It is said that ‘difference is not a deficit’.
This statement captures the heart of this year’s call to celebrate differences as we mark the month of autism awareness.
Autism is a form of neurodiversity that deserves to be understood, protected and celebrated.
It is not a disease or a deficiency but a difference in the way such persons communicate, interact and experience the environment.
This can show up in a child as a difficulty in socialising, controlling emotions or even recognising danger.
Regardless of these, many children living with autism have unique strengths such as sharp memory, deep focus, creativity, or strong visual thinking.
When people understand that a child is not being “difficult” or “stubborn” or “behaving badly” but is navigating the world differently, their response can quickly shift from rejection to support.
This is why the theme: “Celebrate Differences” matters now more than ever.
Experience
The experience of families living with children with autism can be gruelling for many reasons.
Therefore, in our celebration, protection must be seriously considered. Simple actions like boarding commercial vehicles, for instance, can be so stressful for such families.
A child may resist sitting still, become overwhelmed by noise, or react unpredictably.
Passengers stare, complain, or even ask the parent to get down.
Some may even go to the extent of scolding the parents for being poor at parenting.
In that moment, safety is not just about traffic. It is about emotional pressure, stigma, and the risk of being forced into unsafe decisions.
School presents another reality. Many autistic children start school but eventually drop out because the system cannot support them optimally.
Lack of trained teachers and rigid expectations make it difficult for them to enjoy inclusion.
Some wander off, some are punished for behaviours they cannot control, and others are simply sent home.
The result is increased vulnerability.
Then there are the physical dangers that they need to be protected from.
These include open drains, uncovered wells and swimming pools, busy roads, and open-fire cooking, which are part of everyday Ghanaian life.
For a child on the autism spectrum who may wander, be drawn to water, or not understand danger, these become life-threatening.
A child fascinated by water may walk straight into a lagoon.
A child who does not recognise “hot” may reach for a burning stove.
A child who acts on impulse may run into the road without looking.
Safety measures must therefore be intentional and practical.
Families
Families should cover wells, empty buckets, secure gates, put up barriers and create rules like ‘no water without mummy’.
Repeating such rules daily and in the same words can become a learnt routine. Cooking areas can be marked as “no-go zones.”
When walking by roads as pedestrians, holding hands should never be optional.
As families do their part, the communities must be open to learning.
The trotro driver who shows patience, the usher in church who offers support, the teacher who adapts their approach are all ways by which these children are valued and celebrated.
Celebration is not just about kind words or awareness campaigns.
It is about creating environments where difference is safe.
It is about ensuring that a child can board a vehicle without humiliation, attend church without exclusion, and stay in school without feeling rejected.
Protecting children living with autism in Ghana is an important part of celebrating them.
This is because when a child is truly seen, understood, and supported, they are not just safe.
They are free to grow, to learn, and to bring their unique light into the world.
