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Apart from providing material support for their families, many men are not overly bothered with meeting the emotional and social needs of their children. Add the phenomenon of a challenged child, for instance, one with autism, and you have a potentially dysfunctional family.

Autism in Kenya is a condition that is just starting to be recognised and understood as a serious health and medical condition, with statistics showing an increase in the number of children affected around the world.

Autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterised, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviour among other behavioural and cognitive defects.

The real causes of autism have become a matter of grave concern as incidences of autism increase. To the point that, Barron, the son of US former president Donald Trump, is rumoured to be autistic, awareness about the condition cannot get any better!

Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs of autism and symptoms tend to emerge between the ages of two and three years old.

Now, fathers are a major factor whether a marriage survives the challenge of taking care of an autistic child. Many men have walked out on their wives and families, citing an autistic child as a product of infidelity, curse or genetic disorder from their in-laws. Others have found both the stigma and financial burden overwhelming, leaving their wives to single-handedly carry on with the task.

But just like “normal” children, autistic children need role models, social support and bonding from their fathers. Fathers need to offer leadership and bring sanity to their homes by putting down their egos and discarding fears associated with autistic children. Sadly, few fathers attend school meetings, therapy sessions, hospital appointments and other forms of consultation for autistic children.

One way of getting more fathers involved is the formation of support groups where men with more experience in care-giving of children with special needs can encourage the others still struggling with how to cope. Already, there are some groups like “Special Needs Dads” which bring fathers and men in general together with the aim of building each other’s capacity in handling children with various challenges through pycho-social support and experience sharing.

Things that we take for granted in normal children are celebratory milestones for autistic children. Personally, I shudder to think of what would happen to my 13-year-old autistic son if I and his mother are no longer around at his beck and call. This calls for concrete measures to ensure that as he grows up, he acquires basic skills not just to earn him a livelihood, but also to help him as independent as possible.

Parenting today is not the preserve of women. Both fathers and mothers must constantly have their hands on deck. Fathers need to bring in their wisdom into the situation and help to create sustainable structures that will help children achieve their full potential in an increasingly competitive social and economic environment.

Although autism is usually associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination, attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances, some persons with ASD mature and excel in careers such as visual skills, music, math and art. Some world renowned celebrities like classical artist Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are considered to have been autistic.

The World Autism Awareness Day 2023 was celebrated on April 2 under the theme, “Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts and in policymaking.”

All through this month, various activities will be held to double down on autism awareness, particularly on initiatives to include autistic children in mainstream society.

—The writer is a PhD student in International Relations