The mother of 21-year-old autistic Nana Yaa, Mary Kuffour, has described her experiences managing her daughter’s condition.
Madam Mary shared how she spent nearly seven years living in denial. If God is going to grant her a child, she wanted one who can converse.
“So, it was difficult. She’s come a long way. Her communication has improved greatly because we create opportunities for her to go out to meet people, to socialize, and even before you take her out, you need to plan. She can throw tantrums out of the blue. She loves to go.” she said on News Central on TV3.
According to her, there is a great deal of stigma associated with autism.
“People start stereotyping them. Others call them names. Some parents who have children with cerebral palsy. Some of them said, even when they are selling things, people don’t buy. That’s stigma in its highest form” she added.
Around 1 in 100 children worldwide have autism. And only 21% of people with disabilities including autism are employed. In Ghana, 387 out of 100,000 individuals have autism. A World Bank report reveals that Ghana has 129,641 citizens on the spectrum with the current population of 33 million. Despite the growing awareness of the disorder, stigmatization persist.
Madam Mary stated that in order for parents who lack financial resources to pay for their child’s therapy, the government must intervene and cover the high cost of treating the disease.
She concluded “I would have wished that children with autism and other developmental disabilities are put on the National Health Insurance scheme for free. So that for parents who cannot truly afford, can we have all the regions having assessment centers. People travel all the way from the north- 9 hour, 10 hours, to come just to get diagnosis for their children. So, in case they cannot afford the transport, that means that child never gets a diagnosis’’.
By Eva Boamah