Autism ‘cannot be prayed out of’, council tells born-again Christian presenter

Autism Advisory Council wants BA action over born-again Christian’s claim that autistic child was ‘cured’ by prayer

Singer Phyllisienne Brincat has in the past claimed Christianity cured her mental health problems
Singer Phyllisienne Brincat has in the past claimed Christianity cured her mental health problems

A government advisory council on autism has called attention to a television broadcast by the born-again Christian singer Phyllisienne Brincat, insisting that autism is not a curable disease.

Brincat shocked listeners on F Living Channel by claiming a child had been “cured” of autism through prayer.

The council has called upon the Broadcasting Authority to take steps on the programme as well as ensure representation on its board by persons with disabilities.

“Pushing forward the idea that autism is something to be cured is pushing forward the wrong idea of autism, and a great disservice to persons on the autism spectrum and their family members,” the council said.

“There is nothing to be cured as regards autism. Autism is not a disease,” Autism Advisory Council chairperson Dr Alistair de Gaetano.

“It is a lifelong neurological difference, and while certain behaviours and co-occurring conditions – such as anxiety – are regularly linked to it, autism itself is part and parcel of a person’s identity, and not something to be ‘grown’ or ‘prayed’ out of.”

De Gaetano said that autistic students are often trying to cope with a world that is inaccessible to them, such as cluttered classrooms. “[This] warrants a shift in understanding and approach by those responsible for the social environment the children are in, rather than a change in the children themselves.”

“While behavioural management, as from an early age – and with the involvement of family members and other close persons – can help a person on the autism spectrum – this should never be a replacement for condoning society’s current lack of willingness to understand and adapt itself to the needs of all persons with disabilities – including persons on the autism spectrum,” de Gaetano said.