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Madam Cornelia Boateng addressing  guests at the fundraising dinner PICTURE: INNOCENT K. OWUSU
Madam Cornelia Boateng addressing guests at the fundraising dinner PICTURE: INNOCENT K. OWUSU

‘Change attitude towards people living with autism’

A Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for Development Studies of the University of Cape Coast, Dr Kenneth Shelton Alkins, has called on the public to change their attitude towards people living with autism, a health condition.

He said the living conditions of individuals with autism would improve when they are provided with adequate support and the stigmatisation towards them stopped.

Dr Alkins made the call at the weekend in Accra at a dinner and fundraising ceremony by the Woodfield Manor Autism and Special Needs School, a special school for pupils with a range of special educational needs.

Dr Alkins said in dealing with the issue, parents with children with autism should also be sensitised, explaining that children with autism were not a consequence of the acts of the gods, ‘nor should they be hidden from the public or abandoned in whatsoever manner.’

Provide right conditions

Dr Alkins said the right conditions should be provided for children living with autism as they were also entitled to live decent lives and not to be discriminated against.

He said in reaching out to children with autism, the government, public and other institutions should provide support through awareness creation by paying for radio and television space to reach out to the general public. 

He added that religious organisations could also contribute through preaching and setting aside a percentage of their offertory to help sustain the cause to provide support for individuals with the condition.

Dr Alkins made reference to the country’s inclusive education policy and pointed out that it set the tone for ensuring that education was a right for all citizens.

He, therefore, urged stakeholders, individuals and organisations to support the Woodfield Manor Autism and Special Needs School to enable it to provide the needed support to children with autism.

“This calls for a lot of empathy if we are to face the challenges of people, especially children with disabilities and special needs,” he said.

Collective responsibility

For her part, the Founder of the school, Madam Cornelia Boateng, said the living conditions of children with autism attending the school had  been improved upon due to the availability of good conditions and the attention given to them.

She said with interventions to support individuals with autism, they would be able to contribute to development.

She mentioned inadequate facilities, negative mindset of people concerning children with the condition and stigmatisation as some of the challenges which should be tackled.

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