Regis College Students, Professors Partner with Kenyans in Boston to Advance Autism Treatment in Rural Kenya

PHOTO: Harrison Maina, an Applied Behavior Analysis Graduate student at Regis College in Weston, near Boston and publisher Ajabu Africa News visits Kiriko Special School in Gituamba, Kiambu County in Kenya serving 65 students with Autism and other related developmental disorders. COURTESY/AJABU MEDIA   By: AJABU AFRICA NEWS  Posted: Nov,29-2019 01:58:29   WESTON, Mass.,__Serving 65 students with Autism and other related disorders, the Kiriko Special School in Gituamba location, Thika County is about to receive a shot in the arm to supplement her efforts at teaching children with Autism and other developmental disorders in Kenya from well wishers in USA. The initial help comes in the form of a toys, books, board games and new advanced treatment procedures charitable drive made possible through a collaborative effort by the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program graduate students and professors at the Weston based Regis College---in conjunction with sections of the Kenyan Diaspora community in Boston. About 40 second year and first year masters of science ABA program specializing in research and treatment of Autism are currently mobilizing toys and books from students and well wishers that will be consolidated during an end of year potluck event on December 12. The event was organized by Dr. Jacquelyn MacDonald, head of the ABA program at Regis college in collboration with other teachers and students. In support of the Regis college effort, another toys and books drive event has been planned to take place at the Christ is the Answer Church in North Chelmsford Sunday December 8 from 3pm to 5pm. Two Kenyan students are currently attending the second year 2019 ABA graduate program at Regis that initiated the charitable drive. Dr. Jacqueline McDonald ( 3rd right) together with Regis College Applied Behavior Analysis students take a break during a service trip to Iceland in April this year whre they helped set up programs to treat Autism at a Special education school. PIC BY COURTESY/ REGISABA.WIXSITE The learning materials mobilized from well wishers will be shipped to the school in Kenya. In addition, the students and professors at Regis College are looking at the logistics necessary so as to make a service trip to Kiriko Special School with a goal to train the teachers on the ABA procedures for treating Autism. The procedures have been developed following 40 years of research based on principles of human behavior first developed from the experimental analysis of behavior by renowned Harvard University professor, the late B. F Skinner. According to Autism researchers, toys and books and other items preferred by kids are highly effective as learning materials used in ABA procedures, hence the current effort to mobilize as much as reasonably practical. "Remember, you don’t want to just donate the toys, we must use them to teach the children skills that they need otherwise they wont serve any useful purpose." said Dr. MacDonald while recently addressing the students on the planned drive. A developmental disorder that is increasingly prevalent in young children both in USA and around all parts of the world, Autism is characterized by deficits in social and communicative skills often manifested in stereotypical, disruptive or in some cases, self-injurious behaviors. Ninnah Macharia, a teacher at the Kiriko Special school in Kenya points to the currently available learning materials shared by the 65 students suffering from Autism and related disorders in the school. PIC BY H.MAINA/AJABU MEDIA Children suffering from the condition show similar or wide ranging symptoms, leading to the condition being termed as the "Autism spectrum". Other disorders related to Autism include the Asperger's disease, Downs Syndrome, ADHD and more. According to the most recent statistics released by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2014, there was a 15% increase in Autism cases in USAwith 1 out of every 59 children born with Autism since the previous numbers in 2012. Due to low awareness of the causes and treatment options for Autism, many children suffering the condition are subjected to social stigma in many communities all over the world including Kenya. However, although a cure has not yet been found, the ABA treatment strategy has been proven effective at reducing behaviors associated with the condition, as well as increasing skills that enable affected children live a more independent and fulfilling lives. As a premier college in the Boston region specializing in health sciences for decades, Regis College offers graduate level programs to students of ABA, Psychology, Nursing and other health and general education programs. Earlier in April this year, the students and teachers at Regis College took a service trip to Iceland where they helped set up ABA programs for a school serving children with Autism. Harrison Maina of Regis College and Ajabu media shocked by the bad state of the doctor's consultation office at Gituamba Health Clinic near Kiriko Special School that serves about 90 patients a day. The dispensary has only one digital thermometer and blood pressure machine as seen placed on the desk. PIC BY COURTESY/AJABU MEDIA "I am really excited to help in this cause. This is worth every effort we can make," said Kaitlin Simmonds, an ABA student at Regis. "When I saw this plea, I felt overwhelmed and thought I should do something about it. I even asked by employer if we can have a donation box at my work so that colleagues with toys and books can donate. I am happy to help," said Zoe Major, another student at the same program. The current drive was initiated by Harrison Maina, a master's of science graduate student in ABA at Regis College, a native of Gituamba village where the school is located, following a recent visit after several years away. "When I visited my village last December after many years in USA, I was inspired by the efforts put together by parents and teachers of the Kiriko Special Unit as well as several donors to mobilize and serve children with Autism from many areas around central Kenya. The school has some great physical structures put up by donors that are making the lives of the children easier, but there is also a serious lack of learning materials and programs to treat Autism," said Maina. "I was happy that my colleagues and professors at Regis colleagues felt this is a good charitable cause to take up and help bring ABA treatment to children with Autism in Kenya." In addition to the toys and books drive, Maina also urged well wishers to help with donations of inexpensive medical instruments like testing kits for blood pressure, diabetes and fever towards a local health clinic close to the special school that is in dire need "I was shocked to find the clinic in utter state of disrepair. Patients are often referred to bigger hospitals 30 miles away just to have their blood pressure readings. There is tremendous suffering and unnecessary increase in preventable diseases and deaths do to lack of basic medical equipment," said Maina. Kenyans and well-wishers in Boston and beyond with small kids have been urged to donate toys and books that their young ones have already outgrown towards the effort. Well-wishers can also take advantage of the Black Friday deals to purchase small toys and books cheaply for the purpose. "This is a very good and noble project that brother Harrison and his colleagues at Regis College are doing. Let us support them by bringing all the toys, books and any other help you can get on December 8 here at the church for the benefit of those kids. When you help such children facing such severe conditions, you are putting faith in God to action," said Bishop John Wachira, pastor of the Christ is The Answer church in North Chelmsford while addressing worshipers recently during a Sunday worship service. For convenience, donations can also be dropped off anytime at the Ajabu Ventures office located at 54 Cummings Park Drive, suite 312 in Woburn, or at the Rendezevous Restaurant in Waltham on Friday December 6 from 7-9pm.