GTBank Marks Autism Day with Walk and Cycling Campaign

Raheem Akingbolu

Guaranty Trust Bank plc, in partnership with the Cycology Club, Patricks Speech and Languages Centre, the Centre for Children Development, Parents of children living with Autism and other non-governmental organisations, have organised a walk and cycling campaign around the Lagos metropolis to mark the 2016 World Autism Awareness Day.

The Walk for Autism kicked off from Town Planning Way Bus-stop, Ilupeju while the Cycling for Autism initiative took off at 6am from The Syrian Club, Ribadu Road, Ikoyi.

The walk and cycling campaign officially kick-started the 6th edition of GTBank’s Annual Autism Programme, which was designed to provide support for children with developmental disabilities, most especially the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), by creating awareness of the disorder and invariably acceptance. ASD is believed to be affecting one in every 150 children around the world and is a lifelong developmental disability characterised by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people.

This year’s programme will include the launch of the Bank’s newly designed online community as well as free consultation service for children in Ogun State and Lagos State. The consultation programme in Abeokuta will hold this month, while consultation clinics in Lagos and the annual awareness conference will hold in June. The Parent Support Group will also continue to meet on the second Wednesday of every month at the Autism Unit of the College of Medicine, Idi Araba Lagos.

Commenting on the sixth edition of GTBank’s Annual Autism programme, the Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said with this year’s programmes, the bank hopes to go beyond awareness and make its greatest impact yet by inspiring members of the general public to support people living with autism and join the fight against the stigma they face.