As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate Children’s Day, the Autism Parents Association International, a Nigerian advocacy group made up of parents of children on the Autism Spectrum, has appealed to government and Nigerians to remember children with autism who have to push past many barriers to actualise themselves.
In a statement signed by President of APAi, Mrs. Angela Emuwa, said children with autism are not sick but are just different, and Nigerians should spare a thought today for the Nigerian child with autism.
She said, “Today, Nigeria celebrates all her children. Children are gift from God and when we nurture them well, we are building bridges for a better future in our nation.
“Childhood is a period of dependency, a time when we are fully entrusted with young lives to mould into contributors to society.”
Quoting UNICEF 2010 figures, Emuwa said, “Over 6 million children are born in Nigeria daily, and a fraction of this number would be children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.”
Pointing out that autism usually presents with difficulty in communication, social skills, and a range of unique strengths and challenges that make children on the spectrum different, the APAi President added that it is not a physical disability, not contagious and need not be permanent, though an occasional child may also have some accompanying physical challenges.
On better ways to manage the situation, she said early diagnosis and intervention makes a lot of difference in eventual outcomes as some children have been known to recover fully and many more have learnt to live to adulthood and fulfill their own purpose in life, albeit differently.
The statement read in part, “What do children with autism need from the society? They need access to therapy and education to enable them maximise their potentials; and while they are at it, they need to be treated with respect.
“What do their families and carers need? They need financial support to pay for the special services required by the children and they need ongoing access to current information on how to best meet the needs of their wards with autism at whatever stage they may be in life- be it preschool, school years, or adulthood.
“Parents must not be left to travel this tough road alone. As strong as many autism mums and dads are, they still need you to keep hope alive. We need a distinct law, backed with funding, to provide for and protect children with autism in our schools and communities.
“Every child belongs to the community, including children with special needs. Oftentimes, parents are unable to keep pace with the high cost of maintaining their children in therapy and they may not even get the expected results as there are no regulatory bodies to monitor the performance of the therapists; nor are they supported to build capacity for better service delivery.
“There is a need to standardise the practice and operation of therapists who work with children with autism in Nigeria.
“What do children with autism need from the educational system? They need learning support programmes and tools structured to meet their peculiar needs.
“Whenever the system is ready for these reforms, they need to carry parents along as decisions are made. We must also recognise that early intervention makes all the difference. So, we need to emplace initiatives that ensure early detection and the provision of educational and social structures that enable them to access the quality of support they need from that point.”
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