The Tribune

Resources and Education for Autism and Related Challenges, commonly known as REACH, announced that its offices have relocated to the campus of Queens College off of Village Road in Nassau.

The organisation has also announced the appointment of Alison Bethel-McKenzie as its first executive director.

“The appointment of Alison Bethel-McKenzie to the post of executive director represents a paradigm shift in the leadership of the organisation,” said Dwayne Gibson, chairman for the board of directors of REACH. “This appointment, we believe, was necessary to place REACH in a better capacity to serve our growing autistic community.”

Mrs Bethel-McKenzie has more than 20 years in senior level positions in the United States, Africa, the Bahamas and Europe. Previously, she was executive director of the International Press Institute, based in Vienna, Austria, where she oversaw the revamping of the organisation and expanded its membership and funding base.

In its 17th year as a non-profit promoting awareness of autism and providing resources to parents and their children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), REACH will host its annual Light It Up Blue ceremony on April 2 at 6.30pm in Rawson Square. All are invited to attend the event.

REACH’s theme for this year’s Autism Awareness Month in April is “Fighting to Fit In,” highlighting the plight of those with autism as well as their parents and family members. Other activities during the month will include an open house, a children’s concert, autism T-shirt Fridays and a penny drive.

One in every 68 children is diagnosed with autism, according to the US Centres for Disease Control.

Those with ASD struggle daily to fit into a society where their perception of the world and the way that they communicate differ vastly from their peers, REACH said. The parents of children with ASD bear the burden of searching for intervention and treatment methods that will help their children “fit in” and function in a society that is still very much in the dark on this disorder.

REACH said it remains dedicated to creating programmes that help those with ASD improve their ability to communicate and function in today’s society. But more than that, the non-profit is also working to change the way society perceives, interacts with and supports those with ASD.

For more information on REACH or to donate to the organization, call 328-4123 or 698-7744.

REACH can be found on Facebook at R.E.A.C.H. or contacted via e-mail at reachautismbahamas@yahoo.com.