2nd April every year is internationally celebrated as ‘World Autism Awareness Day”The purpose of this celebration is to create awareness and sensitize the public about the condition. It is also to promote global acceptance of the condition and to give individuals living with it and their families a sense of belonging.
I never heard about the condition until I became a full-grown adult. I guess there are lots of people like me who are in the dark on this subject.
Now you may be wondering what is autism and why does it seem like a relatively modern condition?
Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3. What this means is that a child with autism looks and behaves like a neurotypical child from birth. He or she may have attained some milestones and social skills such as speech, mobility, display of affection, eye contact, etc but lose it between 18 to 36 months.
It takes an observant parent to notice it at this stage. Autism affects the way the brain develops in the area of cognitive function. Individuals with autism often suffer from numerous co-morbid medical conditions which may include: allergies, asthma, epilepsy, digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, this is not exhaustive.
The implication of this is that autistics have a lot they’re grappling with and it is not an easy path in life. Their family also are in a world that only ‘them’ understand. It may seem weird but there’s no running away from reality. Suffice it to say, families with children in this condition need all the love and care they can get and not mockery and rejection.
In the course of my work with special parents, I have seen a few families with two or three children on the spectrum. Why this happens, I do not know! Now, this brings me to the subject of its course. *There is no known course of autism* For a lot of mothers it doesn’t just add up!!!
Due to its low on-set, autism is one of those conditions most traditional especially in Africa think it is a result of *voodoo or witchcraft operations* How do you explain the withdrawal of a child from social interaction or play? Autism is diagnosed four times more often in boys than girls. Again, there is no medical explanation for this. Its prevalence is not affected by race, region, or socioeconomic status.
Honestly, I say without fear of contradiction that the pain of parenting an autistic is more in poor families.
Autism itself does not affect life expectancy, however, research has shown that the mortality risk among individuals with autism is twice as high as the general population, in large part due to drowning and other accidents.
Currently, there is no cure for autism, though, with early intervention and treatment, the diverse symptoms related to autism can be greatly improved and in some cases completely overcome.
Autism now affects 1 in 54 children; over half are classified as having an intellectual disability or borderline intellectual disability. This statistic is scary!!!
About 40% of children with autism do not speak. About 25%–30% of children with autism have some words at 12 to 18 months of age and then lose them. Others might speak, but not until later in childhood
Autism greatly varies from person to person (no two people with autism are alike)
The rate of autism has steadily grown over the last twenty years. Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disorder, yet most underfunded. Children with autism do progress when early intervention/corrective measures are taken. In Nigeria and maybe the rest of Africa this is a serious problem! How do you explore early intervention strategies when you don’t even know what you’re dealing with??? How do you get an accurate diagnosis when there are no government-owned diagnostic centres?
Now the million-dollar question. WHO PAYS THE BILLS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF AN AUTISTIC CHILD? As stated earlier, autism may come with several other health complications which are expensive to manage
There’s light in the tunnel though. Autism is treatable, not a hopeless condition.
Over the world, there are famous people with the condition such as; Tech Icon Bill Gate, Albert Einstein, Dan Aykroyd – Comedic Actor, Hans Christian Andersen -Children’s Author, Benjamin Banneker – African American almanac author, surveyor, naturalist, and farmer, Lewis Carroll – Author of “Alice in Wonderland”, Henry Cavendish – Scientist…..who have broken boundaries.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be likened to a ruler which gravitates from mild to severe. The level of functionality of the individual varies depending on the side of the spectrum he or she is.
This year’s celebration is themed, Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic World. It celebrates individuals on the spectrum who have bitten the odds and have acquired educational, technological, or vocational skills.
If I may ask another question, do you think people with the condition are employable? Would you employ an autistic if one presents with an application letter in the organization you own or head? Would you support a family with an autistic child?
I cannot end this piece without celebrating all those who love and are a part of the lives of autistics. Special parents, educators, advocates, health care providers, etc I celebrate you
As you read this article, remember to wear BLUE for autistics. Each time you see the color blue, kindly remember……..
Thanks for reading. I am Biby Yinkere, a.k.a mama special needs?