Working Towards Inclusion - Autism Awareness & Support

Working Towards Inclusion - Autism Awareness??& Support

Team DID joins the global family in observing World Autism Awareness during April. This important awareness campaign calls on everyone to accept and support autistic people in society and the workplace. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability that refers to a range of conditions characterised by some degree of impaired social behaviour, communication, language and a narrow range of interest and activities that are both unique to the individual and carried out repetitively.?Infrastructure News?spoke to our Deputy Director, Employee Health and Wellness (EHWP), Nonhlanhla Bob to unpack this subject further. Nonhlanhla shared her experience with raising an autistic child, the importance of parental support and how the EHWP aims to offer support to employees who have children with special needs.

Nonhlanhla discovered that her daughter was borderline autistic when she could not perform well academically. She stated that there were no visible signs that her daughter could be autistic since she could speak, write, and communicate at an early age. According to Nonhlanhla, “Prior to my daughter's diagnosis of borderline autism, I was frustrated and I could not comprehend why my child was not coping academically because she was initially doing well in pre-school. It took a while to confirm her diagnoses because her symptoms were mild and transient in nature without predictable patterns, however, after consulting with a Child Psychologist who specialises in neuropsychology, I gained insight into my daughter's delayed development and why her intellectual functioning and social adaptive behaviour was limited. Borderline autist children may experience delayed language development, minor learning and social skills. My daughter had a delayed language development, poor social and transitional abilities affected her academic performance. When she was in Grade 8, we then opted to take her out of??a mainstream school to an online-home learning platform. She is coping much better in a less competitive and anxiety provoking environment”.?

Nonhlanhla’s daughter is now 17-years old and is thriving.??Nonhlanhla shared, “We do not pressurise her to catch up quickly with her peers because we respect and understand that everyone has their own unique pace and learning style. As her parents, we trust that she will finish school in her own time. Our main goal is to support her until she matriculates so that she can focus on her true passion, which is art. My daughter is musically creative and we appreciate the fact that she can express herself through art.”

Nonhlanhla said in her personal experience, children with autism often have a unique way of perceiving and processing information that differs from neurotypical child. They often possess remarkable artistic abilities but may also have sensitivities to certain sensory stimuli that may bother others. She expanded that the simple sound of a bell ringing may be overwhelming for an autistic child, so it can be helpful to write rather than to speak as they may not understand what you mean. “This approach can help minimise frustrations and misunderstanding, as the autistic child may struggle to comprehend verbal communication at times. By providing a visual aid, such as written words, the child can better understand the intended message and respond accordingly,” added Nonhlanhla.?

According to Autism South Africa, once a child has received their diagnosis, parents can approach their closest education district to enrol their child. South Africa has a wide range of public and private schools that caters for children within the spectrum. Nonhlanhla advises parents and guardians to spend quality time with their children as this helps them feel appreciated and supported, “Autistic children require special attention and focus as their development may not progress as quickly as their peers. It is vital to learn about their strengths and weaknesses and seek early interventions”.?

For more information on autism awareness, visit the Autism South Africa website:?www.aut2know.co.za?or call on 011 484 9909 or email:?[email protected]?

Sources:????

https://www.gov.za/help-children-autism?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

https://www.aut2know.co.za?

World Autism Awareness Day - background | United Nations