Health needs of special needs children in Nigeria are often unrecognised and unmet. This results in people with a learning disability die 16 years younger than the general population.

3. MEDICAL CHALLENGES AND CARE
MANNA CHILDREN'S CENTRE
Special Needs:

4. Definition:
"Special Needs"
Mild learning disabilities
Profound Cognitive impairment
Developmental delays
Terminal illness
Psychiatric Problems
Food Allergies
Asthma - Brittle

5. Causes:
 Congenital- Downs syndrome, Potter’s
syndrome
Acquired- Brain injury, Brain infections –
meningitis, cerebral malaria, Hypoxic
Ischaemic Encephalopathy
Kernicterus- severe jaundice
Autistic spectrum disorder

7. Statistics
• People with LD have twice as many health
problems
People with learning disability die 16
years younger than the general population
Health needs are often unrecognised and
unmet
Nigeria- 2006 census:
3,253,169 persons
39% od school age

8. Educating Students with
Disabilities in Nigeria:
Some Challenges and
Policy Implications
Oladejo, Maruff Akinwale
(PhD)* Oladejo, Sofiyat
Abimbo - 2011

9. Legal & Ethical Framework
• Nigeria with disability decree 1993
UNESCO
The Salamanca Statement
Convention on the right of the Child -1990
Declaration of the Rights of the disabled -
1998

10. Healthcare
• Aims:
Recognise
Refer
Support
Ongoing care
Access to
High Quality
Evidence based care
Diagnosis, assessment, treatment and ongoing
care

11. “Special needs”
• Organised care around needs
Prompt
Convenient
Responsive
High quality
Multi agency

12. Challenges
• Diagnosis
Complex healthcare needs
Communications difficulties
Unusual presentation
Family
Training
Funding

13. Challenges
• Multidisciplinary :Paediatrician, physical therapist,
speech & language therapist, Play therapists, education
psychologist, dietitian, counsellors, teacher.
Multiagency Specialist Teams: Government agencies-
Education, social / welfare, Voluntary sector, NGO
Training
Child Centred
Co-ordinated

16. Supporting Parents &
Strengthening Families
• Parental knowledge & Expertise
Recognise personal & emotional
investment
Ensure understanding
Respect Differing opinions and needs
Flexibility

17. Supporting Parents &
Strengthening Families
• Parental Stress
Sleep Deprivation
Behaviour problems
Multiple disability
Fathers, Siblings

18. Supporting Parents &
Strengthening Families
• Effective support
Home
School
Hospital
Respite care
Long term care

21. Failure to participate
• Underestimating the problem
• Normalising the problem
• Not seeing the child
• Considerable source of anxiety/ evokes profound
emotion
• Fear of personal consequence of challenging
parents
• No medical model
• Lack of awareness & inadequate training
• Wary of testifying in court

22. Implications / cost of abuse
• Death
• Disability
• Mild learning difficulties
• Poor Mental Health
• Poor Educational Outcome
• Drug & Alcohol Abuse
• Violence – criminal, domestic & violence against
children

23. Implications / cost of abuse
• 30-50% of abused children develop mental health
problems
• 50% of psychiatric patients have a history of
abuse

24. • Safeguarding is everybody’s business!

26. For individuals,
Family, Small
Business and
Corporate Business:
Our patients are at
the centre of the care
we provide
#LifeLongCare

27. Thank You

28. For more information
please contact: Dr Toyin
Adenaike
MBBS, DCH, MRCP, DFFP, MRCGP
Dr Adenaike was the Named
General Practitioner for Child
protection ( safeguarding ) for
Basildon in Essex UK.
She remained the lead
safeguarding children & adults
until she relocated to Nigeria in
2015.
Niyotmedical.com
Tel : +234 814-0000-195
9 Anthony Etukudo Avenue
lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria
Email: TBADENAIKE@GMAIL.COM

29. NIYOT MEDICAL CENTRE