Or really this should be "national raise awareness month for all childhood developmental disorders" like Autism spectrum disorders, Down's syndrome, speech and learning delays, sensory integration disorders, cerebral palsy or other chromosomal type disorders in children etc. They don't have a bright color like pink for breast cancer awareness (though there is a drive now to "light it up blue" for autism) or a famous spokes person like Katie Couric for colon cancer. You know, these are God's children, with disorders for which there is no fix - me pill.
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| Logo from the Autism Speaks Website www.Autismspeaks.org |
This is not an essay on what the signs and symptoms are. Rather it's an effort to clarify some things. If you listened to the news these past few weeks, you would have heard that the incidence of autism is rising - now 1 in 88 kids will have it, and the numbers are worse for boys - 1 in 54 boys. It's only a little better in girls, 1 in 252. Most recently, it's been linked to obesity in the mother, the incidence of autism rising 70% in obese mothers.
Those numbers mean little to you if you are the parent. You just want to know what to do now:
Is there a cure? Is there medicine for this? What does the future hold for my child?
There is no cure. Not for autism. Not for downs syndrome or any of the other developmental ones. What there is though is treatment through early intervention - and the earlier the better. Meaning if you think there is something wrong with your baby, tell the pediatrician and keep on telling him until he hears you and takes it seriously.
Knowing what is out there available for these kids & sometimes free of charge from governmental organizations is important. It is the key to how functional our kids will be.
Things like speech and occupational therapy, and gait training if they have trouble walking.
Schooling in a special education setting where the student / teacher ratio is low for more individualized attention. The kids with these disorders are often very bright and some are even geniuses.
Exposure to Sensory integration can also be very helpful for kids who can't let their foods touch, or won't eat food of a certain texture or consistency or can't stand to have labels on clothing touch them.
What does the future hold for my child? With God's help and future planning, it won't be as bleak as it once may have been.
Some go on to Vocational training and community colleges after high school. Some even make it to college and a career. Either way, if finances allow, a living trust is not a bad idea. You set up a trust fund with the help of a lawyer for your dependent child for when you are gone or even while you are still alive and the fund disburses a certain amount to the child every month for living expenses.
A guardian, may be a family member, may need to be appointed to help these kids make decisions when the parents aren't there anymore. Remember in your will to make provision for where the child will reside in the event of your demise. These kids cant fight for themselves and they shouldn't have to fight for a place to stay.
The help you need for these kids will not come to you - you have to find it and sometimes fight for it. After all is said and done, know this: It is not your fault. It is not anything you did or did not do correctly. It is not punishment for some long ago forgotten sin. It is not juju across the oceans from the relatives - they have their own problems to worry about. It is just the way it is.
Why me, you ask ? - I know I've asked. Why not me? We are just blessed like that with these kids. And that's all there is to it.
This still being national poetry month, here is a little verse about children...
Jesu fe mi, mo mo be
Bibeli lo so fun mi.
T'ire l'awon omode,
Won ko l'agbara oun ni.
Funke Abolade, M.D
Social/ publicity Secretary
Thank you is all I can say. There is solace in your writing.
ReplyDeleteSola Popoola
In a typical caring woman style, Dr Abolade has eloquently spoken for our children. I appreciate the highlight on special needs children. I pray that God would continue to give us the courage, wisdom and resources to care for them.
ReplyDeleteKaye ma fo Gilasi wa o , Kaye ma fo Gilasi wa O Omo wa ni Gilaasi ta fi n riran O Kaye mafo Gilaasi wa.
Thank you unce again: Abiyamo aboja gboro gboro.
This is a very informative piece on special needs kids. Thank you Dr. Abolade.
ReplyDeleteJust a question . Do we know probable cause of these disorders especially the Autistic spectrum type of disorder? How prevalent are these disorders says in Africa compared to the Western world.?
ReplyDeleteThe causes of these developmental issues are multifactorial. Pull up any major research publication worth its salt and telling the truth and you will see listed, both genetic and environmental causes.
ReplyDeleteGenetic in that you'll see a higher incidence within families - its not uncommon to have 2 kids both with autism, expressed to various degrees.
The environmental causes most often cited is vaccination especially with thimerisol containing vaccines. You can request thimerisol free vaccines now for your kids but who knew this back then?
The prevalence in Africa can not be determined to any accurate extent because there are no major studies at all. There is anecdotal reports of a much lower incidence in Africa and other developing areas, with a low vaccination rate being one of the reasons cited.
*FYI.There is a large population of Somali immigrants in Minnesotta and there has been multiple reports of an unusualy high rate of autism for years now, in the children of those immigrants who suddenly became exposed to vaccinations here in America. My suspicion here is that not all kids can tolerate all these vaccinations without sustaining some brain injury or the other. The story is that with the W.H.O on a large scale vaccination kick in developing countries, watch out for a rise in the incidence and prevalence numbers. May God help us all.