Isolating autistic children worsens their plight

Kwame is not talking at age four; Moses’s behaviour is unusual for a boy of 15, Maame Esi, seven, clinges to her mother, and cries at the prospect of separating herself or mingling with other children.
These children are different, in terms of age and gender but they are all autistic or children with intellectual disability (ID).

Autism is a complex developmental disability. The condition experts believe presents itself during the first three years of a child’s life.

It is as a result of a neurological disorder that affects normal brain function and the development of the person's communication and social interaction skills.

Autism is, however, defined by the New Horizon Special School in Accra as a biological disturbance in the central nervous system, which normally takes place before birth or starts before the age of three.

Caring for children with autism or ID require special skills, to reduce the stress, rejection, isolation, among other negative mood swings parents of such children face.

“Persons with ID in Ghana are the forgotten and voiceless people of our country”, a statement from  Inclusion Ghana, a non-governmental organisation with special interest in helping parents with ID or autism children, perhaps to sum up the frustrations mothers go through in accessing care for their children with special needs.

Mrs Serwaa Quainoo, Founder and Head of the Autism Awareness Care and Training (AACT)  at Kokomlemle in Accra had to raise a now 31 year old man, who was diagnosed with autism at an early age of two years, something she described as extremely stressful.

Children with autism do not usually have a visible handicap; Mrs Quainoo stated and explained that some children with autism also have intellectual disability while others do not.

While it is easy for parents of such children to just isolate their autistic or ID children to avoid the seeming embarrasment that their behaviour caused them, Mr Odoom indicated that hiding the children would only worsen their plight, and prevent them from developing their full potential.

What causes ID or autism?

According to the National Co-ordinator of Inclusion Ghana, Mr Auberon Jeleel Odoom, the condition could be gotten during pregnancy, delivery, or after delivery.

He, however, indicated that research had shown that most children were left autistic during delivery.

Autistic children look normal, very often with a normal IQ. It, however manifests itself mainly through contact deviation - the autistic person avoids contact with everyone, sometimes, including his mother. He/she does not want to be held or cuddled. The autistic child's development is characterised by: contact disturbance, language disturbance, stereotype rituals / odd interests.

“ID is terrible, there is no disability that can be close to it”, Mr Odoom stressed.

The parent self-help group

Established in 2009, Inclusion Ghana is mobilising parents through its parent-self-help programme to extend support to parents of autistic or ID children.

So far, there are 55 community groups with an average membership of eight according to Mr Odoom.

How to strengthen the groups and make them more responsive to the needs of parents was the focus of a day’s workshop in Accra.

The Parent Mobiliser of Inclusion Ghana, Ms Alice Yeboah explained that it was important for mothers to join the self-help group as it would enable them share their experiences, challenges, and hopefully find solution to their problems in raising such children.

“It is not easy having your 15 year old boy or girl behaving like a two year old, but with the right support mothers can overcome the challenges”, she stated.

According to her, parents, particularly, mothers suffered enormous stress, rejection, depression, anger, as they spend more time with such children.

Autisim, ID centres in Ghana

AACT, New Horizon Special School are some of the private initiatives offering care and support to parents and children.

Currently, the government has 15 special schools, while 24 units have been integrated into the normal stream of education.

By Naa Lamiley Bentil/Daily Graphic/Ghana
Writer’s email: naa.bentil@graphic.com.gh