Solape says right knowledge makes people understand autism, demystify stigma for right support within the community  

Solape Azazi is an autism advocate, inclusion strategist, behaviour analyst, Nigeria’s only certified WHO caregiver skill training (CST) master trainer, among others. She is one of the facilitators at the 16th Annual Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), Autism two-day Conference at the MUSIN Centre in Onikan, Lagos. He spoke with some selected Journalists which include Gentechnews Editor, Tony Nwakaegho after her presentation.

I am Solape Azazi , a mom with a child with Autism,  a passionate advocate for autism and a behaviour analyst. Speaking on her passion for the job with journalists, she highlighted that a lot of times when we talk about acceptance, we think that it has to be something that has to do with documents and policies, stressing that acceptance is a way and manner we show our outward reactions to fellow beings at home.

Solape said “For me if your child is not able to find acceptance at home, then how can he find acceptance outside. It is bridging it from where the child is to where the child ought to be. You need to look at your child and make necessary adjustments as to how you want him to look outside and that in itself will help to promote that child’s self-worth.

“A child you are always looking out may feel withdrawn that you are monitoring him and will not give his very best. In my house I was able to carry my siblings along by playing a video to allow the children in my family to understand what my child had and what he was going through and how best it can help them. So, it makes my work as a caregiver easier. So, I can leave this child with his brothers to attend to him.”

When she was asked whether stigmatization is a health challenge, Solape explained that stigma is one of the health challenges because if a person is being judged all the time, that person will withdraw and it can also cause mental issues to the person.

“That isolation that nobody wants me. Nobody understands me can kill your self-worth, making you feel that you are not enough, alter your mindset and even causing conflict between you and your partner as well as affect your quality of life. Those are the kind of challenges that can affect a caregiver,” she added.

She disclosed that her son is currently 12 years and going to year 8, which is JSS2 in school on a silver student honour roll in school and he is able to cope because they met him at the very point of his need. and were able to put the right things and right intervention in place.

“As an advocate, my role is to ensure that we prevent stigma, so with the right knowledge people will begin to understand what is and what isn’t and this helps to demystify the stigma and then the person gets the right support he needs within the community.

“I recently experienced stigma this year and how I addressed it now and how I could have addressed it at the beginning are quite different.

“Mybe at the beginning of my journey I could have looked at how to hide or aggressively address that person that is trying to put that stigma. I have learnt to pause, listen and then dialogue. So, when I finished listening to them, I proffered a solution to tell the people what was wrong as well as what they can do alternatively. So, you will be able to come back and listen and try it out,” Solape explained.