Diary of a Beautiful Special Needs Sibling

  Hiiii.  Welcome to another Wisdom Wednesday, and today, I want to talk about Autism.  I know, right — shocker. So, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how our brains are wired, and it brought me back to a question that comes up all the time in conversations about neurodiversity. Is autism hereditary?  Of course, many sites say it is not, but recently I have started seeing some signs. I know someone who has a brother with Autism, and now she has a child with Autism. When she told me, this is how I looked. But in reality, I was like this in my head. Press enter or click to view image in full size ‘You say what?’ Apparently, genetics actually plays a massive role. The data shows that if there’s already an autistic person in the family, whether that’s a parent, a sibling, or an aunt, the chances of having another neurodivergent family member increase a little bit. But here’s why I really wanted to talk about this today. For decades, there was unfair stigma and misin...

You wouldn’t believe that three weeks before my event, I told God, “It’s okay. Ah-ha, what did I ever do to you? I’m tired of life.” Tough times, or rather, dramatic times if you know me well. And I barely had 15,000 naira for the event. Now, let’s get into how God showed up for me, changed my belief in ‘prayer’, and how purpose isn’t always the smoothest thing, like most people think. But first, I missed you guys, and I know you missed me too. A whole 4 weeks without hearing from me? Child, be comforted, for I am here. For those who don’t know, I host an annual event for my foundation focused on special needs. Every year, I open it up for donations because God can use anyone, plus my salary is still a gift from God. Every year, the event happened miraculously, and it was all due to God’s providence and the people He sent to me. In 2025, as I thanked God for my recently concluded event, He gave me an idea for the next one. I was getting ready for the evil called NYSC; I was tired and n...

It cost an arm and a leg to raise a child with a disability. I would know because I have experienced this firsthand. While we may talk about the emotional part of taking care of a child with special needs, we also need to talk about the financial frustrations in raising them. From therapy sessions to adaptive equipment, the expenses often stretch far beyond what many families can comfortably afford. It makes me think of families who are impoverished and have nothing to support their children on a regular basis. How do they handle this?  When it comes to doctor visits, children with disabilities often require frequent medical attention, including specialized treatments that they cannot just get anywhere.  Many conditions require long-term medications, surgeries, or assistive devices, all of which add up quickly to the fees that parents or caregivers have to pay.  It can be a lot. For example, a child with cerebral palsy may need physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupa...