The Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Ltd (GTBank), Thomas Attah John, has called for deliberate action to promote the inclusion of people living with autism, stating that awareness campaigns alone are not enough to address the challenges they face.
“We must continue to create opportunities for families to access expert support while encouraging institutions and communities to embrace people living with autism with understanding, dignity and acceptance. Together, we can build a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” he said.
Autism workshop
Mr John was speaking ahead of the country’s biggest awareness and hand-on coaching event on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), the GTBank Autism Workshop and Consultations, scheduled to take place from August 4 to 8, this year at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
The five-day event, on the theme: "Acceptance in Action: From Family to Classroom to Workplace to Public Spaces," underscores the importance of fostering genuine inclusion for individuals on the autism spectrum across every aspect of society.
Over the past five years, the GTBank Autism awareness programme has become Ghana's leading platforms for autism advocacy, education and support, helping thousands of families access specialist expertise while encouraging greater public understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity.
The workshop aims to encourage practical actions that promote understanding, acceptance and equal opportunities within homes, schools, workplaces and public environments.
Mr John said the workshop was open to parents and caregivers, teachers, healthcare professionals, employers, students, policymakers, and members of the general public who were interested in learning more about autism and promoting inclusive communities.
He said attendance was free. however, he encouraged interested participants to register in advance at gtcoplc.com/autism.
Event
The event will begin with a Workshop and Conference at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 4 at the Kofi Ohene-Konadu Auditorium, bringing together medical professionals, special educators, policymakers and advocacy groups to discuss critical issues surrounding Autism.
It will then be followed by a four-day consultation from Wednesday, August 5 to Saturday, August 8, featuring a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including speech therapists, behaviour analysts, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, special education needs experts and dentists from Canada, the United States, Nigeria, Ghana, among other countries.
Action
Supporting the call for practical action, the Founder of the Roshelle Brago Boakye Foundation (ROBB Foundation), Mavis Opoku Asantewaa, said the programme had become an important source of specialised services and knowledge for families raising children with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Her organisation, she said, advocated the rights and inclusion of children with autism, Down Syndrome and cerebral palsy through education, awareness and support services.
Mrs Asantewaa said one of the programme’s greatest strengths was bringing different specialists under one roof, allowing families to access services that would otherwise require visits to multiple facilities.
“Looking at our hospital settings, you might get physiotherapy at one place and speech therapy somewhere else.
You may have to look elsewhere for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy. Bringing all these therapies together has been a great help to families,” she said.
The ROBB Foundation founder added that last year’s programme exposed many parents to specialised therapies they did not know were available in Ghana.
“We realised there were therapies we didn’t even know existed in the country.
The programme opened our eyes to the fact that these services are available and that gives parents hope,” she said.
Mrs Asantewaa appealed to organisers to extend the duration of this year’s programme and expand the number of therapy sessions to enable more children to benefit, explaining that demand continued to grow as awareness increased.
She also said conversations on autism had improved significantly over the years, helping to break the silence surrounding developmental disabilities.
“There was a time these conversations were difficult because people didn’t want to listen.
Today, the workshops share scientific research, practical approaches that work and new developments in autism care.
They give parents, caregivers and organisations knowledge that helps us design better interventions for our children,” she said.
She encouraged parents and caregivers of children living with autism to take advantage of the programme, saying the knowledge and professional support available could significantly improve the quality of life of both children and their families.
The bank
Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) PLC is one of Ghana's leading financial institutions committed to delivering innovative banking solutions while driving meaningful social impact through education, health, community development and inclusion initiatives.
Through its annual Autism Programme in Ghana, Nigeria and other operational areas, the bank continues to champion awareness, acceptance and access to specialist support for individuals living with autism and their families.
