The Special Talk, hosted last Tuesday night at Hilton Barbados, by WPortfolio Events, in conjunction with key stakeholders and titled “Strategies for Supporting Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Live Their Best Life”, has been deemed a success.
Ananeika Pankey Gordon, a Clinical Behaviour Specialist from New Jersey, USA, delivered the talk at the hotel, located at Needham’s Point, St. Michael.
Ms. Pankey Gordon’s substantial experience, providing behavioural support to individuals with diverse needs and her expertise in developing and implementing behaviour intervention plans tailored to specific clients, set the stage for an insightful and informative talk.
Business Development Director of WPortfolio Events, Christal Batson, shared: “The event had a significant purpose of uniting the community and empowering it with effective strategies to manage autism and related conditions. It also aimed to provide a platform for community members to voice their experiences and identify barriers to accessing services and support.”
Ms. Batson revealed that the initiative stemmed from her heartfelt response to hearing community members express their struggles on VOB’s Brasstacks Sunday radio show, a few months ago. According to her, she felt compelled to take action and utilise her company’s communications and corporate event planning expertise to stage this important event.
Fueled by the desire to make a difference, the team at WPortfolio Events took the initiative to organise this event. “We reached out to Ananeika, who graciously agreed to share her expertise. We then approached key stakeholders, such as the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, the National Disabilities Unit (NDU), the Barbados Autism Association, and the Barbados Council for the Disabled. Their enthusiastic response to our invitation to collaborate reaffirmed the importance and credibility of the event,” said Ms. Batson.
Over 70 people, including parents, teachers, guardians, social workers, and government officials, attended the event. The presentation discussed topics such as common community issues, teaching methods, activities suitable for different age groups, everyday life skills, and social skills. The session was interactive and featured real-life stories and experiences shared by members of the community.
Assistant Director of the NDU, Wayne Nurse, commended WPortfolio for making the event possible. He said: “The Ministry of [People Empowerment and] Elder Affairs and, by extension, the National Disabilities Unit were indeed pleased to partner with WPortfolio Events in staging such an informative and successful event.
Ms. Ananeika Pankey Gordon gave an inspiring and dynamic presentation. I am sure all those who attended learned new skills and techniques they could employ while interacting with their children in the school environment, with their families at home, and in their community.”
Nadia Simmons, a parent, also praised WPortfolio and Ms. Pankey Gordon for her exceptional delivery. She said: “The event was a great reminder about how I can support my son and prepare him for more independent living. While it is usually easier for me to do things for my son, Ms. Pankey explained that we, as parents and caregivers, need to provide our children with the tools to take care of themselves when we have passed on.”
Ms. Simmons continued that the autism community in Barbados can sometimes feel like a forgotten segment of the population. And, she stressed “it was refreshing to see the support for our community from corporate Barbados through WPortfolio event”.
When the evening was over, WPortfolio’s Business Development Director assured the audience that her organisation would continue to support the autism community.
WPortfolio