Heroes of change: Serwah Quaynor giving hope to autistic children

In search of services to help her autistic child, Serwah Quaynor made a personal commitment to help other parents and children with autism.

This motivation and hard work has earned Serwah Quaynor a nomination in this year’s MTN Heroes of Change.

The 67-year-old founder of the Autism Awareness Care and Training Centre (AACT), a local support and education centre for children with autism, is located at Kokomlemle in Accra. started the centre in 1998.

That was when she relocated from the United States of America to Ghana and search for autism services for her son who had been diagnosed with autism at age two years, thirty-three years, proved difficult.

“What was I to do in a country where there were no services for children with autism? I felt dejected, alone and afraid! I found some solace in church and felt compelled to tell whoever would listen to me talk about my son and autism. Thus began autism awareness and care in Ghana.”

Since creating the centre, they have worked tirelessly to help parents of children with autism in Ghana understand the disability and feel there is a safe place to go for support and help.

AACT focuses on training children with autism to reach their fullest potential. This is done by training them in academic skills, behaviour management, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, life skills, art therapy, drama and movement therapy and social skills.

The centre also creates awareness on autism through walks, the traditional media and on social media. It also lets the children out into the into the community so people would know more about children with autism and why they must be accepted in society.

The project has been partly funded over the years from Mrs Quaynor’s own resources and contributions from some friends. It also gets support from some outfits by way of scholarships for some of the children or funding for some of its activities.

Sometimes, some supplies come in from abroad to help with areas like speech and occupational therapies. Parents also pay monthly contributions that somehow help meet running costs.

As art therapy is a major part of the centre’s programme, artwork and beadwork are sold to generate revenue. As a result of the centre’s constant engagement in awareness raising, it has been able to reach out to over 5,000 people across Ghana and beyond.

“Today, we can say people in our regional capitals and cities can describe what autism is and identify an autistic child when they see one. Working together with sister centres in Accra, Tema, Haatso, Tamale and Kumasi, we have been able to train parents and teachers on certain essentials. Now, children who used to be kept solely at home are now being brought out to school or our centres.”

According to Mrs Quaynor, the centres have tried to get the Ministry of Education as well as Health and Gender and Social Protection to work with them to develop policy frameworks for the benefit of autistic children, but they have been largely ignored.

“It appears they see these children as just disabled and unable to achieve much. We are, however, not discouraged and will continue to find ways and means to engage them and have specific policies for the children’s special needs.”

AACT’s main challenge is the lack of infrastructure to train the children. They are in costly rented premises w and are looking for donors to support move into a more appropriate and well-resourced centre of their own.

AACT has won some awards, locally and from abroad as well and Mrs Quaynor’s plan for the future is to see a Ghana where all children with disabilities can access affordable and well-resourced facilities so they can reach their maximum potential.

Mrs Quaynor was nominated for the MTN Heroes of Change programme by Ms Yesutor Gbewonyo. She was a volunteer at AACT in 2010. She feels the centre needs bigger space to operate from and also admires the founder’s dedication to the autism cause in Ghana.

“Autism is Mrs Quaynor’s life. She’s not ashamed to share her challenges. She is real in her approach to life. When I see her at work, I feel an aura of love and selflessness that everyone ought to embrace in order to make a change, a better world, for persons with autism,” Ms Gbewonyo stated.

Karen Wylie, a speech and language therapy specialist at the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital described Mrs Quaynor as a mother and strong ally for persons with autism.

“I strongly recommend her for the MTN Heroes of Change award. It will be a fitting recognition of the hard work that has been invested in maintaining AACT albeit with limited resources,” Karen Wylie said.

Nana Sompa Adentwi, a 47- year-old father of a son with autism said his boy had an inconsistent behaviour at an early age.

“We went for frequent hospital check-ups. We were referred to two facilities for tests. I decided to take him abroad and that was where he was diagnosed with being autistic. I was advised to bring him back to Ghana to Mrs Quaynor’s AACT,” Nana Adentwi stated to reinforce his trust in the good work being done at AACT.