By CHIOMA OBINNA

A team of experts from Nigeria and the United States of America, as well as parents of Autistic children have called for enactment of a law that will provide services for disabled children in the country.

The team which included psychiatrists, psychologists, behaviour analysts, speech pathologist, physical therapists, occupational therapists, paediatricians and others, gathered at an autism awareness event organised by GT Bank and Blazing Trails International Centre, argued that having such a law in place will go a long way in reducing the many challenges of caring for autistic children as well as access to treatment.

In her submission, a Psychiatrist and Mental Health advocate, From Psychiatric hospital, Yaba, Dr. Maymunah Kadiri noted that the way forward was to have the Disability Act passed and put in place other necessities such as “having child friendly hospitals, subsidised or free healthcare for children with special needs, encouraging business friendly environment for individuals with special needs and finally, more and more advocacy.”

On the prevalence of autism in Nigeria, Kadri, disclosed that “1 in 145 children are autistic, because the screening was among children with intellectual disabilities. In 2011, prevalence of autism spectrum disorders was 0.8 percent in a south eastern hospital and this means 1 in 100.

Corroborating her views, Shirley Marks, a Board certified psychiatrist also from the US said: “One of the challenges with autism is that the social interactions are delayed and people with autism need to be assisted.

In America, the law is there to provide services for the disabled and that helps but you don’t have that here in Nigeria nevertheless, advocacy can help promote that cause. Generally, even in America, we have those who are in denial too. But like I said, the law helps them.” The Executive Director, Blazing Trails International Centre, a centre for children with special needs in Texas, United States, Dr. Anna Lamikanra, explained that autism is a complex neuro-behavioural disorder and not a disease. “

Lamikanra, who led a delegation of over 13 experts, noted that a major factor militating against early treatment and management of the condition was stigmatisation and discrimination against children and adults with autism.

On his part, a Psychologist, Dr. Lawrence Sutton who noted that autism in children could be diagnosed as early as 18-24 months said: “I work with adults with autism and I have discovered that most were initially diagnosed as mentally disturbed or retarded; meanwhile, they just had autism. There is no blood test to detect that a child or adult has autism, it is majorly the behaviour that is evaluated. Parents and caregivers must not dismiss signs and must be ready to shun all stigma to help the child.”

Sutton, said Nigeria could not be excluded from the global burden of autism. On his last visit, 20 out of every 33 children with special needs which the team screened were autistic.