‘ Autism has no cure, but sufferers can achieve self- care independence’
Dr. Oluwasikemi Alalade is a consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital ( FNPH). In this interview with IJEOMA NWANOSIKE, in commemoration of World Autism Day, she sheds more light on autism spectrum disorder and addresses some of the general misconceptions. What is an autism spectrum disorder ( ASD) and why are some people born with it?
AUTISM spectrum disorder is a disorder characterised by repetitive behaviour that is restricted to a pattern in terms of actions, play, food, and clothing. Also, there are language problems, which result in limited or no speech and poor social interaction. Those who achieve speech may not be able to use it for social communication.
It is a developmental problem caused by a difference in brain development of these children, the exact cause is unknown, but risk factors include but are not limited to family history, being born to older parents, genetic mutations, and birth complications.
How does this condition affect you and your practice? Do you experience emotional strain or frustration while caring for people with ASD?
The doctors aim to make the child, parents, and caregiver feel better than they felt before entering the doctor’s office; allay fears and tackle their worries as well as show empathy.
The knowledge of the illness prevents the strain or frustration you think the doctor can have and a doctor who understands the illness and knows what to expect at times will not be focused on frustration.
Has the continuous migration of health workers affected the practice?
Exodus of doctors is not a new thing, it’s a known fact that it’s affecting the whole health system and caring for children with ASD is not left out. The way we have been coping is that the management of the children is multidisciplinary so there is collaboration with other members of the team such as developmental psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and social workers.
What resources are most helpful in managing your workload?
Financial resources for the therapies as not many of the parents can afford these therapies and availability of therapy tools and assessment instruments.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of working with children with ASD?
One of the rewarding aspects of this job to me is seeing the children achieve some self- care independence. Their ability to communicate and take care of their basic day- to- day needs makes us happy.
Have you witnessed any breakthroughs?
We have seen those who have achieved selfcare independence and the ability to com
municate and it is our motivation to keep working to see as many who can also improve by the day.
What changes or improvements would you like in the healthcare system that will support children with ASD, doctors and their caregivers?
One of the improvements would be health insurance that covers the care of children with ASD, as some may have other additional illnesses such as seizures. Improved policies to favour children with ASD, inclusion schools to allow them to attend school with regular children and incentives for more people to specialise in the care of children with ASD and other special needs.
What are some common misconceptions about ASD?
Some of the misconceptions people have are that it has a cure which is often a challenge for the physicians because that is what most parents want to hear. The idea that children with ASD cannot make anything out of life is also a misconception.
What is your advice and recommendation on ASD preventive measures?
Recently, there has been an increase in the rise of diagnosis of neurodevelopmental and neurological conditions. Generally, awareness of these illnesses could have increased the diagnosis, but scientists have identified some chemicals in household gadgets and skin products that may also be affecting the brain cells as has been identified from studies on mice.
In terms of prevention, I believe the most important way to prevent this is for pregnant women to be mindful of all that they are exposed to during pregnancy and the early breastfeeding period to protect the child.
There is hope that if research can come up with medications that can prevent the gene of autism from expressing itself even if it is present in the person’s body, it can greatly reduce a lot of the symptoms.