Autism, also called Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), is a disorder that is usually first diagnosed in early childhood. The main signs and symptoms of autism involve communication, social interactions and repetitive behaviors.

Individuals with autism might have problems talking with you, or they might not look you in the eye when you talk to them. They usually experience difficulty paying attention, or they may say the same sentence again and again to calm themselves down. They may flap their arms to tell you they are happy, or they might hurt themselves to tell you they are not. Some people with autism never learn how to talk.

The cause of autism is not known and it lasts throughout an individual’s lifetime. There is no cure, but treatment can help. Treatments include behaviour and communication therapies and medicines to control symptoms.

Vanessa Francis was born in 1982 in Dominica. In her early years she was diagnosed with Autism.
At age four, she enrolled in the Ecole de Jour school in Guadeloupe and remained there until she was 14. In 1996 she transferred to the Adelle School for Special Children, in Antigua.
In 2007, Vanessa graduated from Adelle and joined the team at National Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre for Disability. There she continues academic work while developed skills in handicraft.

Extraordinary talent remains one of the big unexplained puzzles of autism. Striking skills in music, art, maths, memory are unusually common in people with autism.

For Vanessa, making craft pieces from canvass, colouring and puzzles are her talents. These she does exceptionally well and she usually receives high praise for her designs.
Vanessa is a diligent worker who doesn’t settle for mediocrity and when she sets out to complete a task she dislikes being interrupted.

Like many individuals with Autism, Vanessa wants to engage in activities which she chooses and at times when she dictates. If interrupted or withheld, she usually throws a tantrum which has resulted in her injuring herself on many occasions.

But amid her temper flares, Vanessa is described as “affectionate, social and friendly.” To her peers, she is quite normal – sometimes she wants to do something and other times she doesn’t – now that’s normal; isn’t it?