UNIVERSITYGREENWICHCOURSEWORK COVERSHEET Student Name: Firehewot Haileselassie Student ID number: Course Code: Title of Course: 000844283 BUSI 1546 Foundations Of Scholarship And Research Preliminary Proposal Lack of Autism Awareness in Ethiopia Dr. Taye Regassa April 21, 2014
Title of Assessment: Type of Assessment: Tutor’s Name: Date Assessment Due:
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Title: Lack of Autism Awareness in Ethiopia Introduction: Autism is a growing disorder that manifests itself as a disability that affects speech and social interaction mostly begins at the age of 2-3 years of a child’s life. It is a neurological disorder of the brain that impairs the natural mental growth, the ability to interact with people, and the ability to maintain acceptable communication activity. Therefore, verbal communication or speech and other forms can be late or entirely absent. Why raising awareness on Autism in Ethiopia is important? Autism is visibly the least known disorder in Ethiopia. Yet, it affects many children in ways that the public in general knows practically nothing about. In some areas this disorder is extremely misunderstood, especially in rural area it is consider, as it is a curse. Therefore, It is important to research the phenomenon to attain a better understanding of the cause and effect and to find ways to address it in a way that enhances the life of the affected. As the Autism Speak 2013 report shows, 1 out of 88 children in the world are diagnosed as autistic. If we were to use these data and assume the ratio to be relevant, it is safe to say there are more than 600,000 children who have autism in Ethiopia in a population over 80,000,000. Ethiopia has two registered centers for autism in Addis Ababa Joe Autism Center and Nehemiah Autism Center. These service providers are all in the country capital Addis Ababa. But ultimately a majority of the countries population who live in rural area without currently no provision for autism Both centers have very
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limited resources to accommodate the needs of all the children who come to center for assistance. Due to lack of facility these centers have a combined waiting list of over nine hundred affected children. These numbers it safe to say may only represent those that have the awareness to seek help. Just taking these two centers as an example, one can see the disparity between the extent of the problem in Addis Ababa and the availability to services to address the problem much less in the entire country. Therefore, This project will seek to analyze, develop, and disseminate awareness materials and find the appropriate and relevant awareness creation tools for public dissemination. This, it is hoped will serve as an initial step in raising awareness across the entire country with a specific emphasis on policy makers, health professionals, social practitioners, community and social organizations. Initially, the materials will be made available in Amharic, Oromega, and Tigrigna with eventually in most of regional language of Ethiopia. What is the problem? It is obvious that autism is a pervasive problem and the number of the affected is increasing. However, understanding of the causes of the problem, the tools and mechanisms of addressing it, resources and facilities are at an infancy stage at best. Lack of understanding by the public policy makers and professionals, parents and families, and the general public and in particular in the country side where the disability is stigmatized as well parents and the affected children are ostracized is an impediment that needs to be addressed. It is imperative that the problem be addressed and is supported by research outcome both to create
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awareness and have the necessary tools to support the affected children in order for them to be accepted and productive members of the society. Below is some of the research question that should be raised to address the problem: 1. How many regions/sub-regions are in Ethiopia? 2. How many woredas/ kebeles are in every region? 3. What is demographic make up of these regions? 4. Are the regions aware of the Autism problems in their respective areas? 5. If the regions are aware what are they doing to address the problem? 6. How many of the regions have shown awareness and how many have not? 7. What are they doing to create awareness in their communities? 8. Do these administrative organs have a registered list of children who have autism in their areas? 9. What are their analytical methodology for identify the problem? 10. Do the regions have trained personnel to identify affected children? 11. Does the regions have policies that grantee equal opportunities? 12. Are they allocating resources to address the problem? 13. What kind of solution could be implemented in these regions that would have continuity? 14. Are these regions receptive to having trainings facilities at places where the problem is more pervasive? 15. What kind of training and follow-up program would work for each region?
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Each region will have to be assessed according to their cultural needs 16. How does the problem affect the life of the communities in these regions? 17. How will the research activities contribute to solving the problem? 18. Who is the primary beneficiary of the project? 19. What immediate objectives does the end of the project achieve? 20. What are the intended activities for each immediate objective? 21. Immediate Objective: Raising awareness on autism in Ethiopia 22. How will the research activities contribute to creating awareness? 23. What are the necessary methods and strategies that address awareness and resources that could be implemented around Ethiopia that will have lasting impact on families and children with autism? In general by initiating this research study the immediate objective to be achieved is development of awareness material, dissemination of awareness material and raised awareness of Autism in Ethiopia. The research will be base on quantitative method and data collection for the research will through the utilization of: 1. The website of Federal government such as Ministry of health and Ministry of Education, Regional health and Educational bureaus, NGOs 2. Contacting key personnel who can provide the information public relation officers of the ministries, health professional and practitioners. 3. Visiting the Autism centers, libraries, various relevant web sites and reference materials etc.
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Very little research has been done in the field of autism awareness in Ethiopia. Dr. Hoekstra 2011,a lecturer in psychology and genetics at the Open University has done some research together with colleagues at the Addis Ababa University that can perhaps initiate the autism awareness by much in Ethiopia. However the research was more focused on the families with Autistic children and health care workers training and knowledge. The research missed general public awareness. It should consider the general public awareness including the societies who are not affected with autism. The general public as whole needs education about autism from the mental health program, the program needs universities that produce medical personnel familiar with Autism and government policy makers should have a clear understanding of Autism therefore, the fight against Autism requires interdependent activities of society as a whole. Conclusion The lack of awareness of autism affects all groups of people. Primarily The People with Autism for not having the necessary institutional and social support. Secondly, the parents, families and caregivers due to lack of understanding of the problem and lack of appropriate diagnosis, are often unaware of the therapeutic intervention that may be available however limited. As the result, the families with Autistic children are relegated to taking care of the children by themselves for their entire life, which is a huge economic, social, and psychological strain on them and society with often traumatic outcome.
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Therefore, as a permanent solution Ethiopians are needed to be trained and encouraged to participate in fighting the existing lack of Autism awareness together. Having Ethiopian qualified special education teaching staff, psychologists, verbal communication therapists and job related psychoanalyst performing evaluations and providing assistance is much more successful method to deal with the problem than depending on occasional support or assistant from volunteers.
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Reference:
1. Autism Ethiopia a great wordpress.com autismethiopia.wordpress.com http://www.autismspeaks.org
2. Autism speaks available at
3. Global Camphene for Education available at
Inclusive Education For Children With Disabilities -‐ Global ... www.campaignforeducation.org/.../Equal%20Right,%20Equal%20Oppo...
4. Mike Dickson June 2013 The reporter English edition www.thereporterethiopia.com/.../524-‐autism-‐in-‐ethiopia-‐a-‐good-‐start
5. R. Hoekstra, 2011 lead research on Autism in Ethiopia
Raising
awareness of autism in Africa | Research at the OU www.open.ac.uk/research/main/research.../raising-awareness-autism-afric..
6. The Loin The Newsletter of the American Community in Ethiopia Vol. 15 No. 11 Community Edition Page 5 June 9, 2011is available at
photos.state.gov/libraries/ethiopia/.../The%20Lion%20June%209.pdf
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