Location and History: Patrick Speech and Languages Centre is a centre for individuals living with Autism and other related developmental disorders started in September 2006 by Mrs Dotun Akande, who then had to cope with a child living with Autism. It is a pioneer special need centre in Nigeria. The Centre offers enrollees the opportunities to be better individuals by identifying their needs and supporting their individual strengths using evidence-based methods in achieving their full potentials.
The centre, with Puresouls Learning Foundation, has for more than a decade assist indigent families with children affected by Autism in Nigeria to provide a home away from home for the children at very reasonable prices thereby reducing tensions within families and also the huge economic loss that occurs as a result of this.
Goals and Philosophy: the major goals behind the centre are to provide support and care for Autistic children; provide specialized educational services for individuals living with Autism within and outside Nigeria; integrate the children into mainstream schools to become self-confident learners; create awareness and support indigent families with children living with Autism and other developmental disabilities; provide employment opportunities for individuals with Special Needs, and create vocational opportunities for special needs people that are struggling with educational challenges.
Programs/Services: Speech and Language Therapy; Behaviour Modification Therapy; Sensory Integration Programme; Occupational Therapy; One-To-One Therapy Programme; Social Skill Building; Vocational Training; Music / Movement Therapy; Functional Life Skill Program; and ICT.
Staff: Led by Mrs Akande. PSLC has a team of staff with professional certifications in the fields of teaching and works in the field of Autism, including the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD)
The Edge: The Center has created and developed an Individualised Educational Plan (IEP) to cater for the specific need of each child to improve the quality of their lives.
With Puresouls, the Center is in the forefront of demystifying some erroneous beliefs around Autism and creating public awareness of the learning disability
