The Ferdinand Effah Music Heritage Foundation has called for all-inclusive development to promote good health and well-being for persons with autism.
The foundation made the call in a statement on Tuesday, signed by its President, Stanley Effah, to commemorate the 2024 World Autism Day with the theme ‘Moving from surviving to thriving.’
WAD is an internationally recognised day annually on April 2, encouraging member states of the United Nations to raise awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorders and promote the full realisation of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for persons with autism.
According to the World Health Organisation, ASDs are a diverse group of conditions characterised by some degree of difficulty with social interaction and communication.
Other characteristics are atypical patterns of activities and behaviours, such as difficulty with the transition from one activity to another, a focus on details, and unusual reactions to sensations.
The global health body said about one in 100 children have autism, and characteristics may be detected in early childhood, but autism is often not diagnosed until much later.
FEMHF said the importance of the day marks the recognition of the diverse minds that enrich the world.
“It is not just a date, but a beacon of progress that can be significantly
elevated by an obligation on the premise of the Sustainable Development Goals with an underlying relevance of an all-inclusive supportable development,” the statement read in part.
Effah said the development required can be found in SDG 3, 4, 8, and 10.
“SDG 3 is on good health and well-being with better healthcare services and treatments specific to Autism. SDG 4 is on quality education that is equitable and inclusive with fair access for those in the Autism spectrum.
“SDG 8 is on decent work and economic growth that promotes inclusivity in the workplace that can accommodate and continue to provide opportunities for autistic people, and SDG 10 is on reducing inequality, a challenge usually faced by people with disabilities, including autism; with such prospect of creating a wide range spread of awareness and acceptance for autism.
“At FEMHF, our interplay with individuals, families, and society at engaging the use of music as a focal therapy in managing and promoting awareness and acceptance for autism would be moving away from the so comfort surviving field to a more thriving arena, in line with the 2024 World Autism year’s United Nations standpoint that emphasises the
importance of shifting the focus from simply coping with autism to creating an environment where autistic people can flourish,” he noted.
He said the organisation’s focus is committed to the symbolic relationship that the 2024 World Autism Day shares with SDGs that endorse the idea of an inclusive society where everyone has an equitable shot at success, including the autistic.
He also said it will continue to promote and showcase autism success stories as a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the transformative power of SDGs.
“We would continue to focus our attention on autism stories of empowerment, challenges faced, and victories achieved by aligning with our objective of promoting awareness and acceptance of autism. FEMHF shall continue to create a series of events with the backing of SDGs
resources that would improve the lives of people and families affected by the condition of autism.
“As we celebrate the 2024 autism day orchestrated by the SDG objective, we should bear in mind that it is not just a day of observation, but a profound embodiment of how SDGs can be effectively implemented to make a real difference to the lives of autistic people.
“This Day is a pivotal moment to bear in mind with reflection on the more significant objective of forging a world that is inclusive in its thinking, actions, and essence, especially where music is a surviving propelling power that provides the thriving platform of a rallying social interactive arena that would promote awareness and acceptance of autism in bright colours, inclusive of blue”, he added.
