Kazaliou Balde’s parents started worrying about him when as a small child he avoided eye contact and had difficulty communicating.
First, the family in the West African nation of Guinea turned to a traditional healer who suggested protective amulets. Then, as the boy dragged himself along the ground instead of walking, they took him to a hospital in the capital, Conakry, where he was diagnosed with autism — something the family had never heard of before.
