Known in full as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and simply defined, it means a disturbance in neuro-psychological development in which use of language, reaction to stimuli, interpretation of the world, and the formation of relationships are not fully established and follow unusual pattern . It is also seen as a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of three. Individuals with autism do not necessarily look obviously different from others, but may be impaired in their speech, behaviour, learning, and the way they perceive the world around them. Symptoms appear before that age, though children may be diagnosed after the age of three years in many cases. Almost all parents notice symptoms within the first two years of their child’s life. Experts claim that the prevalence of the autism spectrum disorder is about 1 in 68 children, is about 4.5 times more common among boys, and occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups.
For most families, especially in parts of Africa, Autism awareness is very low until recently. Before now, it was seen as spiritual attack or something from the supernatural world. Autism Speaks, a global outreach, addresses superstition in regions where autism can bring label of witchcraft or demonic possession. Often, parents of children afflicted by the condition, feel embarrassed enough to even discuss it or seek help openly until it is very late. But medical specialists insist as in all health conditions, that the earlier a child receives autism screening, the earlier the diagnosis, the earlier they start receiving services and therapies, the better they will do over the long term. Early screening, they aver, if positive, and even before a full diagnosis, should trigger early services for the child.
In Nigeria, Autism represents one of the most common developmental disorders affecting children, but there are few information on autism in African children, according to a report by the Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. The report based on a study describes the profile of autistic disorder in a cohort of Nigerian children and appraises short-term outcomes. It disclosed that children seen at the paediatric neurology and the child psychiatry clinic of the University Hospital, were screened for autistic disorder using the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV. It stated that 45 males and nine females were identified with autism, and the disease accounted for 2.3 per cent of 2320 new cases seen during the period. The mean age at which parents observed deviations in behaviour was 22.5 (SD=6.6) months, while the mean age at diagnosis was 44.7 (SD=21.2) months. Twelve (22.6 per cent) children had a positive family history of autism, and forty (75.5 per cent) had associated neurological comorbidities- the simultaneous appearance of two or more psychiatric or physical illnesses. Diagnosis of autism is often delayed in Nigeria, and affected children have a high frequency of neurological comorbidities.
Autism, health authorities warn, impacts four areas of development: cognitive functioning, social interactions, behaviour and communication skills. The symptoms of autism they assert, are treatable. If given the proper treatment, individuals with autism can make progress in their areas of difficulty. As soon as a child is diagnosed with autism, it is recommended that the child be encouraged to seek diagnostics for the areas in which he or she is struggling. Various interventions such as applied behavioural analysis, occupational therapy, play therapy, speech and language therapy, athletic therapy, and many more have proven to show a positive impact on individuals in treatment.
It is to address these issues that the World Autism Awareness Day, April 2 of every year, an internationally recognised day, is set aside to encourage member- states of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about people with autism throughout the world. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution “62/139. World Autism Awareness Day”, was passed in council on November 1, 2007, and adopted on December 18, 2007. The resolution was passed and adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to previous UN initiatives to improve human rights. Since its inception, autism awareness and research around the world has increased as a result.
World Autism Day is also one of only four official health-specific UN Days. The day itself brings individual autism organisations together all around the world to aid in things like research, diagnoses, treatment, and overall awareness for those with the condition.
