Development of a community-based, one-stop service centre for children with developmental disorders: changing the narrative of developmental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to about 15 million children with varying developmental disorders. Services for children with developmental disorders are scarce in Africa. The few available services are limited to the capital cities and are in the private sector, with the cost beyond the reach of most families. In 2016, the Centre for Early Development, Learning and Care was established in Ibadan, South-west, Nigeria. The centre provide services for children with developmental disorders is a one-stop, multidisciplinary team approach. Children are assessed on both structured and unstructured interviews. A total of 584 children were assessed between December 2016 and December 2019. One third (32.4%) of the children assessed within this period met diagnostic criteria for ASD, 29.1% had intellectual disability and 27.6% had cerebral palsy. The remaining clients (10.9%) had other disorders including ADHD, Down´s syndrome, hearing impairment and visual impairment. Parents tend to downplay the severity of their children´s disability. There are many challenges that are associated with the establishment of a service centre in a low resource setting. This and other experiences are discussed.