Parents have been urged not to show disparity among their children irrespective of their mental or physical capabilities, but rather give equal attention to every child as each person is created with special talents which when harnessed rightly could bring out the best out of that child.
The advice was given by the Registrar of the Ghana Psychiatric Council and minister of the Methodist Church, Rev. Dinah Odoom at the inauguration of the Adehye Special Home, a Center for Children with Autism at Gomoa Akropong in the Gomoa Central District in the Central Region over the weekend.
According to her, most parents consider such children as products from river gods and often some try to get rid of them by performing primitive rights and abandoning them in the bush, a situation she said goes contrary to the rights of such children which is punishable by law when caught.
She said science research has proven with time that autism is a condition that occurs as a result of complications during pregnancy through no fault of the unborn child, and therefore such children needs every necessary support and attention as their able counterparts.
She also disclosed that children possess special talents that when harnessed will go a long way to help the child in the future.
On her part, the Executive Director of the Home, Mrs. Susana Larbi Kwapong appealed to benevolent organizations and individuals to support the Home by providing it teaching and learning materials as well as outdoor playing materials to aid the children.
She also mentioned employment of more facilitators–specialist trained with the expertise to handle such children because the Home is financially handicapped to employ the services of more of such expertise.
By Robert Ayanful