Beaches Resorts caters to autistic children

Children WITH autism are not to be left out of enjoyable vacation time as the properties of Beaches Resorts, one of the Caribbean's leading family holiday chains, were last week certified as autism centres by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).

The certification affirms that the resort chain's Kids Camps and their team members are trained to provide a safe and appropriate vacation experience for families with special-needs children, primarily those with autism.

Last week, both Jamaican properties - Beaches Ocho Rios and Beaches Negril - were audited by the IBCCES, which also conducted a review of more than 200 team members. In total, 354 team members from Beaches participated in the training sessions across the Caribbean.

The Jamaican team members also attended a weeklong IBCCES autism sensitisation training session and have successfully passed their Autism Competency Exam with a 100 per cent pass rate.

160 CERTIFIED

All 160 participants received their Autism Certificate (AC); an accolade awarded to professionals working with individuals with autism in the education and healthcare industries. It ensures that they possess the skills, knowledge, temperament and expertise to cater to all children.

"We are extremely proud and pleased to have received this international certification," noted Kayshean Brown, Kids Camp manager at Beaches Ocho Rios.

"[We are] especially proud that not only are we now properly trained to attend to the needs of our guests at the resort, but we can assist the neighbouring communities and schools, as part of our community outreach programme, to better cater to the needs of children with autism in our educational system."

"We realise that there is a glaring lack of understanding of the nature of autism that exists within our schools, and working along with the Sandals Foundation, we will better equip the teachers and parents in this area," Brown noted.