On the 24th May 2024 at 7pm, the GUBA Foundation hosted a webinar with guest speaker, Onajite Clarke, a self healing therapist & coach who led an interactive discussion with our participants on the topic “How does Autism impact relationships and the wider family settings”. Onajite brings a wealth of experience as a self-healing coach & therapist, specializing in supporting individuals and families with autism and empowering them to navigate through unique challenges.

She focused on how parents and carers and even family members of children tend to have periods of grief and loss and also how the challenges of raising autistic children in some cases causes strain on marriages and relationships in general.

During the session, Onajite explored the seven stages of grief & recovery in relation to dealing with the trauma that some parents and carers may face as well as the importance of naming emotions felt whether you are a parent raising an autistic child, a carer, sibling or family member. There was also an opportunity for participants to share their own experiences relating to the topic.

One participant shared, “I am a sibling to an autistic brother who started showing symptoms at the age of 3. This happened when he was sent to Ghana from Italy. Year later, my parents still feel some sort of guilt and regret & constantly blame themselves for his condition despite knowing that autism is a medical condition”

The session ended within an hour and half after participants had the opportunity to ask questions and add to their knowledge through Onajite’s presentation.