I wrote this for a friend's blog a while ago. Today is World Autism Day and it just seemed perfect to share this today. It's simple and can easily be shared.
A woman discovers that she's pregnant and she's happy. It may be
the first, second or maybe tenth child she's expecting. Apart from the
difference in experience, the fact that she's expecting to give birth safely is
the same.
Some months later,a child (let's say a boy) is born and everyone
rejoices. He doesn't look different from a regular child. The doctor and the
parents have no cause to worry. He seems to grow normally; crawling at the
right time, attempts walking at the right time etc. But then at 18 months, the
mother notices that her child is not talking. It dawns on her that he didn't
babble at 9 months and then she starts getting worried. She runs to the
paediatrician and he says it's late development; boys sometimes develop later
than girls. Her mind is put at rest for a while. But then she begins to notice
other things; he doesn't seem to notice people around him,he does not play with
the other children, and it seems he does not like to be touched, he avoids eye
contact with people. She notices other strange behaviours; he flaps his hands,
covers his ears, arranges things in a particular order, he does not point at
what he wants but would lead a person's hand to his object of interest. She
also notices that toilet training seems harder for him to grasp. She is getting
more worried,but the doctor does not recognize that something is wrong.
Now he's almost 3 and things are not getting better, then the
truth is revealed. Her son has AUTISM. How? Why? What did she do wrong? What
did she eat when she was pregnant? Was it the age when she conceived? The
doctor tells her that it's not her fault. Autism is a disorder whose cause is
not known and is certainly not a parent's fault.
He tells her that Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that
affects a child's social, behavioural and communication skills. Some children
actually talk and acquire some skills at the right time,but lose these skills
before they are three. It is more common in boys than in girls,with a ratio of
4 boys to 1 girl. In the US, autism is found in 1 out of 88 people. Nigeria
does not have documented statistics,but autism is getting more common around
us...
The doctor continues to talk, but it's all a blur as she sits
there crying and wondering what the future holds for her son. Will he ever
talk? Will he be able to go to school like other kids? Will he live an
independent life like other children? Different questions run through her mind
and she has no answers.
The truth however is that her child can attain independence like
every other child if she seeks help. He can go to school like other children.
Therapy is available for children with autism in some states in Nigeria. And
the different types of therapy available are to help the child attain maximum
independence. The child's social skill can be developed, communication skills
can be built and behaviour can be modified. And there's support available for
parents now in Nigeria so that these parents and their children with the
support of other parents and professionals, can fight the battle against
autism. AUTISM does not have to stop a child's destiny.
For more information, you can join the Nigerian Autism community
through Nigerians for Autism on Facebook. There is also a parent group in
Nigeria called Parents Against Autism Initiative (PAAI). I also always tell
parents that "google is your friend". The internet affords you the
opportunity to get any information you may be seeking and find support in the
international community.
That's it folks. April is Autism Month,so this blog should be busy. I hope to share stories of parents that have had to deal with Autism in their kids. There will be a book review (you don't want to miss that) and so much more. Please follow me on twitter @adelolaonautism and like my Facebook page Autism Gist with Adelola. I'm sure you will learn a lot this month about autism.
And please read, comment and share o. Let's get this word out people.
Much love from me to you this Autism season... muah
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