From Marlie Mount to Glenmuir High | Autistic boy who doesn’t write aces PEP

The Marlie Mount Primary student was highly proficient in all but one subject area when the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) results were announced, leaving his parents feeling extremely proud.

His mom Ann-Marie Delahaye says their little bright spark is a fun-loving boy who loves to read and explore topics that you would not normally see the average child his age exploring.

“He likes to share information with you and gives you his views in terms of things he thinks should be happening,” she said in an exclusive interview with Old Harbour News following his graduation where received several individual awards.

“His ultimate dream is to build a community where you can offer free education to children,” added Delahaye, who believes her son will be a philanthropist in the future. “The other day he was telling me about Finland and their education system.”

Decordo was diagnosed with autism two years ago after his mom noticed something odd about him one Saturday morning leaving their home to catch a taxi.

“He was walking kind of robotically, so I brought it to our family doctor’s attention,” she said.

A series of tests were carried which confirmed Decordo is autistic. As a natural reaction, Decordo’s mom and dad were concerned.

“As a mother I went back thinking when I was pregnant, was there anything that I should have done. All these things come to your mind. But ultimately as a believer in God I said ‘why not me? This is what I’ve been given so I’m gonna do what I must do and try and get the best done for him’,” recalled Delahaye about Decordo who is the second of four children.

Perhaps there were earlier signs that were overlooked. During his kindergarten years, Decordo would only make the odd scribble here and there in his books.

“He will draw. From basic school, you would see him come home and the book is empty and you say ‘Decordo why didn’t you write today?’ and we would say ‘mommy I tried but I just couldn’t write’. But then when you ask ‘what did teacher do today?’ he can tell you everything what teacher did,” his mother said pointing to his exceptional ability to recall information in great detail. 

At primary school Delahaye would spend hours assisting her son to develop his writing skills, but it was a “very tedious task” as it would take at least two hours for him to complete a page.

“I wasn’t daunted by this,” she said confidently “because I could have a conversation with him and know that he was learning.”

Because of Decordo’s medical diagnosis, the Ministry of Education assigned him a scribe during PEP. The end result was remarkable and was what those who know him best expected. 

As per Decordo’s instruction during the exam, Miss Delahaye explained: “This person assisted him in the English part of the test. He basically read and whatever they wrote, he spelled and punctuated.”

His father Kevin Patterson, who is a well-known volleyball coach and certified electrician admitted to feeling a bit anxious.

Asked how he felt at the moment Patterson said: “Proud yes; felt a little nervousness at times because I know the difficulty that he was facing.

“But overall at no time at all did I didn’t believe that he would pass. I was expecting that he would probably do better in the English, that’s where I thought he would have done the best in.”

The mother chipped in: “I didn’t know he was so strong at math, but I know he can do his work.”

Speaking to Old Harbour News after his graduation, Decordo told Old Harbour News that the national standardized test for primary school leavers was a bit challenging.

And when asked what he aspires to become later on in life he responded “maybe a bio-chemist” without contemplating much on the question.

Life at Glenmuir for now is a mystery for Decordo. His parents haven’t set their son any targets or goals either for his new voyage at one of Jamaica’s most prestigious high schools. They are just focus on supporting their little genius the best way they can with the knowledge that he’s going to shine on whichever path he chooses.

“We are blessed to have friends and families that do a host of stuffs, so whatever he wants, whatever he’s interested in he’ll be supported,” Delahaye said.

For sure there will be challenges ahead in his new environment. One such is the possibility of him being bullied because of his condition which isn’t obvious to the untrained eye. 

But his parents are not worried at all by such a possibility.

“I normally say to him that persons that bullied are usually scared in one way or another… just stay clear of them. If it is that they are threatening bodily harm just tell someone in authority and tell your parents, we will know what to do,” she said.

“Decordo is somebody that persons normally gravitate to, because separate and apart from the autism he’s a jovial child and the wealth of information that he has, and when he begins to speak you ultimately fall into wanting to listen to him some more.”

“One day he came home and he was trying to speak in patois and I had to stop him and say ‘baby just stick to the English’, because he was ‘twangn’ the patois,” she said laughing.