Federal Government Urged to Support Autism Education Nationwide
Lekki, Lagos’s The Learning Place Centre (TLPC), and other schools in Nigeria have petitioned the federal government to fund programs that assist autistic students and their schools.
In April, as part of Autism Awareness Month, TLPC hosted an autism awareness walk, which prompted the need for funding. Protesters walked under the banner “Aligning SDGs with Autism: Empowerment, Challenges, and Victories” to draw attention to the underfunding of autism-related nonprofits that serve autistic children.
The government should provide assistance in the form of policies and training for parents of autistic children, according to TLPC Executive Director Mrs. Bolanle Adewole.
She said that support from the government in the form of legislation and money for training and development is essential, because working with special needs children is not a solo effort.
While discussing the walk, Adewole said that it was a joint effort between TLIA and other schools, with the goal of making it an annual tradition to help autistic children get social acceptability, self-determination, and an education.
Adenike Lawal, General Manager of the Lagos State Office for Disability, has launched global initiatives to raise understanding and acceptance of autism. Lawal urged schools, caregivers, and parents to accept autism as a developmental disability and stop comparing autistic children to others since the disorder is a permanent condition.
The walk’s chairperson, Anthos House proprietress Mrs. Lai Koiki of Lekki, stressed the need to raise autism awareness and provide resources to teachers and parents. She urged the government to subsidize classes and raise awareness by getting involved.
Mrs. Dotun Akande, founder and director of Patrick Speech and Language Centre, urged families not to hide autistic children at home and encouraged showcasing their talents. Oyinka Afolabi, director of Brainy Oaks Education Consultant, spoke at the event about the need for tolerance and appropriate interactions with autistic children.
Additionally, Modupe Williams-Odifa, CEO of the Manna Children’s Centre in Lagos, pleaded with parents to love their children unconditionally and demanded that the government provide assistance to the special needs sector.
Along with Lighthouse for Autism, several schools and organizations were present at the event, which included a walk from Ikoyi’s St. Saviour’s School to Lekki’s The Learning Place Centre.
Federal Government Urged to Support Autism Education Nationwide