Caregivers’ experiences while communicating with autistic children in Nairobi County Kenya

Abstract

Autism is a developmental disorder that is characterized by impairment in verbal and non-verbal communication. Autistic children are not able to effectively communicate verbally and convey meaning to the caregivers as typical children do. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has no data on autism in Kenya. This shows that autism is yet to get attention it deserves in the country. This study therefore sought to explore the experiences encountered by three Kenyan caregivers while communicating with autistic children. The study adopted a qualitative research design and was conducted in Nairobi County. Semi structured Interviews and observation methods were used to generate data. The findings reveal that caregivers of autistic children face many challenges such as difficulties in communication and lack proper knowledge on communication intervention for autistic children. The study concluded that autistic children can be helped to live a full life like any child with early communication intervention. The study strongly recommends that policy makers should sensitize caregivers on importance of early communication intervention.