ABA in Nairobi, Kenya – Not at all what I Expected!

This past October I had the incredible opportunity to visit the Kaizora Institute of Neurodevelopmental Therapies in Nairobi, Kenya and to experience ABA through the eyes of clinicians who do not enjoy the resources and advantages that we do here in the United States. It was a professionally and personally eye-opening and horizon-broadening experience in many ways.

The autism center in Kenya far exceeded my expectations relative to my pre-conceived notions of what ABA would look in a developing country. I anticipated that my team and I would be presenting lessons on basic ABA techniques such as gaining attention, prompting, and putting maladaptive behaviors on extinction. Instead, I observed the staff already utilizing pivotal ABA strategies across clients and services.

In addition to an ABA department, the Kaizora Institute provides speech therapy, occupational therapy, special education, and vocational services all under the same roof with solid collaboration across the services. Each and every staff member works with every child and everyone at the Institute considers themselves part of the team -- “Team Kaizora”. Through my eyes, Team Kaizora looked more like a family.

During my second week at the Institute, I conducted a two-day training on sexual development. Though the local staff had basic ABA strategies mastered, they needed support with developing curricula for “uncomfortable” topics including the internal and external transformations children experience as they become adolescents. During the presentation the local staff was attentive, engaged, and frequently asked questions. They were anxious to learn as much as they could and when I was finished, they asked if my team and I could present even more. I was thrilled with their level of engagement which led me to wonder where their thirst for learning about ABA originated.

I found out that the Kaizora staff were college students. They had learned about the increasing equality for individuals with ASD in the U.S. and wanted to join the movement by creating a similar level of acceptance amongst their own people. I also learned that Kaizora is the only center in Kenya specializing in autism education. The staff travel two to three hours to and from Kaizora just to do their jobs. Their pay is not that great, and they don’t get any benefits or perks. And, despite all of this, the dedicated and passionate members of Team Kaizora continue to peruse their dream of a bright future of acceptance for those with autism in Kenya.

On the flight back to the U.S. I had lots of the time to contemplate: “What about my experience in Kenya affected me the most?” My answer is the incredible humility the Kenyan community carry with them on a daily basis. Though the staff at Kaizora doesn’t have the technology, education, or the resources that we do here in the U.S., the humility they bring to their jobs and the difference they make for individuals with ASD in their communities is plentiful.

With the growing number of autism educators around the world, we are uniquely positioned to affect real change for the benefit of the global autism community. As autism acceptance continues to increase, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for autism equality over the next decade! Are you doing your part to accept, support, and advance the livelihood of the population of individuals we hold so dear to our hearts? I know we at Behavior Frontiers are!

Deanna Guzman, M.S.
Case Manager

Deanna Guzman joined Behavior Frontiers in 2017. She works with clients, families and staff as a Case Manager in our Orange County-West region. In October 2019 Deanna traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, with a Global Autism Project SkillCorps team comprised of professionals and autism self-advocates working in the field of autism education. The overseas teams are trained and prepared to support educators, leaders, parents and advocates working in their own communities. The Global Autism Project believes that local people will lead the way to acceptance and opportunity for people with autism in their own communities, and the SkillCorps teams are there to support them every step of the way!

Tuesday, January 28, 2020