THE Boland School for Autism in Paarl provides children with autism the opportunity to learn and grow within a social environment, along with their peers – an environment that respects every child’s uniqueness whilst promoting learning and development.
The school, situated in Denneburg, opened its doors in January this year and consists of five learners and two educators, Ashley Bushby and Nicole Jacobs.
The school centres around Individualised Educational and Development Programmes (IEDP) for curriculum delivery, recording and reporting.
An IEDP approach to learning allows the child, who would normally struggle in a mainstream classroom, access to specialised education and facilities optimised for the needs and special abilities of the individual learner.
According to Bushby children with autism takes longer to learn things than children without autism.
“Everything they need, we must learn to them step by step. What seems easy to us, for example blowing out a candle, is not that easy for them. When working with children with autism you need to have a lot of patience.”
The Boland School for Autism aims to be an autism specific school that offers education based on the needs and special abilities of the individual learner. This means that every learner’s skills are thoroughly assessed by a team of professionals (Occupational Therapist, Educational Pshychologist, Speech Therapist and Educators) together with the learners’ parents in order to determine every learner’s specific educational goals. This will provide the children with the opportunity to learn and grow.
The school is currently liaising with the Western Cape Education Department to register as a school and receive a subsidy, but the school needs to expand to 20 students to become an independently sustainable project by 2012, whereafter they can qualify for financial support from the WCED.
According to Denzil Daniels, a committee member of the school and also a parent of one of the children at the school, the school is currently relying on the money they make at functions and on donations from the public.
“Any donation from the public in any form is welcome, because government can only support us financially when we have more children at the school,” Daniels said.
He hopes that local children who have autism and currently travel to schools outside Paarl, will join them.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability whereby those affected display difficulties in the following four areas (by some referred to as the “Quadrant of Autism”).
) They have communication and language difficulties. People with autism often have a language delay or total lack of language. They often lack communicative intent, and those with adequate speech struggle to initiate or sustain a conversation with others.
) They have a narrow restricted repertoire of thinking and behaviour. People with autism often have a preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest and find it difficult if there is a change in routine. They like predictability throughout their day as this lessens their anxiety. Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms are often prevalent.
) They have difficulties with sensory modulation. Sensory modulation refers to how people use the information provided by all the sensations coming from within the body and from the external environment. People with autism either have hyper-sensitive sensory systems or hypo-sensitive.
) They have difficulties in relating to other people. People with autism often do not make eye contact and struggle to develop peer relationships or seeking enjoyment with others. For instance, they do not like participating in simple social play or games and prefer solitary activities.
) Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls and Autism Western Cape estimates that 1 in 86 children in South Africa under the age of six years are affected by it. For enquiries, www.bolandautism.org.za or 084-610-9005.
