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Liztino Centre …Safe haven for autistic children
●Mrs Angel Bertino
The Liztino Centre for Children with Special Needs has over the past decade become a safe haven for children born with autism disorder spectrum.
The centre, a parent’s quest to support an autistic child to live a normal life, had since been providing comfort and hope to families that have children with special needs.
Mrs Elizabeth Angel Acquah Bertino founded the centre in 2016, few years after his child, Phil Bertino was diagnosed of autistic disorder.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a development disability caused by differences in the brain. People with the disorder often have problems with social communication and interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviours or interests.
People with the disorder may also have different ways of learning, moving or paying attention. It is important to note that some people without the disorder might also have some of these symptoms but for people with the disorder, these characteristics could make life very challenging.
Some of the characteristics include, delayed language skills, delayed movement skills, delayed cognitive or learning skills, hyperactive, impulsive and/or inattentive behaviour.
Epilepsy or seizure disorder, unusual eating and sleeping habits, gastrointestinal issues (for example constipation), unusual mood or emotional reactions, anxiety, stress or excessive worry as well as lack of fear or more fear than usual are also some of the signs associated with it.
Following the success of the centre in transforming her now 16-year-old ward to live a normal life and gradually on his way to full recovery, Mrs Bertino decided to stretch her hands to other children through several awareness campaigns and services at her centre.
The campaigns engaged students, homes, companies and people on the streets as part of efforts to demystify the myths surrounding children with autism.
Some of the myths include autism is caused by vaccines, autism is a spiritual problem and people with the condition do not deserve to live (especially in Africa), autism is a childhood condition, autistic people have learning difficulties and autism is caused by bad parenting.
Her approach to dealing with the condition is basically accessing a child’s current situation, engage in therapy and most importantly dieting which could provide a great deal of transformation to the child.
For Mrs Bertino, the most important part of the healing process was dieting as it reduces the hyperactive behaviour and positions the person in a condition that could lead to other therapies required to manage the condition.
Mrs Bertino insists on early recognition as well as behavioural, educational and family therapies that had over the years helped in reducing the symptoms and support development and learning.
Essentially, her therapies that have been used at the facility following research and education ranges from anger management, family therapy, applied behaviour analysis, behavioural therapy, sensory processing and exercising.
For anger management, she practices mindfulness, coping mechanisms and trigger avoidance to minimise destructive emotional outbursts and with family therapy, psychological counselling that helps families resolve conflicts, feel better about the situation and communicate more effectively.
Applied behaviour analysis is also used as a teaching method that helps autistic children learn socially relevant skills by encouraging positive behaviour while behavioural therapy focuses on modifying harmful characters associated with psychological distress.
She also emphasises on sensory processing which deals with the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioural responses.
She also turned one of her hobbies-cooking, into providing adequate diets for patients under her care. For example, she bakes sugar-free bread which has essential ingredients including honey since sugar might trigger hyperactive behaviours.
She also loves to read which helped with engaging in research online to improve upon her works while exercising is her personal attribute which also translate into therapy for her patients.
She currently has over 20 children under her care at her facility which she operates at her residence in Adenta.
Mrs Bertino also loves to spend time with his family of five (a supportive husband, a precious son and two lovely daughters).
Mrs Bertino is a preacher of love and is of the view that love was the greatest gift humans can give to one another – an approach she uses in dealing with the patients that throng her facility on daily basis.
While engaging in her awareness creation and providing care for children with autism at her facility, she calls for support from the government and corporate entities to provide better conditions for people with autism disorder.
She essentially called on teachers and caregivers to treat people with autism with love and care as that would help them integrate into society and become better.
In a way to give back to society, aside the annual awareness creation campaigns which is usually used to donate items to the needy in society, she also holds regular ‘Liztino Special Tutorials’ to teach people about autism in areas of understanding the disorder, early detection, some treatment and special diet.
“Together we can provide the support, love, care and attention to people with autism and make the world a better place for all as disability is never an inability because there is something good in every child,” she said.
By Michael D. Abayateye
The Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited (GTD) in collaboration with the Department of Organisation and Human Resource Management, University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) has marked the 2026 World Safety Day Celebration in Accra.
The event held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at the Cedi Conference Centre, Legon was under the theme “Good Psychosocial Working Environment: A Pathway to Thriving Workers and Strong Organizations.”
The day is observed globally to promote safe and healthy working conditions and to raise awareness about both physical and psychological risks at the workplace.
The event formed part of efforts by stakeholders to deepen national conversations on workplace safety, particularly the growing concern about psychosocial well being.
In his keynote address, the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Abdul Rashid Hassan Pelpuo stressed that workers must not be treated as machines but as human beings with dignity, rights and families.
He explained that unsafe work environments marked by fear, harassment, intimidation and excessive pressure reduce productivity and weaken organisations.
He noted that although physical hazards such as faulty equipment and unsafe buildings remain a concern, psychological risks including excessive workload, bullying, job insecurity and toxic communication are equally dangerous and must be addressed.
According to him, psychological hazards are real, measurable and preventable, and should be treated with the same urgency as physical risks.
He maintained that safe and healthy working conditions are not a luxury but a fundamental right that supports productivity and social justice.
Dr Pelpuo further stated that the government remains committed to strengthening occupational safety and health systems, adding that worker wellbeing is a core responsibility of leadership and not a public relations issue.
He urged employers to create environments where dignity is protected, and workers are empowered to speak without fear.
The Dean of University of Ghana Business School, Prof Ernest Y Tweneboah Koduah noted that the school is committed to shaping a better world of work that is equitable, productive and sustainable.
He announced that the school has secured accreditation from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to introduce a programme in organisational health and safety.
He explained that gaps in workplace safety in Ghana are linked to weak enforcement, underreporting and limited professional training.
He added that the new programme will equip graduates with the skills to prioritise employee wellbeing as a key organisational responsibility.
Prof Tweneboah Koduah urged organisations to assess psychosocial risks, invest in human resource capacity and create environments where workers can openly discuss mental health concerns.
He emphasised that collaboration between academia and industry is essential to addressing workplace safety challenges.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, the Registrar of the University of Ghana, Emelia Naa Kwantsua Agyei Mensah described the event as historic, noting that it is the first time the university is marking the global observance.
She explained that the focus on psychosocial wellbeing reflects current realities in the world of work.
She stated that employee health, including mental and emotional wellbeing, directly affects productivity, morale and institutional performance.
Mrs Agyei Mensah added that the university is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for staff and students, beyond minimum legal requirements.
She called on leaders to reflect on the kind of workplaces they create and to prioritise the wellbeing of employees.
CEO of the GTDC, Prof Kobby on his part noted that its participation aligns with its commitment under the Riyadh Declaration, which calls on member states to improve infrastructure and public safety, as well as enhance services, transport, connectivity and accessibility.
He indicated that the company intends to use the platform to highlight Ghana’s readiness to implement the declaration, with a strong focus on worker safety and wellbeing as a foundation for sustainable tourism development.
The event brought together policymakers, academics, industry players and students to discuss strategies for improving workplace safety and promoting healthier work environments across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ghana Armed Forces has confirmed that an escort convoy protecting civilians was attacked in Binduri in the Upper East Region, leaving three people dead.
In a press release issued on April 27, 2026, the military said the convoy, which was escorting about 140 civilians from Bawku to Bolgatanga, came under gunfire from unknown attackers.
It said the attackers shot at the convoy several times, killing three of the civilians being escorted and injuring one other person.
According to the statement, soldiers returned fire and were able to repel the attack. In the process, seven of the assailants were killed.
The military added that during a follow-up operation, weapons and ammunition were retrieved from a suspect who had taken refuge in a mosque.
The items included a G3 rifle, two loaded magazines, and additional rounds of ammunition.
It said ten other suspects have been arrested and are assisting with investigations.
The Ghana Armed Forces cautioned the public against engaging the military or any security agency during operations.
It extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished the injured person a speedy recovery.
By: Jacob Aggrey
