A new charity has vowed to fight the stigma faced by people with autism in black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities.
Autism Voice UK said it was committed to changing outdated attitudes to autism in the BAME community.
Mariama Seray Kandeh: “The attitudes are changing, but there’s still a very long way to go”
With help from the West Indian Association of Service Personnel (WASP), it has opened an arts and cultural club for young adults with autism in Lambeth, south London.
The two organisations believe autism in the BAME community is often ignored and families blamed for their child’s condition.
Stigma from families
Mariama Seray Kandeh, co-founder of Autism Voice UK, said: “One of the problems within the BME community is stigma normally comes from families.
“We have a client who is from Guinea. She has a son who is four years old who is autistic. Her mother-in-law told her she is a witch and that’s why he is behaving the way he does.”
Ms Kandeh told of a friend with a PhD who also blamed his wife and witchcraft for his son’s autism. She said the case illustrates how traditional beliefs can still hold sway even among people who have a good education.
“When it comes to the families we are dealing with the attitudes are changing, but there’s still a very long way to go,” she added.
The arts and cultural club hosted at the WASP building in Lambeth aims to empower young autistic adults with a sense of cultural identity and boost confidence.
Charity aims
Autism Voice UK offers one-to-one emotional support for adults with autism, families and carers. It also offers outreach to communities in the south London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark.
In addition, it holds autism education sessions in churches and at community meetings.
Vincent McBean, chairman of WASP, told The Voice newspaper that his organisation was committed to the collaboration. He added that he wanted to ensure that Autism Voice UK becomes firmly established in the BAME community.
Published: 24 December 2016
