By Abdulrahman Abdullahi
A medical practitioner, Dr Osuagwu Magnus, has called for intensive awareness creation on autism, among medical professionals and the general public, in order to improve its diagnosis.
Magnus, Chief Consultant, Family Medicine Department, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday, in Lafia, explained that the call became necessary because many medical professionals were unaware of the condition.
He noted that since it was not a laboratory diagnosis condition, but a clinical observation, there was need to create more awareness on the condition among healthcare personnel, as well as the general public.
Magnus described autism as a life-long condition that was incurable, but could only be managed, hence parents should try to get the best out of the autistic, by giving them special attention rather than abandoning them.
He stressed that managing autistic children was difficult for the parents, but it could still be handled and most autistic children can do well in their various endeavours.
While explaining that the treatment of autism was not like any other medical condition, he explained that it required a specialised form of treatment from a team of professionals, that would include a behavioural therapist, speech therapist, among others.
“Parents who have autistic children should not blame themselves, they should rather, try to get the best out of them.
“An autistic child should not be abandoned, as the child grows, he tends to do better. The child will be able to do all those things he was unable to do before and his quality will improve,” he said.
