Barbados’ Ministry of People Empowerment & Elder Affairs in conjunction with WPortfolio Events held an educational lecture titled “Strategies for Supporting Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Live Their Best Life.”

Ms. Pankey’s substantial experience providing behavioral support to individuals with diverse needs and her expertise in developing and implementing behavior intervention plans tailored to specific clients set the stage for an insightful and informative talk.

Christal Batson, the business development director of WPortfolio Events, indicated how “the event had a significant purpose of uniting the community and empowering them 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.”

She revealed that the initiative stemmed from her heartfelt response to hearing community members express their struggles on an episode of radio show Brass Tacks a few months ago. She felt compelled to take action and utilize 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 organize this event and reached out to the People Empowerment Ministry for assistance.

“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, 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.”

Close to 100 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.

He said, “The Ministry of 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, praised WPortfolio for staging the event and Ananeika for her exceptional delivery. “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. The Autism community in Barbados can sometimes feel like a forgotten segment of the population; it was refreshing to see the support for our community from both the NDU as well as WPortfolio events.”