The IME has taken up residence in Anse des Cayes

Gathered around a large table, five children complete some recreational activities before starting their lunch. Beside them, a handful of smiling, attentive adults. In the cool air of the large room at the Anse des Cayes community center, the scene has become something of a ritual over the past few months. November 27, 2023, to be precise. This date corresponds to the opening of the temporary premises of the Institut médico-éducatif in two modular buildings integrated into the neighborhood playground, pending the opening of the definitive structure in Saint-Jean.
Since the start of the school year, the IME has been catering for five children with various autism spectrum disorders or other disabilities. "We can also accommodate children with Down's syndrome, but for the moment this is not the case," stresses IME head of department Edwine Lagier. The Saint-Barthélemy institute has been entrusted to the care of the OVE Caraïbes association, based in Martinique. An organization with 29 structures in Martinique, Saint-Martin and now Saint-Barth. The association's mission, wherever it operates, is to welcome and support children and adults with disabilities. Whatever that may be. To achieve this, OVE Caraïbes employs professionals.

"Before, parents had to fend for themselves".
The Saint-Barth IME employs a specialized educator, an educational monitor and a medical-psychological assistant. But also two private nurses, a speech therapist, a physiotherapist and a psychomotricist," stresses Edwine Lagier. We also work in partnership with the HAD (hospitalization at home) of the Choisy clinic. "In addition, the IME intends to develop activities with the island's schools. The aim is to increase interaction with other children through workshops, games and outings.
At present, the institute welcomes five children aged 6 to 14 every day. A sixth will soon join the ranks. Before the IME arrived, parents had to fend for themselves," recalls the head of department. The children went to school, which was not at all appropriate. "Even with the support of an assistant for pupils with disabilities (AESH). Consequently, the opening of the IME marks a considerable step forward for Saint-Barthélemy. And while the number of children who can be accommodated in the Anse des Cayes Algecos has been reduced, it will be increased from six to twelve in the definitive Saint-Jean structure, scheduled to open in 2028.
Every day, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays, OVE Caraïbes staff offer educational, therapeutic and recreational activities tailored to each child's learning abilities. "Soon, we should have a teacher," rejoices Edwine Lagier, who explains: "Children are welcomed into the IME after a referral from the MDPH (Maison départementale des personnes handicapées, editor's note). Families contact us, we make a home visit and then provide them with the file. "
The institute does not offer accommodation, but rather continuous reception throughout the day, in the time slots specified above. We have school pick-up points where we collect the children and where the parents come to collect them at the end of the day," explains the head of department. For catering, we work with the Anse Caraïbes school canteen, which delivers the meals. "As a result, the IME is already well integrated into the island's landscape. "Our aim is to help as many families and children as possible," insists Edwine Lagier. As the OVE Caraïbes association emphasizes on its website, our aim is to help bring the medical-social world closer to the "ordinary environment", and to "to change the way people look at things and behave, for a society that is inclusive, welcoming, respectful of people's rights and proud of its diversity".