RIGHTS: WILL YOU SPEAK FOR ME?

I met some people on the autism spectrum on Twitter last year. They spoke for themselves, about the disorder, the struggles and the blessing of autism. I visited their blogs and learnt more about them and their autism experiences.

That day I got to a client’s house, and looking at him I wished he could speak for himself. I wish he could talk about his struggles, his victories, his needs, and much more. But I realized that his mum has been speaking for him, actually both parents but I have had cause to interact with his mum more. By interacting with her, I have learnt a lot about him, how far he has come, and I have learnt to appreciate his journey.

If parents don’t speak up for their children on the spectrum, how can people understand? It’s important to get early intervention, therapy, SEN support for your child, but beyond that be the VOICE for your child.

This caption captures my thoughts

A mother told me that sometime ago, she went to her child’s school to lecture the teachers on anxiety and sensory processing disorder in children with autism, helping them understand some of the challenges that her child has to deal with daily. She said that it changed the teacher’s disposition towards her child, and she noticed progress in her child’s learning.

What if she never spoke up for her child?

Another advantage of speaking out for your child is that you may be speaking up for another child, you may be giving hope to another parent. Sometimes all a mother needs is the assurance that she is not alone, and you will be giving her hope by speaking up.

Today, April ends. But does autism awareness end? It doesn’t. Autism awareness continues. Autism advocacy continues. We will continue to be the voice that speaks for children, adolescents, and adults that live with autism. We will continue to speak for their families.

I speak for children that I teach

I want to appreciate those who have supported the blog by sharing the articles throughout the month. I want to encourage you to continue sharing, not just articles from this blog, but also other articles on autism. Let us be the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves. People with autism have the RIGHT TO HAVE A VOICE.

DO YOU KNOW PLAY HELPS CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS

I read a quote credited to Dr Stuart Brown, “Nothing lights up a child’s brain like play”. It is said that children learn by play, and play is important for healthy development in children. According to Jona K. Anderson and Sandra J. Bailey, 75% of brain development happens after birth, and play helps with that development by stimulating the brain through the formation of connections between nerve cells. Play helps with development of fine and gross motor skills, language and communication, socialization skills, creative and thinking skills. Children learn to solve problems in play (The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Development, www.msuextension.org).

One man and his team has taken this literally and they play with all children, helping to boost their development. This program is directed at children with developmental delays and all other children. The children they work with build different skills as they play together.

The Playsmart Concept is a full service child development consultancy that works with the global concept of ‘play’. They provide play based programs for preschools and primary schools called Smart Play, with emphasis on learning readiness. They also provide support in form of therapy for children with developmental delays.

According to them, their main focus is promoting and providing play based programs for children and support for children with developmental delays. Having worked for close to 10 years with children with developmental delays, they have seen that every child develops optimally when exposed to developmentally appropriate play based programs.

As you should be aware, children with autism have developmental delays, so Playsmart Concepts provides opportunities for children with autism to develop earlier through play.

I first heard of Playsmart Concepts when I saw an advert for their Saturday play programs. Then I asked to volunteer at one of their programs, and I saw how all the children responded very well. And they had testimonies of the children I could recognize as being on the autism spectrum, how they had made progress in the time they had spent attending their programs.

 

The play program created an inclusive environment, as there was no segregation or discrimination. A child cannot be wrong in play, so all the children had free expression of themselves. I saw a child who didn’t seem like she wanted to play with the others when she came in lighten up as the play progressed.

The Playsmart Concepts team is led by Mr Isa Gabriel who has had the experience of working with children, using play as a tool for more than a decade.

I am happy to celebrate Mr Isa and The Playsmart Concepts team today, because of the part they play in the lives of our children living with Autism. Inclusion of people on the autism spectrum in the society is very dear to me, and The Playsmart Concepts is not only helping with inclusion, but also they are helping our children develop better.

You can learn more about Playsmart Concepts by visiting their website www.playsmartconcepts.org

RIGHT TO PROTECTION

Working with children that have autism over the years, I have seen parents leave out sensitive issues like their child having the tendency to wander, or being prone to seizures when they bring the child to school. They may have sincere reasons, but then it may be putting the security of the child at risk.

In 2013, a parent brought her son to the school I worked at the time, and she told us he had wandered the previous Christmas. This information was very helpful because, not only were we more conscious of the general school security, we paid close attention to this boy, and realised that if we were not careful we could lose him somehow. He did attempt to wander, but because we knew he could, he did not succeed. Not just that, we notified people in the environment that we had children that had the tendency to try to run, making them realise that it didn’t depend on  whether we were nice to the children or not, but these kids just had the tendency. Somehow, in that community we had eyes everywhere, including our gates. When people saw our kids at the gate, they called out to us, without assuming that we probably sent the child on an errand.

Photo credit: www.autismtopics.org

In another case, I have seen a child have seizures in school and the school was unaware that he was prone to that. When they called the mum, she was not surprised, she just “handled” it. Thank God the school knew what to do.

A parent cannot always be around the child at all times, but as a parent, you can put things in place to ensure your child’s safety. Many parents have testified that their child was saved from wandering because people in the neighbourhood recognized him/her, and were able to call their attention. What you have done by not hiding your child is to empower others to protect him/her.

Photo credit: Pintrest

Also, in a time when people are evil, it is important that other members of the community take child security as a communal task. Many children living with autism in Nigeria are non-verbal or have limitations with communication, so that means that they may not be able to call for help, but when you sense danger as a teacher, a neighbour, or as someone lucky to be around the corner, don’t just overlook, ask questions.

We have to work together to protect our children on the spectrum
Photo credit: Pintrest

I am not saying that you should live in fear, what I am saying is that you should put things in place for your child’s safety. Children with autism have a right to being protected, and we can all play our part as members of the community.

CHILDREN RESTORATION INITIATIVE

This is autism awareness month. Every April on this blog, I have tried to do more than autism awareness. Autism is not just a disorder somewhere, it is a condition that families have to live with; parents, siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles, grandparents, even spouses. So every year, I usually talk first about people that have children with autism, and then people that provide respite in their own ways.

This week, I am celebrating people and organizations that support families that have children on the spectrum. I am particularly excited about the group I am sharing about today.

The Children Restoration Initiative (CRI) has been around for a while, but somehow have been doing amazing things without drawing attention to themselves. Born primarily from experience as parents of children on the spectrum, these parents are helping other families, creating autism awareness, and are strongly involved in advocacy for better education for children with autism and other special needs.

According to their website, CRI is a registered non-profit educational advocacy group established by reform-minded parents in response to the dearth in educational services for children and young adults with special needs in the Nigerian education system. They campaign for the enforcement of existing legislation that ensure the provision of free, tailored education and related services within the public school system.

Book on autism awareness by one of the CRI parents

Autism awareness in a school

CRI is actively involved in autism awareness, emphasizing on the importance of early intervention in autism treatment and support. They campaign for peer autism awareness and acceptance, so they go around schools, educating pupils alongside teachers and other members of staff. CRI presently supports the inclusive education unit in one of the public schools in Lagos metropolis.

Working on the inclusive education unit

Inclusive education unit before renovation

Inclusive education unit before renovation

Let me throw this here, as fan club. A CRI member

Inclusive education unit after renovation

Inclusive education unit after renovation

Autism therapy is quite expensive, and many families in Nigeria cannot afford therapy. Considering that there is no government support subsidizing therapy for families, CRI supports some low income families that cannot afford therapy for their children on the spectrum. They raise the money for these supports from their personal pockets and the kind support of other people and NGOs.

CRI helped provide hearing aids for this boy with autism whose widowed mother could not afford

Today I choose to celebrate The Children Restorative Initiative for all they do in creating autism awareness, education advocacy for children with special needs, and supporting families that have children with autism in different ways.

To learn more about CRI or to contact them, visit www.tcri-ng.org or call +2348133571965, or send them an email info@tcri-ng.org.

What are you doing to support autism?

HAVE YOU BEEN RHIMAMORIED?

You’ll find out soon!

A few years ago, a centre where I worked needed sensory brushes, we were told that we had to buy in obodo-oyinbo (abroad). Imagine my joy when I got a new Facebook friend, and I saw sensory brushes on the wall. The name was Rhimamory Res (Resources).

I initially thought Rhimamory Resources was created to meet the needs of children with autism, especially as every autism center that I knew of was shopping from them. But I later realized, from their social media posts, that they were meeting the needs of typical children as well. Chatting with the director of the company, she also confirmed it, that they actually meet the needs of all children.

Rhimamory Resources sells educational materials for all children in Nigeria. Speaking with the director, Mudi Nwachukwu, she said that she believes that all children, regardless of location, should have access to educational toys and materials. So if you follow them on Instagram or Facebook, you will see posts about deliveries to different parts of Nigeria. Although they are based in Lagos, they deliver all over Nigeria; North, East, West, and South.

Mudi Nwachukwu’s goal is to ensure that every child in Nigeria has access to high quality educational materials, and not be limited by location. She did not start her business to meet needs of children with special needs, but it has made her very happy to be able to meet the needs of these children. Rhimamory Resources has always tried to help parents find materials that they particularly need for their children, and she believes that that is how they have been able to meet the needs of families that have children on the autism spectrum.

Mudi is a trained lawyer, but as a mother, when her children were much younger she always had people complimenting her for the educational materials she bought her kids. Eventually she started helping her friends shop for educational materials whenever she traveled, and now she is meeting the needs of many more families than she planned for. Rhimamory started on Instagram and Facebook, but they now have a website, www.rhimamory.com, where people can shop for educational materials for their schools, their children, and can also gift to others.

Rhimamory has a gift corner on the website

Mudi says that she is happy to be able to reduce the stress of parents, who no longer have to worry about how they will get materials that they need for their children. Interviewing parents and asking for the kind of needs that they want to meet in their child helps her to suggest the appropriate materials for the child. For example, if a parent goes to any store and needs materials for fine motor, the store keeper may not be able to give exactly what they need, so parents can come to Rhimamory and they will be sure that they will get what will achieve the purpose they want to meet.

I asked her what materials autism parents usually requests for. According to her, speech or communication development is very important to parents of children on the autism spectrum, so flashcards on alphabets, numbers, action words, and related subjects are quite common. Parents buy everything, ranging from building blocks, to materials that build fine motor skills, materials for sensory integration, curly straws, and they buy anything that aids learning. Children with autism use the same materials as typical children, and she is able to help parents pick specific materials to meet specific needs. That's what it means to be RHIMAMORIED!

You can follow @rhimamory on Instagram, and you should visit their website www.rhimamory.com.

This week on Autism Gist with Adelola, I am celebrating organizations that are supporting children with autism or the autism community in different ways. And I have chosen to start with Mudi and the Rhimamory team. In meeting the needs of all children, they are supporting our own children as well.

Although I will be continuing with my posts on RIGHTS of individuals on the autism spectrum, please watch out for the next set of people to celebrate on Wednesday and Friday. You don’t want to miss out on their gists.

Autism Awareness Everywhere and in Every Way

This year’s autism month has been so busy for us in the autism community in Nigeria. Just yesterday, the 3-day free consultation program for indigent families that have children with developmental disorders was concluded. There were behaviour analysts, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, educational diagnosticians, nutritionists, counsellors, and psychologists (In hope I covered everything). Many parents said that the consultation programme really helped them, and they felt empowered to work with their children now.

A lot has been done as regards autism awareness as well. Blazing Heart Autism Center, Port-Harcourt kicked off awareness on a golf course. They had a golf tournament on the 1^st of April, tagged Golf4Hope, and there was a good turnout of people, giving them an opportunity to create autism awareness.

On that same April 1, Olamma for Autism Awareness Foundation had a walk for autism in Lagos. The walk held at Ifako, Gbagada. They shared fliers and spoke to people about autism as they walked.

April 8 was for our Dance for Autism Awareness event (Read details here)

This week, the Autism Awareness Place visited some schools to create autism awareness.

In Abuja, 2 different organizations had awareness events on Saturday the 22^nd; OLG Foundation/Autism Center held a seminar on autism, and Dewdrops Community Center for Special Needs had an Autism Awareness Family Funfair. I saw pictures from the Family Funfair, and it was quite obvious that they had a lot of fun as they created autism awareness, while creating an opportunity for inclusive interaction for neurotypical children and children with autism and other special needs, and their families. Lola SNAP gives detailed gist about the event.

Autism is a spectrum of disorders that affects behaviour, social skill, and communication skill. Because autism awareness level in Nigeria is relatively low, even though more families are being discovered to have children on the spectrum, it is important that we find as many ways as possible to raise the awareness and drive the message home. This will help with early detection, diagnosis, and intervention. Awareness will also make room for support and inclusion for people living with autism and their families.

The month is not yet over, so there is still more to come. In Lagos alone, on April 29, there will be a walk for autism on the mainland, and a ZUMBATHON Charity Event to support Autism Awareness on the Island.

Different organizations are coming together for the WALK AWAKE AUTISM, and we will gather at the Ndubuisi Kanu Park at Alausa, Ikeja by 7am, and we will start the walk latest by 8am. You can call 08129184050, 08031912759, and 08166218444 for details on how to register. I am aware that there are shirts for sale, and they go for N2000.

At 7.30am on the same day, at Lagos Preparatory School Ikoyi, the Zumbathon Charity Event will kick off. Please join us at 36/40 Glover road, Ikoyi to dance as we support autism awareness. Raffle tickets are available for N1000. To purchase tickets or for details, you can call 08083799035 or 08023196690.

Until there is autism awareness and acceptance everywhere in Nigeria, we will continue to do all that we can to create it. Be part of autism awareness by being part of these programs and inviting others.

Will I see you on Saturday?

Before I forget. have you supported PISON THERAPY CENTER?

RIGHTS: I AM DIFFERENT, NOT LESS

Sometime ago, I resumed work in a mainstream school to support some children in SEN. I had only their names, and had not had the opportunity to meet them.

There was this young man I picked out from the crowd, I could see him fiddling his hand, his body language, I just suspected that he was one of the SEN students. Lo and behold, I saw him walk into the class, and yes he was my student.

Temple Grandin wrote a book called “Different Not Less” in which she tells the story of different people who have autism, but despite the challenges of the disorder are doing well for themselves.

I totally agree with the saying that when you meet one person on the spectrum, you have met one person with autism. People on the autism spectrum are different from one another, how much more from neurotypicals. In all my years of working with people on the spectrum, I have not met 2 people that are exactly alike; they may have similar behaviours or symptoms, but they are still different from each other.

Well, it’s a spectrum. Isn’t it?

It is therefore important to appreciate their difference. Temple Grandin says that her achievements are due to her ability to think in pictures. I have seen the way some people on the spectrum pay attention to details, and how it helps them do better at certain tasks.

So you meet someone on the spectrum who talks like a computer, and it bothers you? Or he arranges things in a particular order all the time, and it disturbs you?

People with autism have a RIGHT TO BE DIFFERENT. In order to encourage an inclusive society that accommodates people on the spectrum, we need to appreciate that people with autism are different. This does not mean that they should be left to themselves, but by understanding their differences we can harness their strengths and help their weaknesses.

For example I mentioned in a previous post an adult in Patrick Speech and Languages Centre that is very good with dates, even though he has other limitations. He has been taught filing and other office skills in which he has been doing very well. Last year at the Talent in Autism Show (a concert where people on the spectrum show their gifts and talents), he had a presentation where he said what days of the week different dates in history and in the future fall on. If he was left to himself, he most likely would not have been able to achieve what he has achieved so far.

That young man is different, but he is definitely NOT LESS.

RIGHTS: I WANT TO BE LOVED TOO

I read a quote online, credited to an American bassist called Bill Laswell, which I couldn’t help but agree with. He said that “people are afraid of things they don’t understand. They don’t know how to relate…”

Often times because people do not understand special needs, they define it in their own way, then become scared of not just the condition, but of people that have special needs. Especially in a superstitious community like Nigeria, people assume that by coming close to a child with special needs, they will attract the condition to themselves. And unfortunately, they express these fears in their actions towards individuals with special needs and their families. This is one of the causes of stigmatization of individuals with special needs.

Special needs is exactly as it is called, children with special needs have needs that are more than our regular needs. So a child with cerebral palsy may need a motorized wheel chair to help with mobility, apart from therapy; a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down syndrome or any related disorder may need support in class, apart from therapy, or may need a special diet. The disorders are usually accompanied by different limitations, but they do not make these people less humans. They are as human as neurotypical people.

Why am I saying this? I remember being afraid of a DS boy in my neighbourhood when I was much younger, because I did not understand what was wrong with him. If I knew better, I would have responded better, and most likely been his friend.

It is therefore okay that you do not fully understand what autism is about, but I am here to tell you that children with autism and other special needs, just like you, want to feel loved as well. I expect that knowing that they have feelings like you will help you respond better. Loving them will help you support in any way you can, will help you feel some empathy for them and their families, help you raise your child to be more accepting towards people with special needs, help you create and participate in a more inclusive society.

Many parents of children with special needs can testify that they have been stigmatized in schools, malls, and in religious houses. Knowing that having a child with special needs should help you empathize with them.

All my long speech is to say that people with autism and other special needs have a RIGHT TO LOVE.

They have a right to be loved by their parents, to be loved by siblings and relatives, to be loved by YOU. I have an old article on the blog that talks about ways you can support families that have children with autism, whether you know them personally or not. Please click  here to read.

I hope that as you become more autism aware, you will be part of the inclusive society that we are working towards; a society that accommodates the needs of people with special needs. To do this, you must realize that they have rights, and actively be part of ensuring that their rights are respected.

Before I forget, Happy Easter.

THERAPY OUTREACH: Free consultation

Sometime last year, while chatting with a father in the UK, who has a child on the spectrum, he asked me “what are you doing about families in Nigeria that cannot afford therapy?”

I talked about special centers like Patrick Speech and Languages Center and Pison Therapy Center who were doing what they could in supporting some families (as many as they could), but off course that was just a drop in the ocean, considering that there are quite a number of families that have undiagnosed children with autism, there are a number that know that their child is on the autism spectrum but do not know how to get help, and considering the fact that these centers cannot meet the needs of all families that bring their children through their doors.

To solve this problem (in their own way), Patrick Speech is partnering with Pure Souls Learning Foundation (an NGO) to organize a 3-days FREE CONSULTATION program for families that have children with developmental disorders. The event is called a THERAPY OUTREACH, and it will hold from Thursday April 20 till Saturday April 22 at Patrick Speech and Languages Centre, 13B Remi Fani-Kayode Street, Ikeja GRA.

The THERAPY OUTREACH will have professionals in the fields of Behaviour therapy, Speech and Language therapy, Occupational therapy, Physiotherapists, including special needs teachers. These professionals will help to assess and make recommendations on how family members or caregivers can support each child that is brought for this consultation. They are also partnering with doctors from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), for necessary assessment and recommendations.

The target participants for this outreach are families that have children with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other related disorders, that cannot afford therapy. The event is designed for indigent families.

So do you know any family that falls in this category? Please encourage them to come. Let’s stop hiding children with special needs, hoping that the disorder will just disappear. Especially if the family cannot afford the necessary help for their child, this CONSULTATION is designed for them.

Also, that same weekend, Patrick Speech is organizing a training on communication skill development, teaching parents, siblings, teachers, therapists, and caregivers how to help build communication skill in children with autism. The facilitator of the training is a Speech and Language Therapist, Eniola Lahanmi.

Eniola Lahanmi has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and she has a Masters in Speech and Language Therapy from the University of Reading in the UK. Eniola currently consults for special schools in Lagos, providing therapy for children with language delays and other communication difficulties. Eniola spoke at the 2016 GTBank’s Annual Autism Awareness Seminar on Improving Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Many of the participants said that she was their favourite facilitator, as she brought the training home (proper Naija).

So if you know a parent, a therapist and others that need this training, tell them about it. It holds on April 22 at Saint Paul’s Nursery and Primary School, 73B Oduduwa Crescent, Ikeja GRA. The training will cost 10,000 Naira, but for parents, it is subsidized so they are to pay 5000 Naira.

For Autism therapists that want to become IBCCES Certified Autism Specialists, this training will add up as a Continuing Education (CE) point for you.

For details about the 2 programs, you can call 08038957022 or 09053552959.

LEAN ON ME: A CALL TO SUPPORT

In 2015 I met a family that has 2 children with cerebral palsy; the children had not been in school for years, the mother had been a full time mom for a few years to take care of her daughters, putting the burden of the financial care of the home on the father, whose business had suffered some setbacks. It was not a nice experience, but I was limited in what I could do, so I called a friend who runs a special school in Ikorodu, and asked for her help.

My friend’s name is Joke Joshua, she is the proprietress of Pison Therapy Center in Ikorodu, a center that caters for the needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders; autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hydrocephaly, and other related disorders including learning disability. Ikorodu is what I will call a suburb in Lagos State, Nigeria, although Wikipedia calls it a city in Lagos State.

Mrs. JJ as she is fondly called by the pupils, staff, and parents could not take the 2 children on scholarship as the small center she runs had put other children on scholarship, not to mention the children that were not on scholarship but whose parents could not pay the fees, and so were owing the school.

You should remember Pison Therapy Centre! I joined them last year for an awareness walk at Ikorodu, and I posted about it here on the blog (click here to read). Pison also organized a free training for parents of children with special needs in Ikorodu, you can also read about it here.

Eventually, Mrs. JJ took in both children into her centre, on part scholarship. She presently has 8 children at the centre, with 2 on full scholarship, and the little girls and 2 other children on part scholarship.

Pison Staff and Children working in a group setting

With Pison’s activities in creating awareness about special needs and informing parents that there’s hope for their children with special needs, awareness in Ikorodu has grown. And with the increase in awareness came great responsibility, so many people are seeking for a place for their children. Presently, they have 4 children on the waiting list whose parents can afford full or part payment on the fees, and 20 children on the list whose parents cannot afford the fees.

According to Mrs. JJ, many families in Ikorodu cannot afford the fees, and for that reason they keep their children at home, with no support or therapy, especially as most of them are not admitted into mainstream schools.

They want to meet the needs of more children, but the space that they presently occupy is too small, and they would love to move to a bigger space. They found a bigger location that is up for rent, but they cannot afford it. The centre has been running on the fees paid by parents and the goodwill of family members and friends. This cannot help them get another space.

This month being Autism Awareness Month, I am lending my VOICE to Pison Therapy Centre’s to ask that YOU SUPPORT them as they raise 1.5 Million Naira to get a space that will afford them the opportunity to help more families in Ikorodu that have children with SPECIAL NEEDS.

With a bigger space, they will also be able to train more people that are willing to work with children with autism and related disorders.

How do you support?

1. You can make a one time payment towards the new space that they want to get, and send whatever you can afford to:

PISON CENTER

6220096558

Fidelity Bank.

They say “little drops make an ocean”, so please give what you have.

2. You can speak with Pison Therapy about fully sponsoring a child with special needs or part scholarship

3. You can volunteer to support them in renovations after they get the new location

4. You can donate materials that they may need as they move to a bigger space

5. Also SUPPORT by sharing this post on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, all over social media. Let’s show some love to people with special needs, by supporting people that support them.

THANK YOU!

You can check out Pison Therepy Centre by visiting the centre at Block 6, Flat 8, Jubilee Estate, Ikorodu. You can also visit their website www.pisoncentre.com to learn more about them. They are on Facebook as Pison Therapi. You can speak with Joke Joshua on +234-8026802565 or send an email to pisontherapy@yahoo.com.

Thank you and God bless.

RIGHTS: I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!

Limitations in communication skill is a common sign of autism; some people on the spectrum are nonverbal, some have speech but do not communicate their needs, some just have challenges expressing their thoughts in words, limiting their ability to hold a conversation. For this reason, families, friends, caregivers train themselves to think for their loved ones on the spectrum.

PHOTO CREDIT: andnextcomesl.com

As wonderful as that is, it is important to know that in order to raise an independent adult living with autism, recognize that they have a right to be heard.

I always tell the story a young chap on the autism spectrum I worked with a few years ago, who was very aggressive towards me, and showed self-injurious behaviour. He would bite his wrist often, and he would attack me by jumping on me and squeezing me with his strong bones (somehow children with autism have very strong bones and plenty strength). Everybody would ask me if he wanted to kill me, but I would insist that he had something to say. It turned out that he was trying to say that he was hungry. By observing the behaviour, we recognized what he was trying to say. We taught him to ask for food through sign language, and because he was echolalic, he picked up on saying “I want to eat”. His behaviour definitely improved, and his speech improved as well.

Another little girl I worked with had always thrown a tantrum in school, and the teacher had no clue how to stop the behaviour. When I started working with her in school, I introduced pictures and Makaton sign language to her, and she picked up the sign language faster than the pictures. One day, while her teacher drank tea at her desk during break time, this little girl walked up to her and signed “drink”. What a joy to behold.

Different children respond differently in communication skill development, but one thing is sure, they all have something to say. They have a RIGHT TO BE HEARD.

Temple Grandin quote courtesy pioneeringautism.com

Being on the autism spectrum can be hard for some people, and on the parents, but it is our duty as parents and professionals working with them to empower them by giving them an avenue to be heard. Behaviour they say is communication, but we cannot always assume what the behaviour is saying. It is therefore important to start as early as possible to give a voice to our children on the autism spectrum.

Photo credit: here

Many parents discourage the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for their children who are nonverbal or not yet verbal, because they are afraid that the child may then not find a need to “talk” (read about AAC here). But in my experience, I have seen more children develop speech after starting with AAC, and I have seen the nonverbal children being empowered because they have been given an opportunity to express themselves.

One communication aid may work for one child, and may not work for another, but as parents and therapists, we should not give up till we find what works. I usually advice to try different methods, so I use pictures and sign language, while definitely encouraging speech. I have also used speech apps on my phone before, although mostly for encouraging language. I find the children picking what works for them, and I build on it.

If I did not know when I started my autism journey that children with autism have something to say, in the last 7 years I have experienced it.

Having something to say may not just be “I want…”, it might be I don’t like this, I don’t want to go, I want to go out, the noise here is too much for me, this dress is disturbing my skin, the crowd is too much for me to handle, I don’t like my teacher. It could simply be “I love you”, this one is always a pleasure to hear or to read, or to infer based on the child’s behaviour. Whatever the child is trying to say, it is important to empower them as early as we can.

In achieving self-determination and autonomy in individuals living with autism, remember people on the autism spectrum have a RIGHT TO BE HEARD.

DANCE FOR AUTISM AWARENESS

How I spent my day yesterday…

I joined Patrick Speech and Languages Centre, TLP Centre, Children Development Centre, and Autism Parents Association International, as they chose to dance for autism.

With Toyin Ala and Toke Olowo

It’s autism awareness month, and we will do whatever it takes to create autism awareness.

With Toke Olowo of the Autism Awareness Place

I particularly liked that they had stands where participants could ask questions ranging from behaviour modification to speech therapy, to diet and nutrition, to occupational therapy. Parents could speak to professionals about challenges that they have with their children. People could also learn more about autism by speaking to the professionals.

I had such an amazing time, and I would like to share clips of it.

Enjoy…