World Autism Awareness Day

Not only is today, April 2 World Autism Awareness Day — the entire month of April is World Autism Month.

It might be noticeable that more folks than usual are wearing the color blue to mark the day and help bring awareness.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a broad range of conditions that affects a person’s social skills and communication. The organization Autism Speaks says there are many subtypes of autism and each are “influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.”

Groups supporting people with autism have collaborated on public service campaigns to increase awareness. The ABC television network has a popular prime-time drama called “The Good Doctor” in which the main character is a surgeon with autism.

There is a lot of work being done to shed light on the disorder as well as raise funds for research on it

 

#GreenFacts – Autism In depth (Signs and Symptoms)

Signs of Autism

Before a child turns three, careful observers can see signs of autism. Some children develop normally until 18-24 months old and then stop or lose skills. Signs of an ASD can include:

  • Repeated motions (rocking or spinning)
  • Avoiding eye contact or physical touch
  • Delays in learning to talk
  • Repeating words or phrases (echolalia)
  • Getting upset by minor changes

It’s important to note that these signs can occur in children without ASDs, too.

 

Early Warning Signs: First Year

Even young infants are very social, so it’s possible to detect signs of autism in how babies interact with their world. At this age, a child with an ASD may:

  • Not turn to a mother’s voice
  • Not respond to his own name
  • Not look people in the eye
  • Have no babbling or pointing by age one
  • Not smile or respond to social cues from others

Babies who do not have autism can have these behaviors, too, but it’s best to contact your doctor right away with any concerns.

Early Warning Signs: Year Two

The signs of autism are more noticeable in a child’s second year. While other children are forming their first words and pointing to things they want, a child with autism remains detached. Signs of autism include:

  • No single words by 16 months
  • No pretend games by 18 months
  • No two-word phrases by age 2
  • Loss of language skills
  • No interest when adults point out objects, such as a plane flying overhead

Other Signs and Symptoms

People with autism sometimes may have physical symptoms, including digestive problems such as constipation and sleep problems. Children may have poor coordination of the large muscles used for running and climbing, or the smaller muscles of the hand. About a third of people with autism also have seizures.

 

#GreenFacts – Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

April is “Autism Awareness Month”  a time to promote awareness, acceptance and attention to those people who are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects the way a person views and interacts with the world around him. Persons with Autism have difficulties in the areas of social interaction, communication and imagination.People with Autism may also experience over or under sensitivity to sounds, touch, taste, smells, light, colors and movement. Due to the nature of the disability, children with Autism benefit greatly from individualized education.

Autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Here are some signs to look out for:

  • Lack of or delay in spoken language
  • Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
  • Little or no eye contact
  • Lack of interest in peer relationships
  • Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
  • Persistent fixation on parts of objects

Autism is sometimes understood not to be a disability but rather a different ability and this is because of how incredible some of the kids can perform well on the potentials when they get the necessary skills and training.

Various therapies needed for children with Autism includes;

  1. Speech Therapy
  2. Occupational Therapy
  • ABA Therapy (Applied Behavioral Analysis)
  1. Diet Therapy
  2. Sensory Integration Therapy
  3. Music Therapy
  • Play Therapy
  • The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
  1. Parent-Mediated Therapy
  2. Social Skills Therapy

Autism Centers in Ghana :

1. Autism Awareness, Care and Training Centre (AACT)

Office Location : 39 Royalt Castle Road, Kokomlemle, Accra-Ghana

Telephone : 0303-224-729 / +233-24-432-5919

 

2. AwaaWaa2

Office Location : 39 Royalt Castle Road, Kokomlemle, Accra-Ghana

Telephone : +233-24-432-5919

 

3.HopeSetters Autism Center

Office Location : Golden Age Youth Training Center, Community 7, Tema. Accra-Ghana.

Telephone : +233-24-217-2405 / +233-20-984-5445

 

4. Multikids Inclusive Academy (MKA)

Office Location : Number M3, Adijringano Rd. East Legon

Telephone: 0202966871

 

 

 

 

 

The Color Spree Journey

These past weeks, Ahaban GLF joined SOF Ghana on their Color Spree Project as the raised awareness on Down Syndrome and Autism.

We visited the Dzorwulu Special School, where we assisted the kids through art and bead making class. With the help of Live FM’s Vanessa Gyan we wrapped it all up with a special treat for the kids.

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We later visited Echoing Hills Village as part of our Autism Awareness Campaign for the month of April. We took the kids through art class in which to bring out their creative skills and later donated some items to them.

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Kudos to SOF Ghana for spearheading the project and big shout outs to  Sincerely Vee, Spoor Life Foundation , Love’s Closet and to our volunteers for the over whelming support.

Join us in October as we move to the Dyslexia Facility in Accra and raise awareness about Dyslexia and make a difference in the lives of the individuals who live with it.

 

#GreenAtHeart -Ice Cube to Release Clothing Line That Will Support Autism

Ice Cube is branching out into another business venture beyond music, and this time, it’s going to benefit a lot of people who need it. The West Coast rap veteran is teaming up with clothing brand Represent, and they will be releasing a clothing line together that will support the Autism Speaks organization.

The organization is near and dear to Cube, as he reportedly has a family member that is autistic, and is a fan of the work that the organization does for the community. The California native will be dropping an exclusive T-shirt design with the brand, which is inspired by his 1993 hit track, “It Was a Good Day.”

“I’m proud to support the great work that Autism Speaks does, a cause that is so important to me,” Cube said in a statement. “My goal through this campaign is to not only help raise awareness but to also support this great organization’s efforts in promoting solutions for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.”

#GreenAtHeart – 24-Year-Old Ghanaian Develops An App for Autistic Children

Living with autism in Ghana has just been made more bearable since HopeSetters, an autism center, came out with a locally configured autism  app that helps children with autism receive better education.

Speaking of her motivation, 24-year-old Alice Amoako  says that her desire to ease the strain of teaching and learning among children with special needs informed her decision to develop the app.

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“I visited an autism centre and had interactions with the caregivers and children, and I realized there was a need to help raise awareness. In my final year in the university, I had to do a project to complete my studies, and we developed the app,” she said.

Ghana currently has no official documentation or statistics on the state of children with autism; however, a recent report indicates that 1 in 87 children in Ghana under the age of 3 have autism with the neurological disorder being 4 times more prevalent in boys than in girls.

Credit : Charles Ayitey (www.face2faceafrica.com)