matter.

The Autism Parents Association of Trinidad & Tobago (APATT) feels compelled to publicly address some of these issues as well as correct the terminology employed by Mr. Garcia during his speech to address the topic of Autism.

Throughout his discourse, the Minister of Education used words to describe autistics in a way that degrades and insults. In fact, the descriptions can stand as examples of why special needs citizens are seen as second class in the country by those who should know better. However, first we need to evaluate his inaccurate assessment of how the special needs community is being catered for by his Ministry.

The Minister of Education stated the following about the Student Support Services Division (SSSD) at the Ministry of Education:

“I’ve heard certain people say that… this division is understaffed and they require more persons and so on and I’ve countered by saying I have absolutely no problem with the staffing of the Student Support Services Division and I repeat that today.“

It seems like the Minister of Education continues to take a defensive position and refuses to acknowledge the obvious lack of competence of his Ministry to address Special Education in our country. Mr. Garcia seems to be the only individual who believes that the staffing in the SSSD is adequate.

In an article from the Trinidad Guardian dated the 27 Sep, 2019 under the title of “Staffing of Student Support Services, A Concern” the Na­tion­al Par­ent Teacher’s As­so­ci­a­tion (NPTA) as well as TTUTA both mentioned understaffing issues at this section of the Ministry with expressed concerns about the in­ad­e­qua­cy of the staffing as well.

In fact, one of the first things we were told by employees at the SSSD, when we visited back in March 2019, was that they are understaffed. It will seem as though the Minister of Education is disconnected from what is happening within his own Ministry.

If they are not as the Minister insists to claim, then why do they have a waiting list of more than 300 students to access services? Why is it that parents cannot access student aides for their children? Why do they have to wait for years to receive a psycho-ed evaluation? If they are not understaffed, why does the Ministry have just two behavioral therapists to cater for the entire country?

It seems like truth, facts and reality surpasses the delusion that attempts to confuse the general population. The Minister continues,

“In the area of children with special needs, that is one initiative that we are pursuing with vigor. Because it is our intention, it is our mantra that every child must have an opportunity to access a quality education.”

We would like to know what exactly is the definition of “pursuing with vigor” according to the Minister since he stated in 2016 that “Special Education is now on the front burner”. It is now 2019 and autistic children continue being denied an Education because they have no schools that can cater for their needs.  How is that pursuing with vigor? How is that being on the front burner? What exactly has the Ministry done of significance for the past 4 years to address this urgent matter?

The answer lies in the fact that our children are still at home and will continue being at home as long as the hubristic approach continues.  There is a conscious refusal to listen to anyone else who dares to disagree that things are well and being taken care of with regards to Special Education in T&T. Even so, the Minister then proves that he is just providing lip service when he says,

“In November next month, we will be having a series of focused group consultations where we will be inviting all the stakeholders particularly those who have an interest in children who have disabilities or who have learning disabilities. And we will be happy and willing to hear the advice that they are prepared or will prepare to share with us and when that is done, we will go back on the drawing board and we will come up with plans and programmes that will assist.”

In November, they will now start to have meetings and consultations and go to the drawing board to “come up with plans and programmes”. Are we to understand by this statement that all the previous meetings and possible solutions shared by APATT and others in the Autism community over the course of many years were simply ignored?

How many more meetings, plans, drafts and consultations will the Ministry of Education continue to have through the years? When will they actually decide to act and tackle the urgent issues regarding special education that we have been talking about for years and that the Ministry has been made very aware of? Is this their definition of “pursuing with vigor”?

It is very alarming that after 4 years in charge of the educational needs of the nation, the Minister without discomposure feels that there is a need for more consultations and a need to go back to the drawing board.  It is clear and not surprising why the state of Special Education is where it is today.

Now, the Minister of Education feeds us a figure when he says,

“A needs assessment exercise was completed during the last academic year and during that exercise, 238 students were identified, who needed assistance where Autism was concerned. And having identified those students, we will be moving ahead and providing the required assistance to them.”

We would like to know how this figure was reached and how many students were assessed. However, these numbers may only represent students who are already part of the system. The big elephant in the room is the one we have been talking about for years and the one the Ministry refuses to acknowledge and continues to ignore: What about the hundreds of special needs children who are not part of the system and who are at home because they are not able to access schools that can cater for their needs? What is being done to address the urgent needs of these children?

Now, here come the insults. To any who may be on the Autism Spectrum that might be reading the words of the Minister, we want you to know that you are not a disease, a virus or in some kind of toleration exercise.

The Minister of Education, continues…

“You know some of those students are afflicted with things like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders and Autism.  Now, Autism is something that is sometimes easy to identify and sometimes it is most difficult to identify because along the spectrum of Autism there are those who suffer from Autism on a minor scale and there are those who suffer from Autism on a greater scale and we are going to pay special attention to those children who suffer from Autism and some of the resources that are now available or that will become available to us, we will be spending a lot of those resources so that we can provide assistance to those children.”

It is unfortunate and ironic that a Minister in charge of Education in this country would use this kind of archaic terminology to address children who are on the Autism Spectrum. Students are not “afflicted” with Autism neither they “suffer” from it. It is highly insulting to state such and a sincere apology should be given. If we want society to be accepting, those who are supposed to be leading this country should know better. Just imagine in 2019 where we are trying to push neuro-diversity the Minister of Education considers Autistics as afflicted and suffering from Autism.

Special Education is not on the front burner, it has never been. More consultations and meetings as they plan for next month can no longer deceive parents or society into believing that things are being done and plans are going to be implemented soon. We are just a few months away from 2020, this government has been in office since 2015 and our children continue being at home. Another day, another year without knowing what a school looks like, right here in T&T and yet special education is being “pursued with vigor.”

The main issue here is that the Ministry of Education refuses to implement any of the logical suggestions that the special needs community has brought forward choosing instead to paint a pretty picture of planning and being committed.

This fable needs to stop at some point; it is getting old, repetitive and tiresome. We will continue to address these issues publicly as long as fallacious statements continue to be given in an attempt to mislead the general public with regards to what it is being done to address the urgent needs of our special needs children.

During the 74^th session of the United Nation’s General Assembly, Dr. Keith Rowley stated the following to the world:

“Mr. President, We remain troubled that, even as we approach the third decade of the 21^st century, women, girls and persons with disabilities in many parts of the world are unable to enjoy basic human rights and freedoms. In our effort to combat this challenge, Trinidad and Tobago reaffirms its commitment to the delivery of improved healthcare, the continued enhancement of the educational system, and increased accessibility and support to persons with disabilities.”

The Autism Parents Association of Trinidad & Tobago (APATT) would like to pose the following question to the Prime Minister: How “troubled” is the government about the special needs children right here in Trinidad and Tobago?

Sir, in our very own country, our special needs children are denied their right to receive a public education with qualified teachers and it has been like this for countless years. Not once has any government said: It is enough, these children do matter, they possess endless potential and we need to make things right and provide what is rightfully theirs.

Like anything else in T&T, unless it happens to you, it becomes a non-issue and no matter how many meetings you attend, how many reports you provide, how many comments from parents you share, the changes that need to take place never amounts to nothing because there is no one that truly cares about our children. That’s the reality.

Awareness is out of the question. APATT made sure to meet every key individual that could bring change to this pressing situation including the relevant Ministers. We had discussions at length about the serious challenges our parents (and their children) face daily and the possible solutions that could be implemented immediately particularly in the area of education. What are the results of said meetings? They end with absolutely nothing confirmed other than the repetitious words of being “committed”, no feedback, no follow-up and no attempts to do anything significant.

It seems as though throughout the years, meetings, plans, projects, policies and drafts have become a way to keep parents quiet, making them believe that “something is happening” or “something is being planned”. These phrases have become a synonym to replace real actions.

Reaffirming a commitment to provide basic human rights such as access to education for children with special needs in this country without meaningful action to support it is a complete lack of respect to the intelligence of Special Needs Parents (and their children) in this country. Special Needs Parents have been waiting for many years hoping that anyone in power will do what is right and fulfill their responsibilities according to the UN rights of the Child and the UN Convention for persons with disabilities.

Mr. Prime Minister, while your intentions may be in the right place, the reality of special needs parents and their children suffering at ground level show that this government should be “troubled” at the gross lack of provisions, infrastructure and health care for the special needs community.

Despite the reports and cries from many, we have a Minister of Education, who believes that the Student Support Services Division has no issues with staffing. In reality, parents are not able to access aides for their children, psycho-ed evaluations take years to access because there are over 300 children on a waiting list and when they only have one behavioral therapist for the entire country. And yet, they are not understaffed. Pride is the mask of one’s own fault.

The recent introduction of the disability grant for minors that was planned and executed without feedback from special needs parents also left much to be desired. A lot of our single parents in particular are not able to access this grant because their children are considered to be moderate autistic and for the government of T&T, only if you are severely disabled (according to the opinion of the doctors they provide) you are considered disabled at all. Even if you have a lifelong disability such as Autism, you can still be rejected because your child might not be considered “autistic enough” to receive assistance.

In this scenario, a child that is not severely disabled, is not able to access a grant, is not able to access regular schooling and is not able to receive the necessary amount of therapy needed to become a functional part of society. This is “troubling”.

Things will continue to go downhill with regards to disabilities as long as the state continues approaching the issue with arrogance and treating special needs citizens as a liability rather than an asset or beggars imploring for alms rather than productive members of society.

Sir, how in good conscience, can you speak to the world about commitment to the disabled while, hundreds of special needs children aren’t able to access the most basic rights to education and health care in Trinidad and Tobago.

Sir, the main problem here is this… those with the power to implement changes do not listen to the parents and guardians who live with and take care of special needs children. Therefore, the government implements one or two things that they assume help but instead it misses the mark entirely.

Please listen attentively to the plight of hundreds of Autism families who will not remain silent about these critical issues as long as our children continue being denied their basic rights and as long as the government of Trinidad  & Tobago continues failing and refusing to fulfill their responsibility to provide them.

Our children matter, our children exist and they are here to stay.

The following is a list we compiled with your questions (Autism Parents) about the new disability grant. You can also read APATT’s report about the meeting.

1. Will past diagnosis and forms filled in by Dr. Dick from Mt. Hope still be honored since autism does not change? Or is it the Ministry’s plan to have their own doctors in charge of assessing and diagnosing children? If this is the case, how will the procedure be like giving the fact that there are only 1 or 2 professionals in the field qualified to diagnose children in T&T? What happens with children who are ALREADY diagnosed?

A: According to the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, the grant will be payable where the assessment of a child is either severe or complete AND where the disability is permanent in nature.

 The diagnosis stating such has to come from a Pediatrician or other medical practitioner in the public health sector authorized by the Chief Medical Officer for this purpose or from a Paedriatic Specialist (private sector) registered with the medical board of Trinidad & Tobago. 

 The Ministry has a list of doctors authorized to fill the medical forms and this list will be given to parents when they go to collect the medical forms at different venues (TTconnect service centres, health centres, Social Welfare Local Board Office, online, and Ministry of Health).  They obtained the forms yesterday.

 The issue of having only 3 developmental pediatricians qualified to diagnose children in the public sector was brought up by APATT. The Ministry’s response is that they will extend that to other types of doctors (regular pediatricians authorized by the chief medical officer).

2. Who are these doctors and what are their qualifications?

A: There will be some specialists and regular doctors (pediatricians) making the call of whether or not a child qualifies for this grant based on the severity of his/her condition.

When we stated that regular doctors might not be qualified to diagnose children with a disability (not their specialization and the reason why they have to refer children to specialists for a diagnosis), the response from the Ministry was they will be “trained”.  Furthermore, it was added that they just wanted to start the grant and they cannot wait to make it “perfect”.

3. If there is no means test will parent still be asked financial information and have a social worker visit their homes to ‘assess them? If so, how can it be said there is no means test?

A: They might be asked in the form if the person applying on behalf of the child is working. According to Mr. Troy Pollonais (Director, Ag) this is to determine which individuals might have an urgent need to access the grant. He stated that he could see how this information could also be misused given the fact that this grant will not be subjected to a means test and yet there might be questions about your financial situation.

4. Can parents without documentation have access to the grant? If not, what is the exact documentation required?

A: The first step will be to obtain a medical report form available at the venues we previously mentioned. Have the child examined and the medical report completed by the doctor. According to the handout we received, it says that parents also complete the application form and then submit both to the local board officer nearest you (and obtain a receipt as proof of submission). However, during the meeting today, it was stated that AFTER the medical report is received THEN an application form will be given.

5. What is the age limit for the grant and who qualifies?

The age of children eligible for the DAGM ranges from birth to 18 years. However, according to another handout received it states that a child must not have attained the age of 18.

 Who qualifies: A child must not have attained the age of 18; a child must be a citizen/legal resident of T&T as defined in the immigration act and a child must be residing permanently in T&T. A parent or legal guardian must be 18 years or older in order to apply.

6. How long will it take for assessments/diagnosis to start after application and how long will it take to complete?

A:  According to the Ministry, the transitioning process should be completed in a few months. For those applying for the grant as a new case, they stated it is difficult to ascertain the time since the process involves several factors out of the control of the Ministry.

7. Is the grant automatically renewed every year without parents having to go through the entire process every year since Autism is a life-long disability?

 A: Yes, once the child qualifies according to the medical report the grant will automatically be renewed every year without having to re-apply.

8. If parents have more than one child with a disability and they both possesses their respective diagnosis, will each child receive the $1500 grant?

A: Yes, every child will receive a separate cheque. However, where a monthly income exceeding $1500 is paid for a similar benefit on behalf of a child, such will not be eligible for this new grant. Furthermore, if a parent is homebound due to having to take care of their disabled child/children they might also apply and qualify for Public Assistance.

9. Since when do you have to meet an entire board to qualify for the grant instead of just one social worker as before?

 A:  According to the Ministry, there will be no board meeting to qualify for the grant.

10. The special child grant caters for what type of children? Can they identify any particular  need/ disability which this grant considers.

A: The medical form indicates the following: Mild, moderate, severe and complete. It is up to the doctor to determine where your child’s disability falls, keeping in mind that this grant is for children under the age of 18 who are severe to “complete” disabled.

11. Is the Special Child grant still active?

A: The Special Child grant recipients will be transitioned to this new grant. However, this ONLY applies to those being CURRENT recipients. If your child has been receiving the Special Child Grant and they no longer do because you were told they cannot qualify based on your income (the new implementation of the means test), you will have to re-apply for this grant, you will not be transitioned.

12. Persons who were accessing the previous grant before the change will be receiving an accumulated payment of missed months or a new payment new system?

A: If your child was receiving the Special Child Grant and it was cut because you no longer qualify based on your income, you have to re-apply. The retroactive process will not apply to you. It is important to mention that the retroactive payments are not monthly cheques or lump sum with the amount of each month you missed. The retroactive definition according to the Ministry will be cheques with the MONEY DIFFERENCE between the grant you are receiving and the new one being implemented.

13. The payments will be done via cheques or direct deposit?

A: Cheque.

14. How long between filing the application and getting a verdict?

A: See question #6.

15. What is the length of each stage of the process?

 A: See question #6.

16. What is the appealing process like?

A: If you are not satisfied with what the doctor determined about your child’s disability, you can request the Chief Medical Officer to review the case through the local board.

If the issue is with the rejection of your application, you can appeal to the Senior Officer (Welfare Officer III) and if you are not satisfied you can take it to the supervisor of office. If you don’t get the response you are seeking, you can then go to the central office and appeal to the Supervisor III, then Deputy Director and finally to the Director.

 It is important to mention that in order to appeal you must have something in writing stating that you have been rejected.

Yesterday, August 30^th 2019 APATT participated in a Sensitization Session on the new Disability Assistance Grant For Minors (DAGM) hosted by the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services. The panelists were:

Mr. Vijay Gangapersad, Permanent Secretary (Ag.) MSDFS

Mr. Troy Pollonais, Director Social Welfare Division, MSDFS

Ms. Elizabeth Villaruel, Deputy Director Social Welfare Division (Ag.), MSDFS

Mr. Wendell Jones, Supervisor III, MSDFS.

The session started with questions the panelists answered about the new grant. Then a question and answer session followed.

APATT, among other stakeholders were informed of the following:

The new Disability Assistance Grant for Minors is in the sum of $1500.00 per month in two phases:

TRANSITIONING

1. The first wave will transition children (around 600) who are currently receiving the Public Assistance Grant, the General Assistance Grant, Special Child Grant; with a permanent medical report on file. In the case, of these particular children, payment will be retroactive from January 2019.

Retroactive meaning according to the Ministry that they will be paid the money DIFFERENCE between the grant they have been receiving and the new grant. The new grant is expected to start in September, 2019. As the new grant is introduced, the Public Assistance Grant or General Assistance Grant will be stopped.

If your child/children received the Special Child Grant and they no longer do because you were told they cannot qualify based on your income (the implementation of the means test), you will have to re-apply for this grant, you will not be transitioned.

2. The second wave, is expected to cover about 250 children (the balance according to the Ministry). They will transition from October, 2019.

 NEW APPLICANTS

3. For new applicants, parents/guardians will have to obtain a medical report form and an application form. These forms will be available at TTconnect service centres, health centres, Social Welfare Local Board Office, online, and Ministry of Health. They obtained the forms yesterday so it should be available in the coming days.

After obtaining the report, have the child examined and the medical report completed by the doctor. According to the handout we received, it says that parents also complete the application form and then submit both to the local board officer nearest you (and obtain a receipt as proof of submission).

However, during the meeting today, it was stated that AFTER the medical report is received THEN an application form will be given.

WHO QUALIFIES?

•   A child under the age of 18 whose disability is either severe or complete and where the disability is permanent in nature according to the medical report from a pediatrician or other medical practitioners (public health) authorized by the Chief Medical Officer for this purpose (the Ministry has a list of doctors that will be provided when parents request a medical form). Or from a pediatric specialist (private) registered with the Medical Board of T&T (again, Ministry has a list).
• A parent or legal guardian must be a citizen or legal permanent resident of T&T.
• A parent or legal guardian must be 18 years or older.
• The beneficiary child must not have attained the age of 18.
• A child must be a citizen/legal permanent resident of T&T.
• A child must be residing permanently in T&T.

MEANS TEST?

No means test for this new grant. However, where a monthly income   exceeding $1500 is paid for a similar benefit on behalf of a child, such will not be eligible for this new grant.

ESTIMATE TIMELINE FOR APPLICATION TO APPROVAL TO RECEIPT?

According to the Ministry, the transitioning process should be completed in a few months. For those applying for the grant as a new case, they stated it is difficult to ascertain the time since the process involves several factors out of the control of the Ministry. It was also mentioned during the meeting that sometimes parents do not want to provide all the necessary information and that is the cause of some of the delays in obtaining the grant.

STATISTICS?

The following data is the total number of children to be transitioned over the next few months.

Port of Spain: 59

San Juan: 80

Tunapuna: 146

Chaguanas: 197

Sangre Grande: 52

San Fernando: 105

Princes Town: 50

Rio Claro: 32

Penal/Siparia: 64

Pt. Fortin: 20

Tobago: 22

The transitioning cost will cost approximately $1.5M. The new applications who are expected to qualify according to the Ministry, will cost $31M catering for approximately 1,750 children to benefit in the fiscal year 2020.

APPEALING PROCESS

If you are not satisfied with what the doctor determined about your child’s disability, you can request the Chief Medical Officer to review the case through the local board.

If the issue is with the rejection of your application, you can appeal to the Senior Officer (Welfare Officer III) and if you are not satisfied you can take it to the supervisor of office. If you don’t get the response you are seeking, you can then go to the central office and appeal to the Supervisor III, then Deputy Director and finally to the Director.

It is important to mention that in order to appeal you must have something in writing stating that you have been rejected.

One of the first questions APATT asked during the meeting was if the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services have invited stakeholders and parents of special needs children to be part of the planning process of this grant since they are the ones who are going to be impacted by this new grant.

We were told by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Gangapersad that they had discussions with several stakeholders and met parents as well. When we indicated that we have been asking other stakeholders if they were part and we were told no, he didn’t indicate who were these stakeholders and parents that have allegedly participated in the discussions prior to the execution of this plan.

The director, Mr. Pollonais, indicated that they wanted to start this grant right now rather than wait until it was “perfect” so there will be “gaps”. APATT indicated that if they would have consulted stakeholders and involve special needs parents so they could express what they need maybe those gaps would have been avoided.

OUR OBSERVATIONS

1. Some of the information shared by the panel was clear but not all, there were a few instances when members of the panel were saying different things about the same issue/topic and it had to be corrected.

2. It was clear to us that the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services did not involve stakeholders who serve special needs families and/or special needs parents in the discussions about the implementation of this new grant. Maybe, if they included the relevant NGOs in the formalization process of this grant then some of the gaps that already exist in this new policy could be avoided.

3. Even though a means test has been removed, a parent will have to go through an Olympiad in order to qualify for this new grant. Parents and their children will be subjected to a medical report from a doctor who may not be a specialist or able to diagnose, not to mention the waiting period to see these doctors that already have long waiting lists in the public sector (example, Dr. Dick, one of the doctors assigned). We do not know yet how many doctors will be used for this purpose for the entire country.

4. APATT is seriously concerned about autistic children since Autism is considered a hidden disability. Since this particular grant is only for those children who are severe to complete, how will Autism be seen by the medical officer since it is a lifelong disability? If a child is considered to be mildly autistic by the officer because he/she talks or makes eye contact (and yet, he does not receive therapy or schooling to address many of his/her needs), will this child’s application be rejected because he does not fall in the category of “severe or complete”?

5. The grant process is very discouraging, from time line issues to the fact that regular doctors will be the ones in charge of diagnosing/assessing children in order to qualify for this grant. It is concerning to APATT that every child will not be assessed by a specialist, making it even more difficult for parents to obtain this grant.

6. Parents will have to pay for private specialists to fill the medical form for this grant if they cannot get through the public health doctors. Most of our parents are unable to afford private doctors. No parent can pay $6,000 minimum for an assessment in order to access a $1,500 grant.

7. The grant seems to single out cases of children who they consider to be “severe to complete” disabled leaving a considerable amount of children in the dark. Therefore, those on the autism spectrum, who are considered moderate to high functioning are left to fend for themselves even though they have therapeutic and educational needs like any other child. For the new grant however, these children are not to be considered in need.

You can also check the answers for your questions about this grant in the Q&A session.