The Federal Government has begun construction on the new National Education Diagnostic and Assessment Centre in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Centre will be used for the early referral and identification of children with special needs including children on the autistic spectrum.
This was announced on the occasion to mark the 2013 autism awareness creation and international day celebration for persons with special needs in schools and centres at the School for the Blind by the director of basic and secondary education, Federal Ministry of Education, Barr. Chike Uwaezuoke.
It is reported in Leadership newspaper that Uwaezuoke said that children with disabilities who attend schools and centres for the physically challenged:
‘were to sensitize members of the society on the need to create awareness and access to education and job placement for persons with disabilities; create more awareness on autism and address the coping skills for parents, teachers and siblings of children with autism among others.’
Ms. Omotunde Thompson, Centre for Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, said that over 40 percent of the population have a disability and that a large portion of this population lacked education.
She appealed to individuals and organisations to support the government in trying to bridge the education gap concerning individuals with disabilities.
The original article by Kuni Tyessi in Leadership can be read here