My son Joaquin Foreman is high functioning autistic, has ADHD, sensory processing disorder and dysgraphia. He also has high anxiety and depression.

In Trinidad, there are no public sector accommodations and as a result, in 2016, I gave up my job and career in the manufacturing industry to have more flexibility to support his needs. I chose to pursue self employment as a yoga instructor which allowed me time and commitment but reduced income.

Things became more intense when in 2017, I had little choice but to withdraw him from school. We made the decision to homeschool instead because of the lack of proper affordable resources to accommodate his challenges.

In addition to supporting the needs of my son, I am also an invested advocate through my support group Autism Spirit, for the rights of autistics and other Persons with Disabilities to be afforded the basic human rights of education and healthcare that we all deserve. I have aligned with several like-minded organisations to continue to raise awareness on the plights that affect our children daily and societal responsibility towards correcting these ills.

His weekly therapies include occupational therapy and social integration and with other therapeutic expenses, cost on average about TT$1000 per week. Any inconsistencies in his therapies tend to impede his progress. This still does not even begin to touch on the regular day to day expenses of feeding and clothing. The hope is that with this funding a more steady long term plan for his therapy can be established.