Autism in Africa

What is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorders are lifelong disabilities that, at their core, affect a person’s social and communication abilities.
People with autism may engage in repetitive actions or have specific interests or thoughts that can dominate their lives. Some people with autism find their sensory world unusual and occasionally anxiety provoking.
Autism can come with a range of challenges in making sense of the world but it can also give people advantages, such as in memory or in concentrating on tasks.
The autism spectrum is very broad. Some people have no language, intellectual difficulties and not engage with others. Other people on the autism spectrum may have very good or even advanced language skills but find the rules governing social behaviour hard to fathom.
In addition to some of the cognitive and behavioural difficulties, many individuals on the autism spectrum have additional medical conditions such as epilepsy, sleep difficulties and mental health problems.
First identified more than 50 years ago, autism affects one percent of UK children and adults, which equates to approximately 600,000 people in the UK. Many of these people remain undiagnosed and without support.
Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.
Autism affects people of all racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

Autism in Africa

Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the world, according to the World Health Organization.
Even more troubling: Four out of five people with psychiatric disorders live in developing countries, where they have few opportunities for treatment.
The studies, published between 1982 and 2010, each identified only a few dozen children with autism, from clinics thousands of miles apart. Yet the cases are strikingly similar. Nearly all of the children were diagnosed relatively late: many at around 8 years old and some into their teenage years

One survey asked Nigerian nurses who specialize in psychiatry or pediatrics about the causes of autism. Some 40 percent fingered preternatural or supernatural causes, such as ancestral spirits, enemies, sinning or the action of the devil.
These attitudes, the researchers suggest, mean that when a child has a mental or neurodevelopmental problem, help may first be sought from traditional healers which could account for the late diagnoses. These lost years may also contribute to the lack of language in many of the children with autism, perhaps because they did not have access to early interventions or speech therapy.

The good news is that mental health issues in Africa are starting to get more attention.

Is there a Cure?

There is no known cure for autism. This does not mean, however, that nothing can be done for a person with autism. Becauseautism is a spectrum disorder it affects different people in different ways. It is therefore very difficult to generalise about how a person with autism will develop over time. It is particularly important to realise that an intervention which works well with one individual may not be appropriate or effective with another.

Intervention

While there is no 'cure' for autism, there are some approaches that people use to help with various difficulties they may experience and before choosing an approach, it is best to find out as much information as you can about it. Any approach should be positive, build on strengths, discover potential and increase motivation.