Educators, Parents Seek More Support for Special Needs Children

Uchechukwu Nnaike

The Head of School, Anthos House, Dr. Kimberley Scollard, has called for more education about special needs children and more government support for organisations working with them.

She said this during the presentation of ASDAN certificates to 70 students of the school.

She said though the government has been showing interest and some support in the recent past, the majority of the support comes from parents of children with special needs and organisations.

She added that a lot needs to be done regarding tolerance towards individuals with special needs. 

She said the students worked hard to achieve the ASDAN benchmarks, adding that some of the simplest things that people take for granted can be difficult for people with special needs.

She said, “Achieving benchmarks like ASDAN is amazing because it is proof that I am here, I can learn, I can be part of society, I can be successful.”

Students received certificates in My Community Module, under My Independence, My Friendship Module, My Behavior, My Healthy Lifestyle, and FoodWise, among others.

The assistant principal, Mrs. Atinuke Ogunnaike, expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the ASDAN programme, saying that some students have completed pathways, not just modules, while a student completed a full course.

She stated that there is more awareness about special needs, with more qualified personnel in the field. However, interventions are expensive, and many parents cannot access it. 

She appealed to the government to support schools for special needs children and their parents so that they can receive intervention.

Ogunnaike said the school plans to dedicate more time to hands-on sessions with the students in the next session.

One of the parents, Mrs. Angela Emuwa, whose child, Chidubem is one of the pioneer students at Anthos House, described the school as a lifesaver that focuses on independence and everything to make them move forward in life.

She said the programme had honed her son’s skills in his area of interest- cooking.

Emuwa said she plans to set up a gluten-free small chops business for him. She said she would also consider modelling for him. She appealed to the government to take the welfare of people with special needs more seriously and urged parents to fight for their children’s rights.

Another parent, Mrs. Delphine Misan-Arenyeka, stressed the need for acceptance from parents and society for people with special needs.

She said the children are gifted, talented and have abilities, adding that parents need to dig deep to know what they can do and allow them to excel along those lines.

She also regretted that there is little or no support from the government in terms of policies, like employment policies, and no social system, adding that the private sector does the bulk of the work.

Anthos House, a Greensprings School initiative, is dedicated to people with special needs.

Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) offers a range of nationally approved qualifications based on developing personal, social and employability skills.