Abstract

Our current understanding of autism and other developmental disorders is primarily based on research conducted in high-income countries, predominantly in North America and Europe. There is now an increased recognition that more global perspectives are needed. With colleagues at Addis Ababa University I try to contribute to these widening perspectives by carrying out a range of studies on developmental disorders in Ethiopia. In this talk I will present findings from our work, describing unmet needs and challenges of families with children with developmental disorders in Ethiopia, including the severe stigma they experience. I will also discuss findings of interventions we have adapted and piloted for use in Ethiopia, including the new Caregiver Skills Training developed by the World Health Organization. I will introduce our new NIHR-funded study SPARK that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children with developmental disorders and their caregivers in Kenya and Ethiopia, and includes a large randomised clinical trial of the Caregiver Skills Training.

Reference

Rosa Hoekstra (University of King’s College - London), “Developmental disorders in low resource settings: perspectives from Ethiopia”, IAST General Seminar, Toulouse: IAST, May 21, 2021, 11:30–12:30, room Zoom.