RBAF Reggae Party to Provide Relief for Autism Community Devastated by Hurricane Melissa

By Kami-Leigh Agard

This Saturday, November 22, party with a purpose at Rockaway Beach Autism Families (RBAF) Hurricane Melissa Relief Reggae Party happening at Rhythms On The Rock. With DJ Mugsy Mugs spinning reggae, dancehall and more Caribbean rhythms—come out and show some love for the Jamaican autism community still reeling from Hurricane Melissa, a record-breaking Category 5 storm that flattened the island with 150 mph winds and massive flooding. RBAF is only asking for attendees to bring a toy, a box of diapers, clothing and more as part of the relief drive of which all items will be shipped directly to the Jamaica Autism Academy. As the island’s reggae legend, Bob Marley, sang, “One love, one heart. Let’s join together and feel alright.”

Hurricane Melissa, the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, hit southwestern Jamaica on October 28 as a Category 5 system. Other neighboring countries, including Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas and Bermuda were also pummeled. However, Jamaica got the brunt of the hurricane, and the death toll is estimated at 45, amidst more still to be confirmed.

As shared by Sydia Allen, the executive director of the Jamaica Autism Academy (JAC), the damage Hurricane Melissa left behind in Jamaica three weeks ago still grips the nation, as they remain in the thick of disaster relief and recovery.

Allen said, “The island looks like Palestine and Afghanistan. It looks like a bomb dropped and flattened the country. It’s very traumatizing. People have no food, no clean water. There are no more trees, vegetation. A lot of people lost their homes, livestock and farms. It’s not like people can say, ‘Let me pick a fruit,’ to eat. There’s absolutely nothing left.”

And for the autism community in a country where autism is still an enigma, even to the point that it is ignored, or individuals are written off as mentally disturbed—the present situation is even more dire.

Allen said, “We’re not getting any support right now because the focus is never on autism here. It’s very hard for special needs families to even speak up about their child. We have to spread awareness ourselves. Getting the message out there about autism awareness is still new to Jamaica and the Caribbean in general, and with the hurricane, it’s like our kids and families don’t have needs, much less exist.”

Allen has been personally driving to various parishes across the island to bring relief items to families. Though her school flooded, she and her team cleaned up to provide a safe space for children craving a sense of normalcy and routine.

When asked how the Jamaican government is assisting residents, she amounted it to nil. “Any monetary support and relief items from big organizations like The Red Cross and The Salvation Army are not going to the people. It’s the people on the ground, regular civilians like me are who trying to help. People have no food, transportation, clean drinking water.

“It has been very hard for our families. Most don’t have lights, electricity in general, much less Wi-Fi, which many children need for their Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device (a tool that helps individuals with autism communicate when verbal speech is nonexistent or difficult). Autistic children need routine, and when that’s broken, it’s hard for them to cope. So, I have been driving around picking up children to bring them to the center. One urgent need we have is transportation, like a second-hand van or small bus. Parents can’t transport them because some have work or don’t even have money to send them to school.

“At JAC, we offer workshops for parents trying to understand what is autism and give them solutions on how to cope with a diagnosis and help their child,” Allen said.

Allen, a psychologist by vocation, is also founder of the Practical Nurses Association of Jamaica and Therapeutic Health and Wellness Services. Through these organizations, she has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of care and promote wellness across the nation.

In 2023, she founded the JAC and became a passionate voice in Jamaica about autism because of her two boys, who were both diagnosed on starkly contrasting ends of the spectrum.

She said, “My two sons have autism. My ten-year-old, Emmett, was diagnosed when he was three years old. He has a combination of autism, ADHD and hypotonia (poor muscle tone). As a baby, he couldn’t sleep and would hit himself. I didn’t know much about autism until Emmett was diagnosed. After seeing how he was being ignored, I became an advocate and founded JAC to provide an inclusive space where children on the autism spectrum could get services, including ABA therapy and more. We do assessments, write IEPs and cater to their unique sensory needs. Today, my bright boy is college level in history and geography. The government provides no accommodation for special needs children, so I had to do something to help families with children like my two boys.”

The Jamaica Autism Academy operates out of two locations in Jamaica: Kingston and St. Catherine Parish. For more info about the Jamaica Autism Academy, visit: https://jamaicaautismacademy.com/ or visit: jamaicaautismacademy on Instagram.

For RBAF founder, Kami-Leigh Agard, helping a fellow autism community devastated by a natural disaster, is an impulse fueled by her experience with her daughter after Hurricane Sandy.

“Hurricane Sandy was the October 2012 Frankenstorm that devastated Rockaway, leaving many wondering how long will it take to fully recover, not just with homes and businesses, but spiritually. We just want to share, ‘One love, one hope for the island of Jamaica,’” she said.

For local Adam Funtleyder a.k.a. DJ Mugsy Mugs, who’s performed with Jamaican reggae/dancehall superstars like Beanie Man, “Jamaica has been my lifeline for over 35 years. I have visited the island countless times while forging bonds with the people, culture and music. As a Hurricane survivor myself, it breaks my heart to witness such devastation. Jamaica needs us as they recover from Hurricane Melissa.”

RBAF Hurricane Melissa Relief Reggae Party with DJ Mugsy Mugs is this Saturday, November 22, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Rhythms On The Rock (112-16 Rockaway Beach Blvd.). Items requested for the relief drive include: toys, diapers and clothing (infant to adult-sized), cases of water, medical and hygiene items, and canned and dried food (including baby food, beans, rice, etc.). For more info, contact Kami-Leigh Agard at (718) 450-5359 or email: kami@rockawaybeachautismfamilies.org. Monetary donations can be sent directly to JAC via PayPal: @JamaicaAutismAcademy