The right to education and inclusion for children with autism

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Extract from the article: World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated every year on 02 April. To mark the occasion in Togo, the Association Togolaise pour l'Education Inclusive des Personnes Déficientes Intellectuelles (ATEIPDI) (Togolese Association for the Inclusive Education

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World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated every year on 02 April. To mark the occasion in Togo, the Association Togolaise pour l'Education Inclusive des Personnes Déficientes Intellectuelles (ATEIPDI) (Togolese Association for the Inclusive Education of Intellectually Disabled People) organised an awareness-raising session for teachers at the Ecole Primaire Publique (EPP) de Sagbado on Wednesday 02 April 2025, in collaboration with the organisation ‘La Lumière’, on the theme: ‘I am autistic and I also have the right to education. No to stigmatisation and discrimination’. The aim is to raise teachers' awareness of autism, provide them with information on the signs of this disorder and encourage them to accept and integrate autistic children into their community.

Some schools register autistic children. This often provokes questions and reactions from teachers, other children and even parents.Teachers are often ill-prepared to deal with autistic pupils.The lack of specialised training and appropriate teaching resources makes it difficult to deal with these pupils in a traditional school setting.Teachers can feel powerless when faced with atypical behaviour or communication difficulties in autistic pupils. 

Concerned by this situation, ATEIPDI has informed and raised awareness among teachers at EPP Sagbado about autism so that they can take better care of their pupils. According to Dr Koffi Yaboué, President of ATEIPDI, teachers need to be given the tools to identify suspected cases so that they can be treated early.‘Teachers need to be attentive to children's behaviour and draw parents' attention to suspected cases and encourage them to consult specialists for a diagnosis.We believe that it is at school level that we can detect these children early so that they can be treated early.When this disorder is detected early at this age, there is a better chance that the support will be successful.The important message is acceptance of the difference and how to avoid stigmatising these autistic children.  Because a lot of children are not helped because of stigmatisation. It's commonplace, but it has serious consequences for families’, he stressed.

Integrating autistic pupils into mainstream classes presents many challenges.Depending on their level of functioning, autistic children may have difficulty understanding social codes, managing their emotions or following the rhythm of the class.Without an adapted approach, these students run the risk of feeling excluded or encountering learning difficulties.This is why they need to be better included in schools.Social inclusion offers autistic children opportunities for positive interaction with others, which promotes their emotional and mental well-being.By encouraging active participation in a range of social activities, they are given the opportunity to learn and develop their social skills. 

People with autism perceive the world in a very particular way. It is crucial to recognise that people with autism have unique talents and abilities that can be developed with the right support and encouragement.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can appear between the ages of 1 and 2 and affects different areas of a child's development, such as language, sociability, motor and sensory development.The causes are environmental and genetic.The disorder is lifelong, and there is currently no specific medication for autism, but appropriate care can help children live better with autism.If these children are to flourish, they need to be referred to appropriate structures.

William O.