Raising awareness of autism in the Travelling community
Marie Ward, Sligo Traveller Support Group is the lead Primary Health care worker raising awareness in her community on Autism and supporting parents and families with children diagnosed with Autism.
In the past Traveller adults would have gone through life without a diagnosis and even now there are Travellers in their 20’s and 30s who are not diagnosed.
Marie said Travellers face many barriers and having a family member living with autism brings additional challenges but positive change is happening and Travellers are reaching for support and asking more questions to understand autism.
The Sligo Traveller support group said there is very little information available that Travellers feel comfortable to access specifically focused on the experiences of Travellers which is a concern for the project.
This was recently highlighted at the Sligo Connecting for Life meeting where Ita Madden, HSE’s Regional Traveller Mental Health service coordinator said: “Travellers are often afraid to access a service because they don’t understand the process or gateway to accessing the supports and this fear is intensified with their experiences of systemic levels of discrimination and racism.
“It is well documented that Travellers already have to hide their identity to survive and this leaves it more difficult for a Traveller to admit to being an Autistic Traveller.”
The Sligo Traveller support group hosted an open day for Traveller parents and families to come together in a safe place to share information and support which was very successful.
Marie said it is the small steps that will encourage parents not to be afraid or ashamed and to reach out for services.
She admitted since she started to learn about autism she realised people with autism are our neighbours, shop assistants and our friends and we don’t recognise it.
The Traveller primary health care team will be hosting a number of information sharing events, supports and encouragement for Traveller parents and families throughout 2024.
Marie said: “Through Connecting for Life and the support of Ita Madden we have been able to access information and have since registered as a member with the national Autism support group As I Am.
“We have also engaged with the Irish Traveller movement who have resources and information which has been a great benefit as it is specific to Travellers experiences of living with autism.
“Having a child with autism can be very worrying and stressful and can affect the mental health of carers if you don’t take action and this is why it is important to get help and support and take time out to be able to cope.”
Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a “cure”. But some autistic people need support to help them with certain things.
Sligo Town is part of the AsIAm Autism Friendly Town programme. .
By Marie Ward, Primary Health care worker with Sligo Traveller Support Group For support you can contact Marie Ward, STSG at marie@stsg.ie or Ita Madden, Mental Health Service Coordinator at ita.madden@hse.ie.