The Day Benola -A Cerebral Palsy Initiative- Visited the C.A.D.E.T. Academy

On the 30th of January 2014, The Comprehensive Autism and related Disabilities Education and Training (C.A.D.E.T.) Academy Abuja was visited by a team from Benola - Cerebral Palsy Initative. Benola is a Not for Profit Organisation located in Lagos, Nigeria. They are committed to change and progress for persons living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). 

CP is a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination (spastic paralysis) and/or other disabilities, typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth.

*There are 17 million people across the world living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Another 350 million people are closely connected to a child or adult with CP. It is the most common physical disability in childhood.

*CP is a permanent disability that affects movement. Its impact can range from a weakness in one hand, to almost a complete lack of voluntary movement.

*It is a complex disability: 1 in 4 children with CP cannot talk, 1 in 3 cannot walk, 1 in 2 have an intellectual disability, 1 in 4 have epilepsy.*

*CP is a lifelong disability and there is no known cure. (Source: Novak I, Hines M,Goldsmith S, Barclay R (2012) Clinical Prognostic Messages from a Systematic Review on Cerebral Palsy, Pediatrics, 130:5)

The visit offered an opportunity for cross fertilization of ideas in the areas of special education needs and awareness efforts between the two organizations.

Here are some pictures from the visit:

AVM Femi Gbadebo (Founder/CEO Benola) explaining a point to Mrs Lola Aneke (Executive Director, C.A.D.E.T. Academy)

(From left-right) Mr Ayo Joseph, Benola Advisory Board Member, Benola; AVM Femi Gbadebo, Founder/CEO Benola; Mrs Lola Aneke, Executive Director, CADET Academy, Lt Cdr Uche Aneke, & Mrs Lola Famewo, a Staff of CADET Academy

Special Educational Program Tips for Parents

As the 2014 school year begins, here are some recommended questions for parents to ask while seeking the right educational program for a child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or related disabilities:

• What are the credentials of the staff, and who will be around your child?
• What is the schedule for the day's activities? Will parents be allowed to observe the classroom before enrolling their child?
• What therapies does the school/program provide? Can private therapists work with your child at the school?
• How does the staff communicate with parents?
• Does the school/program create opportunities for parents to meet and network?
• Will parents be allowed to participate in the IEP?
• How many children attend the program? What is the staff-to-child ratio? Are the children divided into groups by age or in some other way?
• How often are the teaching staff trained to work with exceptional children? Is INCLUSION one of the training topics? What experience has the staff had in working with children with special needs?
• What is the discipline policy?
• If your child is unable or would prefer not to do an activity (e.g. swimming or a field trip), what is the alternate activity?
• If your child would like to do a certain activity but may need additional support, is the staff willing to make individualized accommodations (such as help changing into a swimsuit, headphones during loud times, help with using the bathroom, feeding, etc.)?
• Are staff members willing to have a support person come in to facilitate inclusion efforts for your child and others?
• Does the school/program create opportunities for parents to share positive and negative experiences?

These questions would serve as a guide to parents of children with ASD or other special needs in making their choices for their child's education. In the end, the goal of any special needs program is to make the child feel successful, learn new skills and feel good about themselves as they grow into productive adults.

Practical Holiday Tips...

Now that the Christmas holidays are here, one great way that parents can encourage speech and language development during this period is to keep daily, meaningful, understandable language flowing. For example, your child's conversation topics should be filled with the Christmas and holiday vocabulary. You can work this plan together with your child's speech language pathologist. Also, ensure that you answer your child every time he/she speaks to you, and let him/her know that you value everything he/she has to say. Look at your child when you speak to him/her, even if the child is non-verbal.

If your child asks a continuous stream of questions, saying it back the to him/her may break the cycle, especially if the child already knows the answer. For example, Child: "Are we going to the mall from here?" Adult: "Yinka, are we going to the mall from here?" Child: "Yes!"

Please note that singing is also speech. Therefore, if your child learns songs easily, use that strength to enhance his/her language skills. Talk about new words in the song he/she may not understand; and make sure you distinguish nonsense words from real words.

Finally, take time to enjoy your times together and have lots of fun this holiday. Merry Christmas! 

C.A.D.E.T. Academy® 5-Hour Training Workshop/Seminar in Abuja - 7 Dec 13 (Topic: How to Teach Students with Autism Effectively - First Edition)

The Comprehensive Autism and related Disabilities Education and Training (C.A.D.E.T.) Academy organized a training workshop/seminar in Abuja, Nigeria, on 7th December 2013. The title of the workshop was: HOW TO TEACH STUDENTS WITH AUTISM EFFECTIVELY. The aim of the workshop was to educate and train the participants on research-based special education strategies for teaching students with autism and related disabilities in inclusive settings. A game and six case studies were used to clearly illustrate certain points to the participants thus keeping the 5-hour duration of the workshop interactive and lively until the end. There was also a lunch break during which the participants were served with sumptuous meals to keep them refreshed.

The workshop had a successful outcome. Here are the feed backs from some of the participants:

"The training met my expectation. This is the first time I am sitting for a training on Autism. You spoke with great expertise and passion. I think this training should be on going in all schools. Educators need to be constantly reminded to be creative with learning while not short changing any child for effective implementation of inclusion. Also, I have changed my perspective about autistic children. Thank you and keep it up!!!!" ~ Amara

"The C.A.D.E.T. Academy® workshop on how to teach kids with autism exceeded my expectations. It was so enlightening, so practical. The most exciting and interesting part for me are the case studies. Educators should invest in this." ~Blessing

"Wow! It was an impact full workshop/seminar. The lectures was delivered with passion, I enjoyed all the case studies, it gave me an opportunity to tap from people's wealth of experiences relating with Autistic child. The game time was amazing it shed more light to what goes on in the mind of an Autistic child. Wow! I will not forget to thank C.A.D.E.T Academy® for the super lunch and total package. Looking forward to your next training". ~Ibilola

"The training/seminar today was very educating as well as interesting. The "Mr and Mrs Right game was challenging, further making me feel what kids with Autism feel and appreciate them. It was very much interactive with regards to the case studies after each presentation. Mrs Lola Aneke was very practical with her explanations which made them clearer, for me it wasn't boring at all...I think this is one training that teachers should not shy away from...The seminar is one I look forward to again and again. I wonder why teachers and parents won't rush to attend this, because we deal with Autistic Children almost every day of our lives interacting with children, and we need to be aware of ways how we can teach and train this kids effectively and get POSITIVE results. I am most grateful to C.A.D.E.T. Academy® for the wonderful experience." ~Pamela

-------------------------------------------------------------------

If you missed this workshop/seminar, don't worry, more of our seminars and workshops are scheduled for the months ahead - some will be free and some will be at a fee. You may visit the C.A.D.E.T. Academy website (www.cacademy.sch.ng) to get more details of our scheduled workshops and seminars. Photo highlights are below, after the cut.

   Powered by:

My interview on NTA AM Express...

My interview session on Nigeria's national television, NTA AM EXPRESS on Saturday, 7 December 2013. Discussion topic was Lessons from Late Nelson Mandela's Views on Education for all, and Autism Awareness in Nigeria.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities...

Facts about disability:

• At least 10% of the world's population, or 650 million people, live with a disability.

• 20% of the world's poor are disabled.

• The percentage of children with disabilities NOT ATTENDING SCHOOL is extremely variable and is between 65 - 85% in some AFRICAN countries.

• Mortality for children with disabilities may be as high as 80% in countries where under-five mortality as a whole has decreased to below 20%.

• In many low-income and middle -income countries, only 5-15% of disabled people who require assistive devices and technology have access to them. (Source: http://www.who.int)

....Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This includes persons with AUTISM and related disabilities. The observance of the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities (www.un.org). This includes their education through the provision of SPECIAL EDUCATION. YOU and I can provide INCLUSIVE support for persons with disabilities in our communities by first UNDERSTANDING their challenges. EMPOWER yourself with the KNOWLEDGE you NEED to be a part of this move today.

Visit: www.cacademy.sch.ng to see the schedule of our training workshops/seminars.

How to Teach Students with Autism Effectively: A 4-Hour Hands-on Training Workshop/Seminar

Its a 4-Hour training workshop/seminar that will involve case-studies, hands-on sessions, etc., on the most up-to-date research-based strategies from the United States you don't want to miss if you are a parent of a child with autism, a teacher/school administrator or a therapist. 

Venue: SRC Meeting Room, 10b Owena Close, off Yedseram Street, Maitama, Abuja 

Registration required! Visit: www.cacademy.sch.ng for details