Understanding the Impact of Early Childhood and Primary Education for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities on Parents in Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Early childhood is a foundational period for children's development and readiness for primary education. Yet, children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (ND) in Nigeria, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, face limited tailored support and interventions during this period. While the presence of ND is known to increase caregiver burden, this remains underexplored in Nigeria, especially in the context of education. This paper aims to discuss how mothers interpret their experiences of educating their children with ND, the multidimensional impact of these experiences on their personal and family lives, and what their experiences reveal about broader structural and systemic inequalities.

Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted with mothers as they are the main caregivers. Twelve mothers of children aged 6-13 years diagnosed with ND and accessing primary education in Lagos, Nigeria, participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in English language. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed individually and across cases.

Results: The findings reveal that the experiences of mothers in caregiving and educating their children with ND have been challenging due to inadequate support and persistent systemic and attitudinal barriers. This lack of support commences in early childhood, from gaining a diagnosis through to finding a supportive educational setting for the child. While mothers navigate these barriers through resilience by developing adaptive measures such as re-educating themselves, this comes at interconnected and multidimensional costs which have a gendered dimension.

Conclusion: The paper redirects attention to unsupportive systems, which continually draw on the resilience of mothers, thereby threatening their capacity to protect and support the development and education of their children. It also calls for the prioritisation of disabilities in education agendas, integration of voices of mothers into policy and practice, responsive systemic support for their significant caregiving and education responsibilities, and inclusion of fathers and other stakeholders into future research.