Butterfly Ghana Foundation engages parents and teachers on best practices in guiding children with disability.
Some parents and teachers within Keta Municipality have undergone a day workshop on best practices in guiding children with disability and how to provide them with the necessary care.
The workshop was organised by the Butterfly Ghana Foundation a None non-governmental organisation that trains children with intellectual disabilities in collaboration with the Anlo Special School with support from Jonny and Friends 4 Autism-UK and the Autism Awareness Care and Training Centre-Accra.
Madam Elinam Emma Sallah, Founder and Team Lead at Butterfly Ghana Foundation, shared the project objectives with VERITAS News Ghana saying, “The workshop is aimed at discussing the best ways and practices in guiding and handling children with disabilities, and we hope that after this program, all participants will be well informed in this regard,”
The 4-hour interactive seminar held at the Keta GES conference had all teachers and parents present sharing their perception of child disability, and how they handle such children in their various classes and homes.
Madam Elorm Kuenyehia Duah, Director at Autism Awareness Care and Training Centre-Accra, during her facilitation, thought on the various forms of disabilities such as Learning disabilities, Physical disabilities and developmental disabilities, with infancies on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities such as Attention deficit disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy among others. She also touched on the causes of some of these disabilities as well.
“When the pregnant mother abuses alcohol excessively, it can result in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) which can lead to physical, behavioural and cognitive issues in the child,”
Mrs Sandra Mame Opokuaah, Director at Jonny and Friends 4 Autism, UK, spoke on the perspective of parents, teachers and caregivers in raising a child with special needs, and according to her, “the cultural and environmental perception about such children go a long way to play a role in how we take care of them, therefore, we must always develop a good sense of humour and positivity towards them, provide them with equal care among their peers,” Sandra said
Sheila Lomokie Soli, a Special Needs Educator, called on participants to do more research on the best ways to handle children living with disabilities under their care as she thought about how to perfectly communicate with such children for their proper understanding using colours and images.
About forty parents, teachers, caregivers and stakeholders in the disability arena in the municipality benefited from the program expressing their satisfaction with the program.
Also speaking at the workshop were Mr Godwin Komla Kumah, Director at Eye to Eye Foundation, and Mr Samuel Godzi Special Education Coordinator at Keta Municipal.
Mama Tokormi Beyevu II of Anyako, and Madam Kudodah Sherita, Chairperson for People Living with Disability, Keta Municipal, were among some dignitaries present at the program.
