The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has paid glowing tribute to mothers of children with special needs, stating they bear the brunt of the frustration and costs associated with caring for them.
She expressed her passion for any cause directed at such children, saying she would continue to champion the interests of children with special needs.
I have been an advocate for people living with autism and different neurodevelopmental conditions, especially children, all my life. I acknowledge the day-to-day struggles parents and caregivers face in managing their wards.
I admire their strength and resolve to ensure the children reach their potential in life, the Vice-President said last Tuesday when she paid a surprise visit to the Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Ltd’s Annual Autism Workshop and Consultation at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
Led by bank officials, she toured the autism awareness consulting clinics and interacted with the doctors and specialists.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also interacted with parents, caregivers and children with autism spectrum disorders, encouraging them to stay positive.
While serving as Minister of Education, she recalled that she supervised the development of policies for children with learning difficulties, speech issues and other special needs, and expressed hope that these were being integrated into the sector.
The Vice-President applauded the GTBank Ghana for their efforts to create awareness and provide avenues of support and access to the right therapies.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the banks efforts were consistent in promoting autism awareness and inclusion.
Welcome
The Divisional Head of Corporate Communication and Experience at the GTBank, Agnes Owusu-Afram, warmly welcomed the Vice-President to the GTBank Autism Consultation sessions and guided her through the parent-child waiting area, medical doctors and specialist consultation cubicle clinics and the kids’ play area, where she engaged a team of specialists offering personalised support to individuals and families living with autism spectrum disorder and its comorbidities.
This is a cause we are very passionate about. We have done it for four years in Ghana and hope to continue impacting many more lives through this initiative, Mrs Owusu-Afram said.
Context
The GTBank Autism Workshop and Consultation aims to provide professional guidance, support services and increased public awareness of autism spectrum disorders.
Held over four days, the “Empowering Voices for Autism” initiative by the GTBank was meant to create awareness of the disorder and empower stakeholders, especially parents and caregivers of children with autism.
The event featured a team of medical experts conducting one-on-one consultation sessions throughout the four days.
The specialists include speech needs educators, speech-language pathologists, certified behaviour analysts, inclusion specialists, autism support specialists, occupational therapists, and psychiatrists from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria and Ghana.
They trained and sensitised caregivers, including parents and guardians, on effective management of children living with ASD to help them become functional.
The initiative is part of the banks broader commitment to corporate social responsibility and inclusive development.
It originates from the banks parent company, the Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc, which has been doing this for 15 years.