Abstract
Objectives
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological condition caused by damage to the part of the brain known as the cerebral cortex and affecting the coordination and movement of individuals. The challenges faced by caregivers raising children with CP cannot be overemphasized. However, information regarding the accessibility of education for children with CP is scant or unreported. In this study, we investigated the experiences of parents in their efforts to enroll their children with CP in schools.
Methods
Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with a cohort of 40 parents with children with CP who were observed for 5 years. The interviews were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis.
Results
The results that emerged from the thematic analysis demonstrated the difficulties faced by parents in searching for a school for their children with CP. According to the study participants, both special and regular schools were inaccessible to children with CP, due to unfriendly school environments, transportation problems, and high costs, as well as a lack of resources, qualified staff, and human resources.
Conclusions
The findings underscore the urgent need for policymakers in Ghana to consider or make provisions for the education of children with CP. Without this, children with CP and their families could be entrapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, deprivation, and dependence on others for their livelihoods.
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MPO, JDAK, HE, JAD, WN, CH, and SB designed and executed the study, assisted with the data analyses, and wrote the paper. MPO, JDAK, HE, and JAD collaborated with the design and writing of the study. BK analyzed the data and wrote part of the results. MPO, JDAK, HE, JAD, WN, CH, and SB collaborated with the design and writing of the study. MPO, JDAK, HE, JAD, WN, CH, and SB collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript.
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Ethics approval was sought from the Committee on Human Research Publication and Ethics at the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Research and Development Unit of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Participants signed a written or verbal consent before taking part in the study. Participants signed a written or verbal consent before taking part in the study. The authors affirm that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and international committees on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008, as well as all relevant local regulations regarding human participants’ research
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Opoku, M.P., Kyeremateng, J.D.A., Elhoweris, H. et al. Caregivers’ Accounts of School Searches for Children with Cerebral Palsy in a Developing Sub-Saharan African Context. Adv Neurodev Disord 8, 288–298 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00341-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00341-6