Accra: A renewed push for inclusive education is gaining momentum as government officials, education advocates, and parents highlight critical gaps in support systems for children with special needs across the country. The call was made during a screening and counselling exercise organised by Mulan Neurodiversity School in collaboration with the National Assessment and Resource Centre as part of activities marking Autism Awareness Month.
According to Ghana Web, Thara Brigitte Mills Simmonds, CEO of Mulan Neurodiversity School and an autism advocate, underscored the importance of early intervention and parental support in managing children with special needs. She explained that the exercise brought together a team of specialists including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, behavioural technicians, and special educators to assess children and provide guidance to parents.
The initiative also focused on developing Individualised Education Plans (IEPs) to support children in their educational journey, while donating sensory learning materials and assistive devices such as wheelchairs to improve therapy and accessibility at the centre. Mills Simmonds emphasized that having a child with autism or special needs is not the end of the road but requires the right support system, urging parents to remain strong and avoid hiding their children due to stigma.
She further called on schools to stop rejecting children with special needs, describing such actions as discriminatory, and encouraged institutions to build capacity to support inclusive learning. She also appealed to policymakers to ensure that special needs education is prioritised in policy formulation and implementation, stressing that disability can happen to anyone at any time and schools must be prepared to support every child.
Hajia Ramatu Alhassan, Head of the National Assessment and Resource Centre, highlighted the poor state of infrastructure at the facility as a major challenge affecting service delivery. She noted that the centre, which provides screening, diagnostic assessments, counselling, and school placement services, is currently operating in an incomplete building, creating an unconducive environment for staff and parents.
On the government's part, Kingsley Boachie, Senior Research and Inclusive Education Officer at the Pre-Tertiary Ministry of Education, outlined measures being implemented to strengthen special education across the country. He revealed that the Ministry is collaborating with institutions to ensure that graduates trained in special education are posted to relevant schools and assessment centres.
Boachie also disclosed plans to establish 'model inclusive schools' across districts, equipped with necessary learning materials and staffed with trained professionals. In addition, the government is working to upgrade and complete facilities like the National Assessment Centre to meet required standards.
Despite these interventions, parents continue to face significant challenges. Deborah Dzakpasu, a mother of an 18-year-old autistic girl, shared her ordeal of her daughter being denied admission into schools due to her condition. She called on the government to ensure that basic education is truly inclusive and accessible to all children.
As part of the outreach, the school donated sensory learning materials and assistive devices, including wheelchairs, to support therapy and improve accessibility for children with physical challenges at the centre.