Trinidadian-American Nancy Tannis gets autistic kids involved in carnival
With a son on the Autism Spectrum, Trinidadian-American Nancy Tannis says she has been endeavoring to get autistic kids involved in the West Indian American Carnival in Brooklyn. Tannis, who was born in Brooklyn to Trinidadian parentage, told Caribbean Life on Thursday that she is the mother of two boys, Ian, 14, who is autistic and non-verbal, and Chayse, 8. “As a child growing up, I was very involved with Caribbean culture, whether it was playing the steel pan or participating in the Junior Carnival – both here and in Trinidad and Tobago,” she said. “A huge part of who I am today stems from the enriched cultural foundation that my family instilled in me from childhood. “Being the parent of a child who is non-verbal and growing up in a Caribbean household, I find myself constantly trying to find ways to teach him and his brother about their heritage,” she added, stating that, for a long time, she has been “very familiar with the amazing work the Kaisokah Moko Jumbies, along with...