Awuviry-Newton, Kof

Exploring the Unmet Needs of Primary Caregivers of Autistic Children and Its Implications for Social Work Practice in Ghana

By Awuviry-Newton, Kof

Caring for an autistic child is fraught with various difculties and may present unmet needs that could afect the overall well-being of caregivers and children themselves. Consequently, gaining insight into the unmet needs of these caregivers is imperative for the development of targeted and efective interventions to enhance their quality of life and improve their ability to care for their children. Using a descriptive qualitative research design, this study engaged 10 primary caregivers of autistic children in Ghana to understand their unmet needs. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and thematically analyzed. The analysis revealed the urgent need for fnancial support for primary caregivers, the availability of more special schools, and the services of trained professionals in the feld of autism. Caregivers also called for the intensifcation of public education to help reorient the perspectives of the general population on the autism condition. Based on the fndings, some recommendations for policy and practice were made. The implications of the fndings for social work are also discussed. Copyright © 2024 Kofi Awuviry-Newton et al.