HealthNewsGroup Launches Therapy App for Children With Autism In Nigeria

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Therapy for children with autism has proven to be one of the most effective ways to manage the disorder, but accessibility to professional therapists in Nigeria has frustrated the efforts of many parents seeking treatment and professional care for their children.

In a bid to address this, a non-governmental organisation in Nigeria – The Autism Awareness Foundation (TAAF), has launched a mobile application to support the care of autism in the country.

Tagged; “TheraConnect,” the application, according to the organisation, is designed to connect parents with therapists across Nigeria. The innovation was launched at its fourth annual autism conference, which was held in commemoration of this year’s edition of the World Autism Awareness Month.

While there are many types of therapies for children with special needs, the application, TAAF said, will enable parents to get access to different kinds of therapists depending on the needs of their children or the severity of the disorder.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a diverse group of conditions, characterised by some degree of difficulty with social interaction and communication. Other characteristics are atypical patterns of activities and behaviours, such as difficulty with the transition from one activity to another, a focus on details and unusual reactions to sensations.

It is usually first diagnosed in early childhood and the effects and severity of symptoms are different in each person.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), people with autism often have co-occurring conditions, including epilepsy, depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as other challenging behaviours such as difficulty in sleeping and self-injury.

Data from WHO indicates that one in 100 children lives with autism globally, and there are 135 million established cases globally. Although data on autism in Nigeria and Africa generally is sketchy, a 2014 research indicated that 54 of the observed sample of 2,320 children in Nigeria had autism.

Bada Yusuf Amoo (Correspondent)

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