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Mrs. DOTUN AKANDE, Founder, PATRIC School & Language Centre
The 7th Edition of the Live, Love & Laugh event, a Ray of Hope Initiative organized by M-One Events, was recently held to create awareness and deepen understanding of autism under the theme: Autism My Super Power. The event was convened by Mrs. Moradeun Dada and featured inspiring conversations with families and advocates who have been instrumental in promoting autism awareness.
In this interview with City People FAVOUR OKORIE, Mrs. Akande, who is the founder of Patric School and Language Centre, shared her journey, experiences, and insights on Autism advocacy in Nigeria.
Kindly introduce yourself, ma.
My name is Mrs. Akande, the founder of Patric School and Language Centre.
What made you start the foundation?
The foundation came into being because my son was diagnosed, and we were able to help him with a few hands. At that time, when there was no awareness about what autism is, we went on to create intervention and awareness by ourselves. So, when I saw that even with very little knowledge we were able to get through to him, I decided that I needed to share some of my experiences and some of the knowledge that I learned along the way.
Is the government aware, and how are they supporting Children Living With Autism?
The government is aware. In terms of support, I’m not sure we are getting the right support, but I would say that they are aware that we exist because we work very closely with the Lagos State Office of Disability, and they know that we are there and that we take some of their families. We support parents in our digital program, which is a way of helping parents who cannot afford services. We have a very large group of parents on our digital platform, and this has helped quite a lot of families, so they know we are there.
I’m not sure we are getting the right support in terms of structure, finances, and training. Building capacity is one of the very strong things that is needed in this field because things are changing on a regular, daily basis. As you know, with autism, you need to have the right services, and it is not one service. You have speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, music therapy, play therapy so you can see if I keep counting, we will not leave here today. There is so much, because when you have seen one child with autism, you have actually just seen that one child.
What kept you going, even without government intervention?
It is the children, really, that keep you going. Sometimes, you work with a child for a very short period, six months and that child gives you everything. Then, you work with another child, and after two years, you are still on it. There is the hope that, yes, one day, that child will be able to give it back to you. The result has been quite encouraging. And the most important thing is that there is one light that shines through the eyes of the children. I can’t explain it really, it tells you, I got you, or You have me. Then, when the time is right, you begin to see results.
It’s that light that does not go dim and that embrace you get when you walk into the school and that child walks up to you, gives you a hug, and just walks away. You know it means a lot you cannot explain it, it is unexpected.
What advice can you give to people who isolate themselves from families with such cases?
What I would like the community to know is that they are very sensitive individuals. They grow and mature with age and intervention, and a loving environment goes a long way.
They understand you. The unspoken language that we all have you know that unspoken language. I’ll use the example of when your mom tells you that you are going to the neighbour’s house, her friend’s house, and they ask, what are you going to eat and you stare at your mom that expression, our children can read it from 10,000 miles away. They can feel you your emotions. They can read it from afar. If you cannot stand them, they will know it. That is one of the things I want the community to know.
Embrace families with such cases. It is not a death sentence it’s a different brain. It does not affect the next child, it’s not infectious. It’s a different type of brain, and they have a different way of learning. If you understand their style and the way they learn, they really do well. That’s what I want the community to know.
What lesson do you want people to take from this?
The community should understand that their contribution to family development matters a lot. For the parents, there is nothing you can do to change the fact that your child is on the spectrum. What you can do is to put your right foot forward take one day at a time, find the right help, and give that child support. That child you have has something to give; your responsibility as a parent is to find it. They have interests use those interests to develop their challenges. Do not judge them by their challenges.
For fathers, please support the mothers. And for mothers in denial, please listen to your husbands when they say there is something wrong. Doctors, when parents are speaking and telling you what they are seeing, do not use your intellectual knowledge to discard it, because many times that intellectual knowledge fails us. It is the knowledge of the child who leads the way that gets the best progress we have seen over the years.
How do we change the narrative of associating Autism with Spirituality?
For people who see spirituality in it, it’s because the behavior comes into play, and they do not understand that behaviour the child lines up objects in a particular manner, the child flaps, or talks to himself. It is a trait of the child trying to make sense of this world that has different behavioral connotations for different things. If you raise your hands, the child does not know whether you want to beat him or hug him. That is why you see them using behavior as a means of communication. Please, it is not a spiritual attack.
The churches can also help by educating themselves and their communities and talking about disability on the pulpit. The more we hear about it, the less we associate it with spirituality.
What is one misconception about Autism or autistic children?
One misconception is that the child will never speak. That is not true, we need to discard it. Another misconception is that the child will live with autism for the rest of his life. No with early, right intervention, a good environment, and a loving family, the child usually does very well.
What can you say about M-One Event?
M-One Initiative is one of the best things that has happened in a long time. She is young and looking into how she can help communities using her platform to tell stories about things that are different. We are very excited about her, and we wish her the very best.
The Live, Love & Laugh -Autism My Super Power event once again underscored the importance of awareness, compassion, and inclusion for children living with autism. Through voices like Mrs. Akande’s, the message remains clear, autism is not a limitation but a different way of seeing the world and with love, understanding, and the right support, every child can thrive.
