‘Majority Of Autistic Children Face Behavioural Challenges’

Experts have said a majority of children with autism in Nigeria face significant behavioural challenges, with aggression and self-injury among the most common problems.

According to their report, between 56 per cent and 94 per cent of children diagnosed with autism experience these behavioural difficulties, creating major challenges for families and caregivers.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person interacts with others, communicates, learns and behaves. This spectrum exhibits a range of symptoms, and their severity varies significantly from one individual to another.

At the 16th GTCO Autism Conference, held in Lagos, under the theme “Acceptance in Action: From Family to Classroom to Workplace to Public Spaces,” a clinical psychologist, Dr Abiola Taiwo, said many children with autism display behaviours that parents and teachers would like to see less often.

The most common is aggression, such as hitting, kicking or biting.

Others include disruption, such as being very loud or uncontrolled in the classroom, and non-compliance, such as refusing to follow simple instructions and walking away.

‘’Some children also injure themselves by hitting or biting themselves, while others may bolt or run off if not closely supervised. These are among the most frequent behavioural problems seen in children with autism.

“Without intervention, these behaviours often persist and can intensify over time,” Taiwo said. She added that families caring for children with autism who have significant behavioural challenges frequently report high levels of stress, with some experiencing depression and other stress-related difficulties. The child’s behaviour can compound existing pressures in the home.

Taiwo said understanding why these behaviours occur is the first step toward addressing them. “All behaviour communicates something. A child may hit or self-injure because they are in physical pain, such as a toothache, but cannot express it verbally,” she said.

She explained that behaviours also occur in context; a child who becomes agitated during math work may be calm and happy at the park with friends. Over time, children learn that certain behaviours produce specific outcomes, such as receiving a tablet or food after hitting, which can reinforce the behaviour.

“In some cases, behaviours are a way of expressing physical discomfort, such as the need for a diaper change or irritation from something in their hair or clothing. Recognising these underlying causes helps parents and professionals design more effective support and intervention strategies,” she said.

On his part, Autism Instructor Afeez Abdul Rasak said parents need to start focusing on the strengths of their children on the autism spectrum rather than fixating on what they want the children to do.

“Parents of children on the autism spectrum face significant challenges, largely because their children often require a remarkable level of support. However, some of the stress they experience may be self-induced,” Rasak said.

In his interactions with many parents, Rasak observed that some focus heavily on what they want their children to do, while overlooking the strengths their children already possess.

“A child may be a gifted artist, yet the parent fixates on academic performance; another may be an excellent dancer, but the conversation centres on speech delays. This is where the concept of multiple intelligences becomes relevant.

“Every individual is blessed with different kinds of intelligence, and much depends on what we choose to see and how we interpret it. Parents need to move beyond rigid expectations and begin to accept and nurture the strengths of their children that they may not be paying attention to,’’ he said.”

He also said teachers need to be clear about the pedagogical approaches they are using, saying, “A child cannot be taught in isolation. Schools that lack a clear educational theory or pedagogical framework will struggle to support both the child and the parents. Acceptance in the classroom begins with understanding the teaching method being applied and knowing how to support the child based on that approach and the theory behind it.”