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The absence and neglect of autistic children in society could be blamed on the lack of clearly defined policies.
Although the country's health sector does not have accurate data on the disease, it is currently estimated that it affects 1 in 87 children under 3 years of age.
Autism management requires that children with autism be placed in specialized programs as soon as the diagnosis is suspected
Leonnie Lynn Lotsu, executive director of the African Awareness Project for Autism, asks the government to develop friendly policies to address the needs of autistic children in the country.
She said that children with autism who, through no fault of their own, had suffered several inhumane abuses and treatments from their parents and guardians who were completely unaware of their condition.
"We do not have statistics in this country to show how many children have been diagnosed with autism. We need to develop awareness-raising policies to make society aware that autism is not a disease, but a medical condition that can be managed. These are just human beings like us, "Lotsu said.
She added that most parents and society still did not accept children with autism due to their low level of education and awareness.
In parts of Ghana, this state is still attributed to witchcraft or a curse of the gods, with children and adults affected by various forms of abuse and stereotyping, Lotsu said.
"Many parents give up on themselves because they do not want anyone to badociate their children with autism. Most parents badociate this state of affairs with curses, witchcraft, and so on. concoctions that end up ruining innocent children, "said Lotsu.
She said this at an autism awareness workshop organized by BlueCrest College in Accra.
Eli Kwame Kwami, a student at BlueCrest College, organizer of the workshop, said the workshop aimed to deepen students' knowledge and understanding of autism.
He believes that when students understand the needs of children with autism, this will go a long way towards raising awareness and creating policies that will improve the well-being of children with autism in the country.
"Looking at the society and the integration of autism, we realized that people do not really understand what is autism. As a result, we decided to take this initiative to educate the public and lead a campaign to educate the public about autism and how to manage it.
"We have embarked on a series of events including a walk for health, sharing pamphlets, souvenirs and a public campaign. The workshop will help students understand autism and understand relationships with children with autism at home or in society, "he said.
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