Neurodiveristy

Hello from Costa Rica, This is an update to Bob's post of June 2023. We are putting the final touches on our global grant #2454803 which it will be submitted on 14 January 2024. Our host club in Costa Rica, Rotary Club of Cartago, has been working hard to understand the extent of ASD in the country.

There is a lot of misinformation in the communities and stigma as well. We are working with our partner, Asociacion de Autismo Parasio to create simple education tools for the mothers in rural areas and to bring the Asociacion into compliance with the CR Ministry of Health. We have also partnered with the Special Education department at Universidad Florencio del Castillo in Cartago to expand their student internships by providing scholarships to train in therapies specific to autism, especially ABA.

We are truly fortunate that our project leader at Rotary Cartago is on the autism spectrum. We are all learning from him and with him.

If you know of resources in Spanish, please reply on this post. We are already linked to UCD MIND Institute and using the MHIRAG tool kits! Thank you.

Thank you so much for moderating this forum.

Karen McDaniels and District 5790 (North Texas, USA) is preparing to be the sponsor of a global grant with a host club in Costa Rica, Cartago Rotary. This global grant will focus on children 1 to 15 years old who have ASD in Costa Rica. They are seeking some direction/suggestions.

Brain differences resulting from a variety of conditions, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others, result in people experiencing the world differently. Looking at this through the lens of neurodiversity, these differences are seen as part of the normal variations in the human brain rather than a defect to be cured.

Like any disability, individuals may have varying support needs and may require accommodations to function at their best.

With this space, we hope to promote understanding and acceptance of the neurodiverse. We also hope to provide a space where individuals can engage on the topic in a constructive way in keeping with the Rotary Four-Way Test.