State school for autistic children opens in Soweto
70 pupils get a shot at an education at specialised institution
THE WAITING list to place a school-going child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has until now been long and the cost prohibitive, according to MEC for Basic Education in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi.
The new dedicated school for autism in Orlando West, Soweto, is set to change that with an intake of 70 pupils.
“We will not let one child be forgotten and there is now no excuse to leave children at home,” said Lesufi at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Thulasizwe School for Autism, the first of its kind, opened last week.
The no-fees school takes in ASD pupils between the ages of 3 and 21 and is situated next to a special-needs school.
In the Impala classroom, Rejoice Morolong, a special-needs teacher of 10 years, is in charge of six boys, each displaying a different type of repetitive behaviour. The tables are clustered in the centre and the toys are neatly stacked while the boys, all aged between 5 and 8, mill around the room.
Among them is Aphiwe Qwesha, who was only 3 when he was diagnosed with ASD.
His mother, Sibongile Nkuna, said he continually banged things and was extremely hyperactive.
He would also block his ears when noise bothered him.
“People started ignoring me when they heard that he had autism,” said Nkuna.
Thulasizwe has AstroTurf, new jungle gyms and plenty of outdoor space.
An occupational centre provides therapy for sensory stimulation and gross motor skill enhancement.
Hester Costa, the direc- tor for inclusive and special schools with the Gauteng Department of Education, said the school was the baseline for similar schools in the future.
“Thulasizwe will allow the children to integrate and also allow them access to education,” she said.
Thulasizwe is the first devoted institution in the province; the two current specialist ASD schools are attached to hospitals.
One is located at the Char- lotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and one at Unika, Pretoria, where the pupils board.
Lesufi said to educate one autistic child cost the same as six mainstream pupils.
Morolong, with the help of a teacher’s assistant, will not have more than eight children in her classroom.
Aphiwe regularly climbs on to the tables and stamps his feet, kicking the toys being used by his classmates.
At a small table against the wall, Morolong helps one of the boys with a puzzle.
“I have to sit behind him so that I can speak to him and show him where to put the pieces,” said Morolong.
Vicky Lamb, national co-ordinator for Autism SA, said Thulasizwe was a win for ASD sufferers who previously had to travel long distances to get an education.
“I think it’s great that the government is getting involved,” said Lamb.
She said the school was well on its way to being fully equipped for the task of ASD education.
Lamb said previously, children would be diagnosed with a form of autism (such as Asperger’s syndrome) but that the new diagnostic terms had combined them and it was now termed “autism spectrum disorder”, depending on the social and communication skills and the degree of repetitive behaviour.
“Asperger’s is a higher functioning disorder and these children can usually integrate into society. On the other end of the scale, autism itself can mean learning disabilities of various forms,” Lamb said.
Morolong uses sign language to communicate with Aphiwe to sit down, balling her hand up and cupping it with the other one.
He replies with a highpitched moan.
Nkuna said at home she could communicate using words that he recognised and there was no need for signing.
A week since starting at the school, Aphiwe was already showing signs of improvement, said Nkuna.
“He is very calm when he comes home now and we are just so happy that he has a school to come to,” she said.
Psychologist Ellenor Bosch, who oversees seven special-needs schools in the Joburg area, said the education of the children was a big challenge, but was not insurmountable.
“The kids with mild to moderate ASD can learn to read and write but they are also gaining social skills and engaging with other learners. It is also important for the parents to be involved,” Bosch said.
Thulasizwe will perform a crucial function in unifying the ASD community.
“There will be parent support projects and a support centre to empower the parents to manage their ASD child,” Costa said.
In the Impala classroom, Morolong picks up yet another abandoned toy and smiles: “You have to have love and patience or you don’t belong here.”