What has become a lifelong career for Ted first sprung up as a hobby at a tender age. He always loved design, fashion and art, and shoes and says these loves guided him down the path his life has taken. As the years progressed and his love and appreciation for creating leather accessories expanded, he decided to take on his creations full time but says this decision was soon met with some challenges, namely keeping up with the manpower requisite to produce his imaginative handcrafted products. He boasts that his innovation is driven by his desire for a high standard of exclusivity and says he has reengineered his products by colour, style, comfort, presentation, and branding over the years, which sets his creations apart from similar offerings on the market.

His process of designing and creating comes however it must – sometimes “from the top of your head [but] there are times you have to put pencil to paper and think”. After making his preferred patterns, he transfers said patterns to the leather and the process of production begins. “I import most of my materials from North America and South America. The designs are done by myself – I am inspired by the natural things around me, nature, and people.”

He elaborates that he draws inspiration for his designs from his surroundings – the beautiful flora and fauna of Tobago, which translates into colourful bursts of leather flowers or palm tree motifs on his many pieces. His work is also driven by the people and lives they lead on the island he calls home. He says creating leather pieces is one of his life’s passions and although he has come up against challenges in the last two decades of his work, “sticking to the programme” has kept him afloat during discouraging times. “Stay focused, do research, and ask for help from those who are masters in your craft … and use every opportunity to make your work known,” he advises other would-be entrepreneurs and start ups.

His products are designed to catch the eyes and garner compliments. “They are structured differently from what you would normally see on the market and are designed so people can ask, ‘Where did you get that? I want one!’” he says of the feelings and actions he hopes to inspire through his designs. He adds that his unusual designs, creative uses of colour, and the people that wear his creations are what set his leather collection apart from others.

While his business had a humble genesis, over the years his clientele has included US President Barack Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama, the Queen of England, and many of the prominent performers who visit our shores during the annual Tobago Jazz Festival. Such accolades have not left him in a lofty position, however. He cites his humility and unpretentious spirit as one of the secrets to his success: “In this life,” he begins, “being humble is a gift we should all try to cultivate; it helps us along life’s path [more than we sometimes realise].”

He quotes statistical reviews that cite international fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel penetrating the markets of over 135 countries. “We can safely say, without a doubt, that Ted Arthur has acquisitions in about as many countries, as far as Afghanistan, thanks to Internet Services,” says the proud owner, echoing that ‘Trini’ clients can now visit his store in Port of Spain to indulge in his high end creations.

In his words, his best qualities are his natural affinity for hard work and having an honest and transparent approach through his personal and professional interactions. “[These qualities] do well for you as an entrepreneur,” he presses, “as it takes you a longer way when they can be seen.”

His final advice to local creators, artists, and artisans is to always strive to put your best foot forward, take no shortcuts, and produce work that you are proud and confident in. “And whatever you do make sure it’s felt in your heart,” he says sagely, “because if you feel it… most likely others will, too.”

Lay out your clothes the night before If you wake up and see your running shoes, sports bra, leggings, snack and water bottle all ready to go, you’ll feel like you’re too invested to change your mind, says Keri Cawthorne, a personal trainer and pilates instructor. Do you hit the gym after work? Pack your gym bag, including a pre-workout snack, the night before, suggests Cawthorne. That way, a rushed morning or low energy levels after work are less likely to be easy excuses.

Take a 30-day challenge Try challenging yourself to work out every day, or every other day, for a month or longer. If you’re not ready to commit to a long-term challenge, working out on the same days each week will help to make fitness seem like a given, rather than an option.

Break it down When you’re feeling particularly drained, knowing there’s still half an hour left in your workout can make you want to give up. Instead, focus only on the next set of weights, or running the next five minutes and before you know it, you’ll have completed your workout. Keep in mind, however, the difference between wanting to end a workout, and needing to end it. If you’re in pain or your fatigue feels more excessive than it should be, listen to your body and call it quits.

Buddy up “Commit to a workout with a friend, join a running group or book a session with a personal trainer,” says Cawthorne. “If there is someone waiting for you, you are less likely to cancel.” Another way to make peer pressure work in your favour? Share your fitness schedule with your partner, roommate or family member, and ask them to hold you to it, suggests Cawthorne. A good fitness buddy can make you realise that your reason for ditching a workout is kind of lame, or remind you of how good you’ll feel if you go for a run. You can return the favour by keeping the other person accountable, too.

Plan it ahead of time A rookie mistake is to make working out a “maybe.” You’re much more likely to hit the gym or go to a yoga class if you planned it at least the day before. If you already committed to the decision, it’s not an option not to do it.

Lower your expectations Just because you’re not feeling up to your usual one-hour routine, don’t skip working out altogether. By doing a little exercise, even if it’s just a 20-minute bike ride, you’re keeping your brain programmed to your fitness schedule. On the other hand, if you don’t exercise at all, it won’t seem like a big deal to skip another work out in the future.

And when it comes to truffles, well, let’s just say that there is a reason that some people like to call them ‘black gold’.

These elusive and outrageously priced treats have been on my radar for quite some time now. They _ rst came to my attention many years ago while on vacation in the bustling city of Madrid; a city which absolutely crackles with energy and movement, and where culinary delights abound on every corner. I remember wandering around the town centre and stumbling across market after market, chock full of delicacies from all over Spain. Savoury chorizo sausages, warm doughtnut-y churros dipped in bitter melted chocolate, nutty manchego cheese, fried calamari served on crunchy baguettes…there were just so many delicious things to try! But there, amidst all of this delicious food and the endless chatter of excited locals doing their Christmas shopping, was something that I had never seen before.

A hushed crowd had gathered around a stall selling ‘trufas’ or truffles. The star of the show had just been unveiled – it was an awkward looking, _ st sized, lumpy mushroom, resting on a velvet pillow, enclosed in a glass case. It had just been imported from Italy, we were told. The price for the truffle was written on the tag in beautiful calligraphy – one thousand Euros. Ouch. What could all the fuss be about? How could a mushroom possibly cost so much money? I had to know more.

Not to be confused with the popular chocolate confection, truffles are an extremely rare variety of wild mushroom, found mostly in the frosty mountains of France and Italy. In the culinary world, truffles are a thing of legend, surrounded by an aura of mystique and unparalleled sophistication. This may have to do with how scare truffles are and how difficult it is to _ nd them. In fact, methods for locating truffles are near medieval: truffle hunters scour the countryside with specially trained pigs and dogs to sniff out and dig up the goods.

Their wonderfully intoxicating aroma is the real reason for truffle’s elevated status and popularity in the culinary world. I’ll never forget that _ rst whiff of a truffle that I had at that truffle stand in Madrid (after having to beg the lady at the stall to indulge me, of course). It’s hard to capture a smell with paltry words, but here are a few that come to mind: earthy, complex, pungent, sweet, musty, intoxicating, ambrosial, and unforgettable. In the culinary world, it is considered a sacrilege of the highest degree to expose a truffle to high heat as this would kill this prized smell.

Though I am yet to try even a sliver of a real, fresh truffle, I am thankful that I was able to _ nd a temporary solution to my truffle less existence here in Trinidad. One of my all time favourite speciality food stores here in Trinidad is ‘All Italian’, a speciality Italian food and wine store located on Rust Street in Port of Spain. For the true gourmand, a visit to All Italian is always an exciting and stimulating experience. The last time that I visited the store, Francesca, the lovely and extremely helpful Italian born owner, proudly showed my her latest addition – an entire shelf laden with truffle based products imported from Italy! Although not exactly the same as a fresh truffle, truffled products such as truffle _ avoured oils, sauces, and condiments can be used to infuse any dish with a hint of luxury (without breaking the bank!) I highly recommend checking out the store if, like me, you are crazy for that heady truffle aroma. These days, I’ve been using a small vial of truffle oil and black truffle sauce to spice up my cooking with amazing results. Perhaps, one day I will know the joy of a fresh shaving of truffles, but, until then, I am grateful that I can enjoy these delicious and affordable truffle products. Now, please keep in mind that this doesn’t mean that I have abandoned my quest to experience fresh shavings of truffles. For what, after all, is a life without dreams? So if any fans of this column with access to the cherished product (restaurateurs, chefs, amateur truffle hunters?) would like to indulge this island food writer in one of his greatest culinary fantasies, then I urge you to contact the WMN. Please give them my full name and tell them that you would like to send me a truffle. I promise to give you a good write-up.

Hey…

A boy can dream, right?

Selecting a good quality towel durable is determined by softness and weight of the product.

The performance of a towel can be determined by several factors. Of course material type is an obvious indicator. Cotton is a perfect material for towels because of its strength and durability. Combed cotton is also an excellent choice as it is considered a top quality fiber because only the best grades of cotton can be combed. Cotton blends are also available.

Another indicator of performance is the staple length. The longer the length the softer and stronger the produce gives better wear and produces less lint.

Processing during manufacture affects the absorbency of the materials. Shear towels are the most absorbing, however, they are not the best at drying. When drying the body the towel should absorb moisture and the fiber loops should brush the water off the body. The greater number of loops per inch the better the bath towel.

A basic bath towel ensemble consists of, bath towel, hand towel and face towel or washcloth. A large bath towel is sometimes called a bath sheet. There are also smaller bath towels that are used specifically for bath mats.

Styling the towel ensemble can be fun and creative. Experiment with different folding and display techniques. Fold bath towels to the same width as hand towels and layer for a tiered effect. Another technique would be to fold towels lengthwise, then roll them. You can also cluster towels in a wire basket or stack them in a pyramid form.

Bed Linens

For that well dressed bed, bed linen is available in 15 to 20 different categories. These include fitted and flat sheets, pillows, comforters, blankets, mattress pads and shams.

Layers

The layers that are used to dress a bed are the skirting (used in America and not in Europe), the mattress, the mattress cover, the flat sheet, the blanket, the duvet then there are pillows.

The Buzz About Thread Count

Normally high thread count bed sheets are referred to as percale, which indicates a thread count of 100 and higher. Good linens can have a thread count of 180 to 400, (180 – 220 is a good thread count, 230 – 280 is better and 300 – 400 is best). Any thread count that is above this is expensive. If buying pure linen sheets a thread count of 100 is adequate since linen has thicker fibers.

Table Linens

Fine table linens are characterised by a good quality material, expert construction, fine workmanship and design. In most instances fine table linen is made from cotton or linen because they are durable, absorbent and soft to the touch.

There is easy care synthetic or synthetic blends of material that are popular however avoid using these for formal settings.

Colour for table linens are a matter of personal preference, however, white, ivory and off white are the most popular.

Tablecloth Size

For formal settings the tablecloth should hang down 10 – 12 inches evenly around the table. For more elaborate events the tablecloth can drape down

15 – 30 inches and beyond. Casual events need only

6 – 8 inches to be draped evenly around the table.

The arrogance of a doctor in the public health system cau sed her cancer to spread and almost cost her her life.

However, after much pain and suffering, Michelle O’Kieffe has bounced back and today helps other women in their battle with the disease, through her non-governmental organisation, Embracing All Real Survivors (EARS) Cancer Support Foundation.

According to O’Kieffe, in February 2000 at age 32, she was a “super healthy and energetic” mother of “two wonderful boys” when she discovered a lump in her right breast. At the time she did not think anything negative about the discovery but wanted to find out what it was and so decided to visit her family doctor.

After a physical examination, her doctor advised her to follow up with a surgeon in case it needed to be removed. She therefore visited a public health facility and the surgeon decided that a needle biopsy was necessary.

At the time I wasn’t aware of sonograms or mammograms but, as a layman I asked him if there wasn’t some other tests he should do. He told me he was the experienced person here and he knew what he was doing so I said fine, and scheduled an appointment for the insertion,” she recalled.

Therefore, she took time off from work as the manager of a children’s store, went to the hospital and had the procedure done. It was as she was driving to work afterwards that she started experiencing pains in her right arm. She assumed it was normal after such a procedure and so was not concerned.

However, when she tried to reach up into a cupboard she experienced extreme pain and realised she could not extend her arm. “I did not call back the doctor who did the biopsy because of his attitude. I was more comfortable with my chiropractor.

He spoke to a senior doctor who suggested that I see him immediately,” said O’Kieffe.

The next morning, at a private institution, the doctor examined her to find that her lymph nodes were swollen. He suggested immediate surgery, which was scheduled for the next day. The doctor removed a portion of her lymph node, performed a biopsy, and one week later he doctor confirmed that she had cancer.

O’Kieffe told Sunday Newsday when the doctors told her they had to remove her auxiliary nodes as well as some breast tissue, she immediately asked to have a double mastectomy. “I was under the impression that if something is giving trouble, get rid of it. If it’s the breast then get rid of both of them one time,” she said.

However, her doctor refused to do this because he said she was young, and so performed a lumpectomy instead in order to determine if the cancer was still in the breast or had spread, the stage of the cancer and if she had to do chemotherapy. While in recovery, her oncologist visited her bedside.

“I remember him asking me how I felt about all of this. I looked up at him from my bed, with tubes and everything coming out of me and said, ‘I don’t have time to feel anything. You need to tell me what you are going to do about this,’” she said.

He told her he did not want to wait for the pathology report but wanted to start chemotherapy as soon as possible, which she did on March 18, 2000.

She recalled how her employers helped by purchasing the drugs for her, as well as funding some of her treatments, and allowed her to stay home for a week after each treatment and expressed her heartfelt gratitude to them.

O’Kieffe’s next step was radiation.

However, about two weeks after her chemo was completed and while waiting for radiation treatment to begin, she felt “something happening” again in her breast – a strange stretching and pulling of her muscle.

“Initially, because of the fact that I had just completed this rigorous six months of chemotherapy, the doctors thought it was scar tissue, which would have been normal after my surgery,” she explained.

Unfortunately, after further examination, they realised that the tumour had recurred. Again she wanted to do a mastectomy but again the doctors said no. Instead, she went through 30 sessions of radiation in the hopes of reducing the tumour and it worked. It disappeared.

However, in November of that same year, her breast became red, hot, and the tumour became almost as big as her breast and she had to go back under the knife for a third time. “The third time, I felt as if I would die because that one…

I was down and out for about two months,” she said.

“While the main purpose was to remove the tumour, they were looking to see how the recurrence could have happened so quickly after chemo, after radiation. While in surgery, they actually saw the area where the original needle insertion was done and so decided to remove that thin strip of muscle.

That meant that the muscle where the doctor did that was infected so the tumour kept coming back,” she explained. O’Kieffe said she later found out there was a possibility that initially, her breast contained a cancerous tumour with a cyst inside.

When the doctor inserted the needle, it could have punctured the cyst, which was filled with fluid, and as the liquid passed through the cancerous tumour, it caused the cancer to spread. If the tumour had been biopsied the way it was done in the private institution, a simple removal and a short round of chemo may have been all that was necessary After the removal of the strip of muscle, she never again had a recurrence of cancer.

However, she did have other long-lasting effects from her treatments.

The chemotherapy drugs caused sever degeneration of her bones so that she now has cervical spondylosis. Also, in January 9, 2001 she was put on hormonal drugs which she took for five years and which immediately thrust her into menopause. In March 2010, at age 42, during a routine check up, she discovered she was six months pregnant with her daughter Correne O’Kieffe. “For almost ten years I did not have a period and, after bleeding for two months after she was born, I never had one again. I believe my daughter is divine proof that God is very much alive. She was a sign of complete healing,” she said. Her personal experiences and those of other cancer patients over the years have moved O’Kieffe to create the NGO, Embracing All Real Survivors (EARS) Cancer Support Foundation, whose aim is to support “survivors” – anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer, whether they are in remission, going through treatment or .

“In the forties under principal Dorothy Shrewsbury, Theresa Tang was a student; she had fond memories of her time at Bishops and often spoke with affection of her teachers, friends and her memories.

My family is pleased to record our appreciation with this small gesture,” said Williams on behalf of their 11 children, Gerard, David, Pauline, Richard J, Peter J, Kathie, Helen, Joanne, Janice, Marion and Christopher.

After a business career spanning 60 years with three family businesses – L J Williams, Century Elson and Spancrete – this amazing 82-year-old decided on his retirement in 2011 to indulge a long-held fascination for clocks, more for pleasure than for profit, since he had noted that most public clocks “either do not work or do not carry the correct time.” To improve his knowledge of clocks “The Timekeeper” as he calls himself, attended the Clock Workshop for Beginners at the School of Horology of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors in Colombia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. where he learned all about the intricacies of repairing clocks. (Horology is the science of measuring time and making timepieces).

The former president of the Senate was quite clear that he was not going into the clock/watch repair business. “I am strictly after the clocks which adorn public buildings.” The Timekeeper’s first projects were the St Mary’s College clock where the bells now chime in north Port-of-Spain, while downtown after a lapse of 20 years the bustling city is able to enjoy the Westminster chimes of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, plus a popular song after every hour and the four clock faces now tell the time, and the Mount St Benedict clock. There have been many others and recently his skills were sought to refurbish the Clock Tower in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

But back to the three-storey building behind the wall on the Chancery Lane side of the BAHS compound where Williams explained, “the stairwell serving floors two and three provided an ideal wall overlooking the garden” where Tessie and her friends, like so many of us, would have sat and chatted either while eating lunch or in the break period.

Acting Principal, Ingrid Govia, herself an Old Hilarian graciously extended the following wishes to the Williams clan: “The staff and students of Bishop Anstey High School wish to sincerely thank you for your generous donation to the school and for taking the time to come and install it on Saturday. We do truly appreciate the gift. May God continue to richly bless you and your family in the new year.” Govia specially asked to remind Hilarians to “come out in your numbers to celebrate the 96th anniversary of the founding of our school as we give thanks to our alma mater and pious founder, Bishop Arthur Henry Anstey at The St Hilary’s Day Service for Alumni on Saturday 14th January, 2017 at the All Saint’s Anglican Church, Marli Street, Port-of-Spain at 10 am.

Laci Joseph of Signal Hill, Tobago told Sunday Newsday about some of the traditions that are still alive today.

The first is that of baking and sharing.

According to Joseph, at Christmas, the baking of black cake, fruit cake, sweetbread, and ‘heavy bread’ is expected in almost any home. She said while the baking of the heavy bread in dirt ovens was the traditional Christmas activity, and it still occurs in some rural areas, not many persons who live in urban area have dirt ovens in their villages and so it is a dying tradition.

The cake however, is not only for members of the household, but to share with family and friends. “Even if you bake cake, everybody else bakes too and different families would exchange. Even if everybody’s making black cake they still exchange just to say they exchanged cake,” she said.

Joseph said Christmas Day is usually a quiet one spent with the immediate family. She said they basically eat all day starting with ham and homemade bread, and “chocolate tea” for breakfast.

Then, for lunch, there is ham, pastelles, Christmas rice, stewed pigeon peas, callaloo, pork, goat, wild meat and provision, chicken and more. This huge amount of food is prepared in anticipation of Boxing Day when family, friends and neighbours come to visit and lime. Sometimes, these visitors are carollers who go around their neighbourhood and sing Christmas carols at their neighbours’ front doors.

And similar to parranderos in Trinidad, they expect to be fed.

“When you go to people’s house you can’t just give them a little ham or crackers or Pringles or planters nuts. It’s food they’re looking for so you have to make a lot of food and cake,” said Joseph. “You have to have at least three types of meat going on. People like to have lots of pork and wild meat, rabbit…

all kinds of things. Anything yes! Christmas time people just cook.

You have to have a lot of different meat – any type if meat you can find to cook – and sides like provision and coo coo, heavy stuff that would full them up so they don’t ask for too much,” she laughed.

Joseph added that some carolling occurs during the week before Christmas but it is a dying tradition. “As people become more busy and more insulated, people limit the carolling and sharing to family members in different parts of the island,” she noted.

In Tobago, almost all the cleaning and decorating for Christmas is done on Christmas Eve.

Joseph stated that some of the bigger homes may start cleaning a few days before Christmas Eve, and some persons may place Christmas lights on their homes early as well However, traditionally, inhabitants do it all, including the changing of curtains, painting, and Christmas decorating, on Christmas Eve.

“On Christmas eve, if you drive around the island, especially in the more traditional areas, you would see all the houses stripped with people now putting up their curtains, painting their outdoor stairs, so that they can ring in Christmas Day with everything new.

It’s like a new start but even the lighting up has become less and less over the years,” she said.

Joseph also recalled the time when kite flying was popular for Christmas. She said the playing fields of Bon Accord, where she grew up, would be full of children with homemade kites and there would be competitions for the biggest kite, noisiest kite, etc.

Now, she said, some children did not even know how to fly a kite.

“I find a lot of the traditions are changing up. Christmas has become more commercialised – people more worried about what gifts they getting or what to buy for the house while the traditions of going to visit family and things like that are dying,” she said.

The continued partnership, which marked 10 years this year, was sealed by Brian Collins, managing director of Flow and Bruce Paddington, Festival Founder at a small ceremony at Flow’s Head Office at Victoria Square in Port-of- Spain at which the contract was signed taking the sponsorship which started in 2005 to 2018.

Collins said at the ceremony, “We consider the TTFF to be one of our flagship relationships.

We signed on to support TTFF very soon after the event launched in Trinidad and Tobago and we’ve seen it grown into a major attraction on the TT event calendar attracting local and overseas film aficionados.

Through the TTFF I have seen local film grow from strength to strength and this year we saw three excellent and compelling films this year alone. For the past two or three years each year has seen at least two excellent films from Trinidad and Tobago and more if you consider the entire Caribbean.

The TTFF has also spawned a thriving local Film Festival industry with events that focus on European films, environmental films and animated content as well.” Bruce Paddington, Festival Founder and director said, “We continue to be grateful to Flow as they have continued to be a leader in the private sector, shining a light to support the development and exposition of local and regional film.

We’ve had many sponsors over the years and we’re thankful for all of them, however Flow has never wavered in working as hard as possible to ensure that we continue to grow as a Film Festival. We’re happy that they have signed on and look forward to building on the TTFF success over the next three years.” The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival started in 2005 and celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the TT seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities.

This is a rapidly evolving area where new scientific advances are occurring at a rapid pace.

In order to help keep healthcare professionals up-to-date on the evolving science, Nestl? has provided funding to develop a dedicated global programme entitled “Post Graduate Programme in Paediatric Nutrition (PGPN)”.

The programme was developed by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and MedInscribe, with Support from Nestle Nutrition Institute.

Since the launch of the programme in March 2016, close to 4,500 healthcare professionals from 63 countries have joined, said a media release. The local symposium and graduation ceremony took place in the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann’s with six Trinidadian paediatricians.

Heiko Schipper, CEO Nestl? stated in the release: “Today, science shows us that getting the right nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life can have a profound impact on life-long health. Our long standing commitment to support nutrition education has been further strengthened with the development of this programme and is a step forward in realising our vision of Together Nurturing a Healthier Generation.” The Boston university said it “is proud to participate in this far-reaching, educational initiative and to help improve the state of nutritional care for paediatric patients on a global scale. Given the rapidly changing field of nutrition and the unique requirements of a paediatric patient population, healthcare professionals are hard-pressed to keep pace with all current developments.

“ Dr Carine Lenders, director of Boston Medical Center’s Division of Paediatric Nutrition and Associate Professor of Paediatrics at BUSM, fulfils the role of PGPN’s course director.

IGT donated five iPads complete with software, screen protectors and hard cases to the Autistic Society of Trinidad and Tobago (ASTT) in 2012.

“By using the iPads, members of staff have found them to be an effective and engaging learning tool, which is used to improve motivation, engagement and learning outcomes for persons with autism,” said Amoy Boodoo, manager of Autism Place, of the gift.

“The impact the iPads have had on improving the lives of children with autism has been immense,” she said upon receiving the second batch of the devices.

These donations were made possible through IGT’s After School Advantage (ASA) Programme, a long-standing initiative which provides non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with new computer equipment and specialised educational software to help children as young as five years old become more computer literate.

This philanthropic initiative is meant to provide an otherwise unavailable educational experience and bridge the digital divide among educational institutions and the community.

“The reality is that autism does not discriminate since it affects children around the world. IGT’s donation of these iPads to the Autism Place is an acknowledgement that we must all do our part in creating an environment that aids communication among those affected by autism,” said Ann- Dawn Young Sang, IGT’s Regional Vice President for the Caribbean.

President of ASTT, Teresina Sieunarine, said, “I am very thankful for the support and interest that the IGT family has given to the ASTT.

They have shown that they are committed to helping children with autism through the use of technology, by providing iPads for use in our centres. It has been proven that technology is quite effective in assisting children on the autism spectrum, as the iPad can be used as a visual support to facilitate learning, improve communication, increase independence, reduce anxiety and improve behaviours.” She added, “Technological aids like iPads are expensive and the ASTT would not be able to finance this wonderful initiative, so thanks again to IGT.”