 What is autism? Autism is a developmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction and behaviour. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of understanding and awareness about autism in many parts of Nigeria. Today, we will be exploring what autism is and how it affects individuals and their families and what we can do to raise awareness and support those living with autism. Prevalence of autism in Nigeria, according to the Nigerian Society for Autism, it is estimated that there are over two million people with autism in Nigeria, and this number is expected to rise. However, despite the high prevalence of autism in Nigeria, there is still a lack of awareness and understanding of the condition, leading to stigmatisation and discrimination. Diagnosis of autism involves a comprehensive evaluation by a team of healthcare professionals, including a developmental pediatrician, a psychologist, awareness and acceptance. It is important to raise awareness about autism in Nigeria to reduce the stigma and discrimination against individuals with autism and their family. We can achieve this by promoting education and understanding of autism, providing support services for families and caregivers, and advocating for policies that promote the rights of individuals with disabilities. Challenges faced by individuals and families affected by autism in Nigeria. Some of the families with a child or children with autism in Nigeria face a number of challenges, including lack of access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment, stigma and discrimination and limited support services. Many families also face financial difficulties as they try to provide the necessary care and support for their loved ones, raising awareness and support for those living with autism. There are several ways we can raise awareness and support these individuals. First, we can work to improve access to diagnosis and treatment, as well as support services such as therapy and educational program. We can also raise awareness about autism through education and advocacy, including training for healthcare professionals, teachers and general public. Finally, we can work to reduce stigma and discrimination through community outreach and awareness campaign. So, what do you think? Have you ever encountered autism or do you, I mean, have you, apart from here? Yes, yes, I have had the opportunity to witness this, but it's quite unfortunate that in Nigeria, we see it differently. I want to hold you to a fact that our cultural belief of being fetish, you know, sometimes you take it to a traditional taboo to say somebody is actually, you know, doing something bad to the children. So, it's just like the way we have, what you'll recall, Abiku, you know, in those days where people die young and they come, not knowing that it is genetic, more like a genotype, you know, that is not, maybe SS, maybe that kind of child that is called Abiku is SS, you know, because they much make people as at that time. So, there are a lot of things that we need to actually change when it comes to that. We need to look into the cultural belief, you know, we need to look into the religion, belief and what our view to have, because that is predominantly what, you know, shape our thinking in this part of the world, you know, from childhood to where we are today. And beyond this, the awareness is necessary, just like you said. And I believe we should begin to advocate for private entity to also find a way to put a percentage of the CSR, or those private CSR, into special needs like autism, special disability and what our view. I believe it's going to go a long way because we don't see it because it's not actually making business sense. You know, just like I said, people talk about themself, anything they do, even when they are doing CSR, it has to translate to money. You understand? But if it's not translating to money, there are very few people that will do things voluntarily. We are not saying they should not do things that will promote their business, right? But they should also try and separate a percentage of these CSR to support special needs or special cases like this. I can give you an example. I was an opportunity to be in an European country sometimes ago and inside the car park, the third or the fourth floor underground, I saw someone just trying to direct, who is this person? He's an autism patient, you know, person. But I look at the compassion they gave this person job like a security guard to help. You know, it's not like he's a wasted human being, just like we have it in Nigeria. When you have a special need, you are turned to be like you are useless. You are not useful. You know, the love, the care is not there. And I believe if we begin to embrace other abilities and show care, that's all that is needed. Once we're able to show care, it will help us to even identify symptoms, guide, know about more arenas that have seen this and educate other people. Thank you. So quickly, before I had some few things that made me just like, okay, okay. First and first, you said autism patient, but I just, I know that you didn't mean that, but it's very important to also put it out there that because someone has been diagnosed with autism does not mean that the person is a patient or medically termed, because autism is not a medical condition that requires medication or that requires you to be treated in a particular facility or whatever. So autism doesn't have a physical marker. It's not like, oh, okay, there's a special ability for this and that. With autism, it's just the person is differently wired. So it's a neurological difference, meaning the way I think, the way I see, the way I interact with the world is different. It's not that the person is less. The person is more. It's just, I'm just different. And so it's like, the more you come out there and say, look, it's just different. No, to accept me, accept my differences. And that's why in a place like where you said you traveled to, they've been able to understand that I'm not different from you and I. I can be gainfully employed. I can do certain things, the life as accorded to me, without me having to be looked down on as being less. So it's very important to start to change that narrative because he started saying those things. I don't know. Thank you. I think it's one of the things that this problem has afforded us is to be able to put this out there as a means of awareness because before now, yes, I've heard about autism, but not in this light. And I think more has to be done because there are women. And I think also one of the reasons why parents who have kids with this syndrome because of stigma and discrimination don't often allow their kids to go to school because they are prone to being bullied and some teachers don't even have that special training to be able to identify, might be taking on that kind of a child or tagging them differently. And that makes them to look different in class and when you have that kind of treatment, it brings stigma, stigmatization and all of those. So that awareness is very necessary. The government has to be involved like we always say because I know there will be one or two NGOs that would really be taking in attention on this and trying to put more information out there for people to know. And again, on the area that you mentioned at the other time which has to do with the cultural beliefs, everything about culture has to do with, okay, is it because the mother had aborted or used some drugs when she was pregnant with the child and that was why a whole lot of issues come around where you have a baby with some of these syndromes and so it is important. I think awareness is what we need to happen more in this regard. I totally agree with you about awareness and that's what we're talking about when we said discrimination. You pointed out several ways that people have been discriminated on in time past but it's also very important to note that for autism there's no genetic marker unlike Down syndrome and some other neurodevelopmental disability or disorders. Autism has no genetic marker and as of today, scientists are still baffled by the course and they still do not have a definitive cure for autism. So when you have situations like that and then you have parents, people still believing that autism was caused by something they did, it's not helping us change the narrative of the acceptance, it's not helping us push the narrative of the awareness, the advocacy and helps them to act the way they do because the day you remove the veil and they see what is under it, they say, it's not just this. But when you just come, masqueraded, because autism shows differently, if you've met one child with autism, you've only met one child with autism, you can use that one child that says, because it spins around, it does this, it does that, this child is, and then you see another child that is not spinning, and then someone tells you, oh, this child is autistic. I say, no, it cannot be. I saw Tyler the other day. So Chukua Meka cannot be. It's not rolling around, it's not, and then in your mind you think that person is not and you just see the person charged at you, immediately you say, ah, something is wrong with this child. But when you now start to unmask, unbox, understand what it is, it makes it easier for parents, even because sometimes it's not that the parents don't even know what's going on, but because they are afraid of the label that society will put on them. So they are quick to say, I don't know. And I also think education has to play a vital role here. At all levels, both from primary school, secondary school to tertiary institution. Because I could recall that there is a case like that. Actually, it's in the film, right? It's primary school, it's Indian. This child has this symptom, right? And it's just like you said, you see things differently. So it keeps feeling, but when you ask, in written exam, the child fails. But when you ask or are sharp, right? What is wrong? This is exactly what you say, but this is a different thing you are writing, right? And the teacher was able to carefully study the child and see that the child is seeing age as you. You know, it sees things differently and try to guide. Say, look at this, look at this. Today we hardly have guidance and counseling departments functionally the way they expected to be. When you observe something, the teacher of a class, maybe an integration science class or a mathematics class, should refer to a guidance and counselor to help identify one or two things and guide. But right here, we don't have it. And the education system has to catch up with the reality. I believe that it will help us to manage the society's stabilization in terms of the education parts to educate people right from there. And people will know that this is a special kid. I like what you said, but just in note, the particular thing you were describing is dyslexia. That's not autism. Yes, the one that you can identify letters and all of that stuff. It's also important because sometimes we get a lot of misdiagnosis in there because you see a particular issue at hand or a challenge and then because of one or two things or one or two seminars you've attended, you just assume that that is it. And that is why it's important to have a multidisciplinary diagnosis team to define what exactly is going on because you say, oh yes, it's very important. Autism is not something that one teacher just looks and says that must be what's going on. It requires a certain team of professionals to use their diagnosis tool to be able to give a definitive diagnosis of autism. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for that enlightenment. I believe we have gained a lot and we still keep learning. Thank you. So, all you have to say when you leave by day is next after the build. Do stay with us.