Each year during the month of April, individuals and organizations across the globe celebrate Autism Awareness Month with events to educate local communities and raise public awareness about autism.
Almost 50 years have passed since the Autism Society held the first National Autism Awareness Month in April of 1970.
Dr Nana Esi Gaisie, Head of the Public Health Unit at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi speaking exclusively to Skyy News said if autism is detected early and the steps are taken, children with the condition can live a better quality of life and contribute better to society.
She said the need to detect autism early and put in the right intervention is necessary because if not so, children with the condition can end up in the psychiatric hospital.
Dr Gaisie said the need to talk about and educate the public is important because the situation has worsened because 5 out of every 10 children are having the condition.
She said, “Autism is a condition if we detect early and we put in the right intervention, children can have a better quality of life, but if not, they can end up in the psychiatric hospital. Before, when you take ten (10) children, one out of them had autism but now if you take 10 children, five of them have autism.”
“The need to talk about it and to educate the public is important.”
Dr Gaisie mentioned some symptoms parents need to be aware of and take the right intervention when they notice them in their children.
“It is a condition where a growing child who could say a few words suddenly is not saying any words, not communicating verbally or non-verbally, not being able to play with other children, not able to maintain eye contact… They can be physically active, aggressive and seem to be in their own world.”
Still speaking on autism, Dr Gaise said there is now what we call virtual autism which is understood to occur when young children under the age of four are exposed to excessive screen time.
She said parents need not allow their children to spend an excessive amount of time on the screen, especially watching cartoons and movies since it can lead them to develop autism condition.
“We are seeing a lot more of virtual autism, it is about children staying long hours on phones, laptops and ipads. Children who have not yet developed speech when they stay on these screens tend to develop this autism-like symptom because the cartoons they are watching cannot interact with them which can lead to that… Parents must be careful.”