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Bridging Communication Gaps: An Innovative Approach to Therapy in Ghana

Bridging Communication Gaps: An Innovative Approach to Therapy in Ghana

neurodiversity
December 13, 2024•2 min read
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When Nafisa Shehu arrived at an independent school in Ghana, her journey was more than just a professional mission—it was a deeply personal exploration of identity, heritage, and professional passion.

A Journey of Personal Discovery

As a member of the African diaspora, Nafisa's trip to Ghana was rooted in a profound desire to reconnect with her roots. With her retirement offering newfound freedom, her bucket list included visiting African countries, seeking to understand her heritage. Ghana, located in West Africa, held particular significance—potentially connected to the ancestral lands of enslaved people from the Caribbean.

When Nafisa Shehu arrived at an independent school in Ghana, her journey was more than just a professional mission—it was a deeply personal exploration of identity, heritage, and professional passion. A Journey of Personal Discovery As a member of the African diaspora, Nafisa's trip to Ghana was rooted in a profound desire to reconnect with her roots. With her retirement offering newfound freedom, her bucket list included visiting African countries, seeking to understand her heritage. Ghana, located in West Africa, held particular significance—potentially connected to the ancestral lands of enslaved people from the Caribbean. The Attention Autism Breakthrough Working with non-speaking autistic children aged three to eight, Nafisa quickly realised that attention was the fundamental starting point. Her approach was simple yet revolutionary: Introduced bubbles as a core engagement tool Created an "attention bag" with interactive resources Used a song ("I've got something in my bag") to capture children's interest The results were remarkable. One child with autism and ADHD, who initially could only focus for seconds, progressed to maintaining attention for six minutes. The students and staff were amazed. The Core Board: A Communication Game-Changer One particularly powerful moment illustrated the potential of alternative communication: A four-to-five-year-old boy was constantly screaming and crying. Staff were considering withdrawing him from the school. Nafisa introduced the Core Board, showing the child how to communicate his needs. When he pointed to "I want" and "outside", something magical happened: He stopped crying Became fascinated by the board Started echoing words Nafisa was saying Began engaging with his environment differently Cultural Nuances in Communication Therapy Nafisa noticed significant differences in how speech therapy is approached in Ghana: Limited access to formal assessments Less standardised testing More reliance on observation Challenges in finding culturally representative resources like black dolls Professional Legacy and Inspiration Initially connected through LinkedIn with a British-Ghanaian therapists' organisation, Nafisa had been mentoring and supervising students online for years. Her on-site visit was the culmination of a long-standing commitment to developing speech and language therapy in Ghana. Key Lessons Learned Communication is universal, but approaches must be adaptable Simple tools like bubbles and communication boards can be transformative Professional development is a collaborative, cross-cultural journey Nafisa's work demonstrates that with creativity, patience, and understanding, we can break down communication barriers and empower neurodivergent individuals, regardless of geographical or cultural contexts. Her journey was not just about teaching—it was about building bridges, understanding heritage, and creating meaningful connections across continents.

The Attention Autism Breakthrough

Working with non-speaking autistic children aged three to eight, Nafisa quickly realised that attention was the fundamental starting point. Her approach was simple yet revolutionary:

  • Introduced bubbles as a core engagement tool

  • Created an "attention bag" with interactive resources

  • Used a song ("I've got something in my bag") to capture children's interest

The results were remarkable. One child with autism and ADHD, who initially could only focus for seconds, progressed to maintaining attention for six minutes. The students and staff were amazed.

The Core Board: A Communication Game-Changer

One particularly powerful moment illustrated the potential of alternative communication:

A four-to-five-year-old boy was constantly screaming and crying. Staff were considering withdrawing him from the school. Nafisa introduced the Core Board, showing the child how to communicate his needs. When he pointed to "I want" and "outside", something magical happened:

  • He stopped crying

  • Became fascinated by the board

  • Started echoing words Nafisa was saying

  • Began engaging with his environment differently

Cultural Nuances in Communication Therapy

Nafisa noticed significant differences in how speech therapy is approached in Ghana:

  • Limited access to formal assessments

  • Less standardised testing

  • More reliance on observation

  • Challenges in finding culturally representative resources like black dolls

Professional Legacy and Inspiration

Initially connected through LinkedIn with a British-Ghanaian therapists' organisation, Nafisa had been mentoring and supervising students online for years. Her on-site visit was the culmination of a long-standing commitment to developing speech and language therapy in Ghana.

When Nafisa Shehu arrived at an independent school in Ghana, her journey was more than just a professional mission—it was a deeply personal exploration of identity, heritage, and professional passion. A Journey of Personal Discovery As a member of the African diaspora, Nafisa's trip to Ghana was rooted in a profound desire to reconnect with her roots. With her retirement offering newfound freedom, her bucket list included visiting African countries, seeking to understand her heritage. Ghana, located in West Africa, held particular significance—potentially connected to the ancestral lands of enslaved people from the Caribbean. The Attention Autism Breakthrough Working with non-speaking autistic children aged three to eight, Nafisa quickly realised that attention was the fundamental starting point. Her approach was simple yet revolutionary: Introduced bubbles as a core engagement tool Created an "attention bag" with interactive resources Used a song ("I've got something in my bag") to capture children's interest The results were remarkable. One child with autism and ADHD, who initially could only focus for seconds, progressed to maintaining attention for six minutes. The students and staff were amazed. The Core Board: A Communication Game-Changer One particularly powerful moment illustrated the potential of alternative communication: A four-to-five-year-old boy was constantly screaming and crying. Staff were considering withdrawing him from the school. Nafisa introduced the Core Board, showing the child how to communicate his needs. When he pointed to "I want" and "outside", something magical happened: He stopped crying Became fascinated by the board Started echoing words Nafisa was saying Began engaging with his environment differently Cultural Nuances in Communication Therapy Nafisa noticed significant differences in how speech therapy is approached in Ghana: Limited access to formal assessments Less standardised testing More reliance on observation Challenges in finding culturally representative resources like black dolls Professional Legacy and Inspiration Initially connected through LinkedIn with a British-Ghanaian therapists' organisation, Nafisa had been mentoring and supervising students online for years. Her on-site visit was the culmination of a long-standing commitment to developing speech and language therapy in Ghana. Key Lessons Learned Communication is universal, but approaches must be adaptable Simple tools like bubbles and communication boards can be transformative Professional development is a collaborative, cross-cultural journey Nafisa's work demonstrates that with creativity, patience, and understanding, we can break down communication barriers and empower neurodivergent individuals, regardless of geographical or cultural contexts. Her journey was not just about teaching—it was about building bridges, understanding heritage, and creating meaningful connections across continents.

Key Lessons Learned

  1. Communication is universal, but approaches must be adaptable

  2. Simple tools like bubbles and communication boards can be transformative

  3. Professional development is a collaborative, cross-cultural journey

When Nafisa Shehu arrived at an independent school in Ghana, her journey was more than just a professional mission—it was a deeply personal exploration of identity, heritage, and professional passion. A Journey of Personal Discovery As a member of the African diaspora, Nafisa's trip to Ghana was rooted in a profound desire to reconnect with her roots. With her retirement offering newfound freedom, her bucket list included visiting African countries, seeking to understand her heritage. Ghana, located in West Africa, held particular significance—potentially connected to the ancestral lands of enslaved people from the Caribbean. The Attention Autism Breakthrough Working with non-speaking autistic children aged three to eight, Nafisa quickly realised that attention was the fundamental starting point. Her approach was simple yet revolutionary: Introduced bubbles as a core engagement tool Created an "attention bag" with interactive resources Used a song ("I've got something in my bag") to capture children's interest The results were remarkable. One child with autism and ADHD, who initially could only focus for seconds, progressed to maintaining attention for six minutes. The students and staff were amazed. The Core Board: A Communication Game-Changer One particularly powerful moment illustrated the potential of alternative communication: A four-to-five-year-old boy was constantly screaming and crying. Staff were considering withdrawing him from the school. Nafisa introduced the Core Board, showing the child how to communicate his needs. When he pointed to "I want" and "outside", something magical happened: He stopped crying Became fascinated by the board Started echoing words Nafisa was saying Began engaging with his environment differently Cultural Nuances in Communication Therapy Nafisa noticed significant differences in how speech therapy is approached in Ghana: Limited access to formal assessments Less standardised testing More reliance on observation Challenges in finding culturally representative resources like black dolls Professional Legacy and Inspiration Initially connected through LinkedIn with a British-Ghanaian therapists' organisation, Nafisa had been mentoring and supervising students online for years. Her on-site visit was the culmination of a long-standing commitment to developing speech and language therapy in Ghana. Key Lessons Learned Communication is universal, but approaches must be adaptable Simple tools like bubbles and communication boards can be transformative Professional development is a collaborative, cross-cultural journey Nafisa's work demonstrates that with creativity, patience, and understanding, we can break down communication barriers and empower neurodivergent individuals, regardless of geographical or cultural contexts. Her journey was not just about teaching—it was about building bridges, understanding heritage, and creating meaningful connections across continents.

Nafisa's work demonstrates that with creativity, patience, and understanding, we can break down communication barriers and empower neurodivergent individuals, regardless of geographical or cultural contexts.

Her journey was not just about teaching—it was about building bridges, understanding heritage, and creating meaningful connections across continents.

If you would like to garb a free resource for parents, teaching staff and NQTs or students, then I have created a "Make a Sentence" resource based on Colourful Semantics. You can grab it here: https://mavenbusinesshaven.com/sentence

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Hi, I'm Bev

a seasoned speech therapist with over 30 years of global experience.

When I’m not helping others communicate effectively, I'm enjoying precious family time with my husband and three sons. I also love exploring new destinations and hosting art journaling retreats.

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Hi there, I'm Bev Jessup

Even though I play an inspiring entrepreneur on the internet, I’m also a real person and a tired mother of three grown-up adorable boys.

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