GTCO Marks 15 Years of Autism Inclusion as Experts Proffer Strategies for Managing Autistic Children

By Azeez Disu

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc) recently hosted the 15th edition of its annual Autism Conference on July 16th, 2025, at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, marking a pivotal moment in its sustained efforts to advance autism inclusion and deepen awareness across Nigeria and Africa. This significant event celebrates 15 years of impactful corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that have positively transformed countless lives.

The conference, a key component of GTCO’s long-standing Orange Ribbon Initiative, was held under the theme: “From Awareness to Action: 15 Years of Advancing Autism Inclusion”. This initiative, which commendably began in 2009, is deeply rooted in GTCO’s commitment to advocate for children living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), striving to eliminate stigmatization and provide vital support to parents and caregivers. The annual GTCO Autism Conference specifically aims to amplify the challenges faced by individuals with ASD and offer practical support for their successful integration into society.

Segun Agbaje, GTCO Group Chief Executive Officer, elaborated on the choice of this year’s theme, underscoring the bank’s steadfast 15-year commitment to autism advocacy:

“This theme challenges us to deepen our understanding, push for better systems, and ensure that individuals on the autism spectrum are not just supported, but empowered, included, and celebrated,” Agbaje stated.

He further highlighted, “The 15th-year milestone is a reaffirmation of our commitment, a reminder that inclusion and acceptance is a responsibility, and that progress is measured not only by policies and Programmes but the everyday opportunities we create for every child and every individual”. This ambitious initiative forms a core part of the bank’s continuous efforts to champion better systems and foster autism inclusion.

The conference featured a distinguished lineup of facilitators, whose expertise contributed significantly to the discourse on autism inclusion and support:
Prof. Mashudat Bello-Mojeed, a Psychiatrist, emphasized the critical role of vocational skill development for individuals with autism. She also  stressed that this development must “suit the individualized need of individual with autism to suit their strength, their specific communication styles, their sensory profiles as well as their specific behaviour”.

Prof. Bello-Mojeed highlighted that vocational development is “not just to gain employment but to be able to maintain the employment and succeed in the employment and come and contribute meaningfully to the society”.

She also shared practical strategies for teaching pre-vocational or “survival skills” to younger children (ages 4-10) using play methods, routines, and reward systems, breaking down tasks like teeth brushing into “smaller bits”.

Addressing misconceptions, she affirmed that “emotional challenges and traumatic events” during pregnancy are not causes of autism. She further noted that 15 years of advocacy has shown that managing autism is “a lot of work. It’s not an easy task, but it’s doable”.

Georgiana Koyama, a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst and Founder of All Behaviour Consultancy Ltd, opened her session by calling for a world that breaks “down barriers to see people for their humanity” and through “their strengths and through their abilities”. She challenged the common approach, stating, “every time we meet an autistic person, our initial thought is, how can we change them? How can we make them different?” without first considering “what they can do and what they are able to achieve”. Drawing on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s concept of the “danger of a single story,”

Koyama warned against reducing autistic individuals to their diagnosis, stating, “there’s no other narrative about them but the fact that they’re autistic. We fail to see the complexity of their identity and their humanity”. She defined compassion as going beyond empathy, urging, “Let me come in and let me help you. Let me understand you. Let me get into your pain or suffering and let me help to alleviate that pain or suffering”.

Koyama also highlighted that “inclusion is so important. Sometimes we think inclusion is just about putting someone in a room. But being in a room doesn’t mean that you belong in that space”. She advocated against “diagnostic overshadowing,” where all a person’s actions are attributed solely to autism, leading to missed underlying issues. Instead, she promoted ecological assessments, a “holistic approach where we’re considering the whole behavioral system around the person”, and asset framing, which defines individuals by “their aspirations, their contributions and their strengths” rather than their deficits.

Camiella Hay, a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst, focused on practical “solutions, strategies”. She defined Autism Spectrum Disorder as a “neurodevelopmental focus condition characterized by differences in social communication and interaction or predictability and sensory processing differences”.

Hay stressed the importance of flexibility in strategy building: “we need to be flexible in the way that we build strategies individually for each person. It’s not a one fix for everybody just like everybody”. She suggested strategies such as “regular movement rates,” using “visuals to indicate the expectations”, and employing “visual schedule or a written schedule” for routine changes. For emotional dysregulation, she advised “Providing opportunities for them to communicate their emotions using a visual, happy face, sad face, upset face”.

She further emphasized that “communication social, keeping communication strategies open and use a variety of language options to help them get their point across is super important”.

Hay concluded by urging attendees to “accept all people are different and unique. And what may work for one person does not necessarily mean for everybody. Be kind. Help people feel safe and accepted. Our actions and our words have meaning that they can hurt if they’re not positive and helpful”.

Solape Azazi, an International Behaviour Analyst, Autism Advocate, and Founder of Cradle Lounge, shared her deeply personal journey, recounting the “scared” and “confused” feelings upon hearing her son’s autism diagnosis at age three. She spoke of the initial isolation and lack of a “road map” or “community” when she began her advocacy journey in 2019.

Azazi highlighted the critical gap in grassroots support, noting that primary healthcare centers “don’t even have objectives and markers to identify neurodevelopmental challenges”. She challenged the prevailing misconception that autism is a spiritual attack, revealing a survey she conducted showed that “62% of the people that we surveyed actually said it was mental retardation”, indicating a deep misunderstanding.

Azazi emphasized that moving “From Awareness to Action” requires continuous effort. She passionately urged the audience to “keep raising your voice. You need to keep sharing your knowledge. You need to keep advocating for change. And you need to empower each other and commit to action. It’s not enough for you to say it, but you need to work that last step because until you do that you can’t really do it”.

Afeez AbdulRasak, specializing in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, provided a fundamental understanding of autism, describing it as a “challenging continuous lifelong developmental disability or disorder,” stressing the “lifelong” aspect and dispelling the misconception that it ends.

He further elaborated that “autism does not happen in isolation,” often accompanied by “comorbidities” like “attention deficit problems,” “sensory processing disorders,” and “mental health disorders”. AbdulRasak emphasized that “disability is not a medical thing” and should be understood as a “form of inconvenience” rather than a medical term that stigmatizes. He asserted, “bear in mind everyone have a disability. The severity is what is different. All of us we live with disability”. He also critically addressed unproven “solution” therapies like “oxygen therapy and cell therapy,” stating they “are not going to work” for autism as it is not a condition like cancer.

AbdulRasak underscored the importance of not hiding children with autism, stating, “don’t hide your child anymore it was not your fault at the end of the day I have a disability you have disability so why should you hide the children”. He concluded with an inspiring message: “children with disabilities are only different and special. With the support of God, they can fly like a you are as God. You are powerful. You are invincible”.

Other esteemed facilitators, such as Benedict O. Sama (Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Behavior Analyst, and Researcher), Remi Olutimayin (Writer, Editor, Copywriter, Producer, Voice Actor, and Director), Camille Proctor (Founder, Executive Director, Advocate, Public Speaker, Researcher, and Mom), Osezusi Bolodeoku (International Behavior Analyst and Qualified Autism Services Practitioner), Bernadette N. Kilo, M.D (Developmental Paediatrics), Ade Otubanjo (Speech Pathologist), Oyeyemi Patricia Adako (SEN, Autism advocate, and Internationally Published Researcher), Lanre Duyile (Board Certified Behaviour Analyst and Founder, Behaviourise Int. Canada), Rashard Dobbins (Equity Champion, Mental Health Advocate and Musical Innovator), and Tomi Agboola – Odeleye (Speech and Language Therapist), contributed to discussions on various facets of autism inclusion, from clinical approaches and therapeutic interventions to the power of media and personal advocacy in shaping public perception and support systems.

The event also featured special renditions and performances, enhancing its impactful message.

Over the years, thousands of individuals with ASD and their families have profoundly benefited from complimentary consultations with renowned specialists and the robust discussions at the conference. This 15th edition further solidifies GTCO’s role as a leader in corporate social responsibility, consistently driving positive change and advocating for a more inclusive society for individuals on the autism spectrum across Africa.