Episode 120 is a conversation with Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA). Notably, she is the only BCBA in the entire resident Nigerian population and one of the growing numbers of QBAs in the country.

She is the Founder and CEO of Shades of Life Care Limited (SOL), a centre that provides assessment, diagnosis, and intervention strategies to families with children that have behavioural challenges, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The facility also offers training and supervision services to Behaviour Analysts and Technicians in Nigeria.

She holds a Ph.D. in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities from the University of Kent, where her thesis focused on “Screening for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities Amongst the Nigerian Adolescent Population”. Her thesis represents a significant milestone in Nigeria, as this study is the first of its kind in the country and will help support diagnosis and intervention for Autism and other Intellectual Disabilities because it highlights the need to create a more comprehensive screening methodology for Nigerians and Africans that is culturally appropriate. 

Continuing Education Units (CEUs): https://cbiconsultants.com/shop

Contact:

Shades of Life

https://shadesoflifecare.com/about-us/

https://www.instagram.com/shadesoflifecare

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eziafakaku-n-4b88a25/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eziafakaku/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/proverbs22v1

Articles Referenced:

Nwokolo, E.U., Langdon, P.E. & Murphy, G.H. Screening for Intellectual Disabilities and/or Autism Amongst Older Children and Young Adults: a Systematic Review of Tools for Use in Africa. Rev J Autism Dev Disord (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-022-00342-6

Nwokolo, E. U., Murphy, G. H., Mensink, A.-M., Moonen, X., & Langdon, P. E. (2023). Using the consensus group method to select the best screening tools for autism and intellectual disability for use with Nigerian adolescents. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12466

Nwokolo, E. U., Murphy, G. H., & Langdon, P. E. (2023). Validation of the social communication questionnaire amongst Nigerian adolescents. Autism Research, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3038