The first National Autism Awareness Month was declared by the Autism Society in April 1970. The aim of this month is to educate the world about autism. Research reveals that Autism is a complex mental condition and developmental disability, characterized by difficulties in the way a person communicates and interacts with other people.
Autism can be present from birth or form during early childhood (typically within the first three years). Autism is a lifelong developmental disability with no single known cause. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is considered to be a severe disability due in part to the intense lifelong effects it has on the diagnosed individual and his or her family.
Common characteristic of Autism:
Social Skills: Individuals with autism have problems interacting with others; autistic children do not have adequate skills to interact and play with peers. Behaviors displayed are clumsy and most times, out of sync with those around them.
Empathy: Empathy is the ability to recognize and understand the feelings of another person. Individuals with autism find it difficult to show empathy to others.
Physical Contact: Individuals with autism in some cases, do not like physical contact such as hugs, tickling or physical play with others.
Environmental Changes: Sudden changes in an environment may affect an individual with autism, for example; loud noise, a change in intensity of lighting and a change in smell.
Speech: Speech can be affected in individuals with autism. ‘Echolalia’ is a typical speech symptom in which words are repeated. The speech tone of an individual with autism may be monotonous.
Family experiences with Autism:
Parents of children with ASD have several experiences in common across ethnicities. Many parents find that caring for a child with autism reduces personal relationships with others and can impact finances to a great degree. Specifically, many parents experience feelings of depression and despair upon learning of their child’s diagnosis.
Many parents describe the lack of understanding of Autism in the African community and the toll that those misunderstandings took on them and their families. Some mothers of children with autism are labelled in some communities as “witchcraft” possessed agents whose agenda is to plaque their communities with autistic children.
This negative and pervasive treatment of parents of children with autism have not only limited the aggressive support from family members and government agencies to search for diagnosis for their children but also triggered feelings of isolation from family and friends. There should be a need for absolute awareness of ASD to help all navigate through the myriad of educational, medical and behavioral services.
Services and Supports:
Individuals with ASD need a number of interventions to improve their communication and social functioning in the academic environment. Research has demonstrated the efficacy of a variety of techniques which include social stories and comic strip conversations.
Advances in technology have created great opportunities for individuals with Autism. For example; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other federal legislation have mandated the provision of reasonable accommodation, including assistive technology to all individuals who might benefit from them.
To integrate meaningfully into the community after postsecondary education, adolescents with autism will need appropriate training and education in assistive technology and work-based experiences. The iPad and other computer interactive systems like the Smart Board are such technologies that enable young adult with autism who lack functional communication to initiate requests to describe what they want.
According to researchers, the interactive nature of computer assistive technologies offers many practical uses for providing social interaction and communication. As individuals with autism transition from school to the workplace, postsecondary and related support services may be needed to ameliorate language and social deficits and to facilitate personal and professional development.
In the United States, autism affects 1 in every 110 children. National Autism Awareness Month aims to make the public more aware about this widespread disability and the issues which arise in the autism community. About 1 in 150 people in America have autism. Other parts of the African continent may record more cases.
A better-informed public will be more empathetic and supportive towards people with autism. The month of April is backed by the Autism Society of America which undertake a number of activities to raise awareness about autism. Autism support groups in Nigeria as well as the Autism Society of America have local chapters which hold special events throughout April. Increasing Autism awareness and information in the African communities will greatly help in developing culturally-responsive models of diagnosis and service delivery. Research should be undertaken to examine the best methods and channels of supplying information outreach that will effectively increase knowledge and ultimately, change attitudes towards Autism Spectrum Disorder in Nigeria.
Isaac Osae-Brown
