Book: THE DETERMINED FATHER: Lessons from My Journey with My Autistic Son

Autistic children are becoming more and more prevalent, but unfortunately the treatments available are ineffective at treating the underlying condition. At most, parents with a child on the autistic spectrum can only hope to work on behavioural changes that will help the child become more capable of living an independent life. The fact is, many individuals with autism will never truly become independent, living on their own, holding jobs, keeping up relationships, or having a family of their own, or at least not to the extent neurotypical people can.

Faced with this knowledge, Charles Akindayomi and his wife, Yinka, do not lose hope. Knowing that most intellectually handicapped children in their home country of Nigeria simply end up in filthy, underfunded group homes with little stimulation, they go on a journey to provide their son a better future. Through special schools and founding a group home, they see glimmers of hope and face bitter truths. In the end, Charles discovers what it truly means to have become the Determined Father.

About the Author

Charles Akindayomi is the Founder & CEO of CA Consultants Ltd, a consulting engineering company. He is a professional engineer and holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Surrey, Guilford, England. He specializes in the design of mechanical engineering systems and project management and has over forty years of experience in commercial, residential, and industrial building services engineering in both the private and public sectors. He is the father of Akinyele Akindayomi, his autistic son, who is the subject of this book. He has attended several autism consultation meetings and events, having gained invaluable experience while bringing up his son. He is also involved in nongovernmental organisations. He is a board member of Special Olympics Nigeria, which is affiliated with Special Olympics International.