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Give urgent attention to challenges facing children with ASD in Ghana …Advocate calls
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A passionate advocate for children with autism, Ms Jessica Datsa, is calling for urgent attention to the challenges facing children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Ghana.
According to her, the lack of specific policies, societal stigma, and inadequate support systems are major barriers to the proper education and development of children on the spectrum.
Ms Datsa is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of iElevate, a non-governmental organisation focused on advocacy for learners in school including people with special needs.
It is also involved in training of teachers, corporate institutions and groups, awareness creation, public education, research and philanthropic work for special needs community.
“Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means it affects children in varying degrees, from mild to profound,” Ms Datsa explains adding that it is a neurological and developmental disorder that impacts communication, behaviour, and social interaction.
She describes how children with autism often show signs such as failure to respond to their names, lack of eye contact, repetitive behaviours, hyperactivity, and learning difficulties.
Some children are verbal while others are non-verbal, with many suffering from anxiety, seizures, or other health conditions, adding that these children, need love, attention, and specially tailored education to thrive.
Ms Datsa stresses the crucial role of parents and teachers in supporting children with ASD, thereby encouraging parents to be active participants in their children’s therapy and not isolate them from society.
In the classroom, she says, teachers must be aware of triggers such as noise and strong scents, which can lead to sensory overload and anxiety in autistic children.
“It’s the teacher’s duty to create a calm and safe environment. Most importantly, they need training in how to manage and teach children with ASD,” she added.
She also highlighted the lack of government support. “All autism schools in Ghana are privately owned. The government does not have a single school specifically for children with autism.
According to the Co-Founder and Executive Director of iElevate, Ghana has an Inclusive Education Policy of 2015, but it is too broad and that Ghana needs a dedicated policy for autism.
Ms Datsa said many teachers in inclusive schools are not adequately trained to handle children with autism, which leads to further neglect.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
In other jurisdictions, the commencement of a new football season was one soccer fans would party about.
Having endured about a three-month period without action, fans become anxious about what the new season brings and how their respective teams would perform.
But that is not the case in Ghana, especially where the current Ghana Premier League (GPL) football season is expected to get underway today.
Unlike other places where fans would be fantasising and visualising about the new players and what they bring on board, Ghanaian fans have been occupied with discussions about the present state of infrastructure.
Obviously, the game thrives when stadia appear in good condition. When the pitches are in perfect shapes, it enhances play and brings out the best from the players.
Sadly, the state of the pitches in the country have left many questioning the preparedness for the season that also coincides with the start of AFCON qualifiers.
Currently, the pitch at the Accra Sports Stadium is closed for Premier League matches in readiness for the qualifiers.
Alternative ones like the University of Ghana Stadium is also not in the best of shape.
The Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi is also a concern despite hosting the Democracy Cup. As a result, teams to be affected in the southern and northern sectors would turn their attention to the Abramkese and UG stadia, a situation that would take a toll on the surfaces.
The situation, therefore, raises questions over the country’s direction regarding the provision of sports infrastructure.
Apart from the Borteyman Sports Complex, which was constructed for the Africa Games, none of the facilities scattered across the country can be said to be in good shape to host local games; not to talk about high profile competitions.
This should be a wakeup call on the government to start initiating processes to ensure modern infrastructure were erected to put Ghana in a good position to host games without the unwarranted scrutiny of CAF.
This would come at a huge cost to the taxpayer but when the business aspect of that expenditure in considered, it should be a worthy outlay.
But the infrastructure challenges notwithstanding, the competition will kick start at Tema where Vision FC engages Young Apostles FC.
The Hearts of Oak versus Berekum Chelsea clash will lead tomorrow’s games pack that also sees debutants Debibi United and Port City FC engaged in battles against Asante Kotoko and FC Ashantigold, respectively.
In other games, Basake Holy Stars will welcome Swedru All Blacks; FC Samartex against Karela United; Heart of Lions versus Aduana FC and Bechem United against Goldstars.
Dreams FC will face Medeama SC at the Tuba astro turf on Monday.
By Andrew Nortey
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The 2026 Idea Challenge Pitch and media launch was held last Saturday at the Pentecost University in Accra.
It brought together innovators, entrepreneurs and stakeholders to promote creative ideas and solutions aimed at addressing societal challenges.
The initiative, organised by the Visionary Organisation Development and Entrepreneurial Club (VODEC) and National Emerging Leaders Economic Forum (NELEF) provided a platform for participants to showcase their ideas and highlight how innovation and creativity could be transformed into practical solutions.
The programme also sought to encourage young people to develop ideas that could contribute to national development and create opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Held on the theme: ‘building Africa’s future, emerging leaders driving inclusive growth and regional transformation,’ the event sought to serve as a strategic platform to transition youth talent from mere concepts into investable enterprises.
During the pitch session, shortlisted entrepreneurs presented viable business ideas which spanned critical sectors, including climate-smart agribusiness, sustainable waste management, digital technology, and assistive tech for persons with disabilities.
A member of the judging panel, Mr Blessed Amonoo, an Investment Analyst at the Ghana Amalgamated Trust Plc., praised the technical depth of the presentations.
“We are looking for scalability, market readiness, and projects that directly answer local problems,“ Mr Amonoo noted during the evaluation.
“The level of innovation displayed here proves that African youth possesses the answers to the continent’s economic riddles, provided they receive the right structural refinement.”
Finalists selected from this rigorous process will be officially announced and paired with corporate mentors at the flagship forum in September.
Speaking at the event, the Founder and Chief Executive of VODEC Africa, Mr. Daniel Asomani, urged African governments and financial institutions to systematically secure capital for youth-led startups.
Mr Asomani emphasised that Africa’s persistent brain drain can only be reversed if young minds find fertile ground to scale their enterprises locally.
“Our brilliant minds are leaving the shores of Africa not because they want to, but because the local ecosystem suffocates their dreams.”
“The Idea Challenge is our contribution to keeping this talent home but VODEC cannot do it alone. We need policy interventions, tax incentives for startups, and deliberate venture funding to turn these ideas into multi-million-dollarcorporations,” Mr Asomani stated.
By Desmond Aidoo
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