Michael Wilson
The demise of Chidi Izuwah, a man described by those in medical space as “Father of Autism” in Nigeria has left a huge gap in the treatment, awareness and intervention of autism in Nigeria. In a country saddled with a high dose of religious and superstitious beliefs, many ailments and conditions are always seen as something spiritual or supernatural. One of the ailments that people are yet to come to terms with is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a child’s ability to communicate, interact socially with his environment and also involves unusual behavior that might be repetitive and rigid in nature. This particular ailment has been viewed from different lenses ranging from superstitious to spiritual. The change of this perception has always been the lifetime project with the late Izuwah.
Having done a lot of intervention, awareness and sensitization to the public, Izuwah brought to the fore the challenges of children with autism and what the government need to do to be involved in this. His opinion on autism was in line with the scientific position and what was written in scientific journals. He said that “The communication issues in ASD might be absent, delayed, or abnormal speech for age.
They might have inability to understand facial expressions, act as though deaf or repeat words said to them. Some might have words but not for effective communication while some have poor comprehensions skills, hence inability to follow instructions”. A major trait with ASD is the absence of social skills characterized by disinterest or insensitivity to goings on around them, aloofness and a difficulty in connecting or playing with other children.
Some might not understand the concept of pretend games or use toys in a creative way. They might not understand feelings of others or share interests or achievements with others (drawings, toys).” The late Engr. C.K.C Izuwah is archetypical in terms of being a strong advocate and father, co-founder of Our Lady of Guadalupe Health Foundation and Autism Centre in Port Harcourt and Abuja in Nigeria. His passion stemmed from a family member being diagnosed with Autism (ASD) 18 years ago (2003).
With his wife, Dr. Doris Izuwah, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Centre for Autism started from one room in his humble home in Port Harcourt and has grown to a capacity of providing multidisciplinary services to over 100 children with special needs, while providing jobs to more than 50 youths.
He was personally involved in domestic affairs associated with nurturing a young mind with ASD and went into individualized personal research for management protocol in a quest to satisfy his active cerebral mind. This passion led him to read extensively about this disorder to the extent that he was sometimes mistaken for a medical doctor in the field due to the wide knowledge he had garnered over the years and his exuberance with intellectual finesse while discussing autism.
