Pretoria – An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory is expected to stimulate children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) at Quest School, in Port Elizabeth.
Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu in partnership with the MTN Foundation will on Friday handover the lab to the school.
This is in response to a need that Minister Bathabile Dlamini discovered in 2013 when interacting with parents of children with autism.
She found that many autistic children did not attend school and the few that did, were not provided with sufficient stimulating learning material.
The parents also highlighted that the challenge in providing proper care for children with autism is exacerbated by the fact that there are not enough doctors in the country trained to diagnose the condition, and as a result autism in many cases is not diagnosed early.
The interaction was aimed to try and dispel the misconceptions in black communities around children with autism.
Through the interaction, the department was also trying to learn more about the condition from parents caring for autistic children in order that effective educational campaigns can be crafted and the best possible assistance be provided to those caring for autistic children.
Quest School is the only public school in the Eastern Cape Province catering exclusively for children with autism.
The ICT laboratory is a fully equipped computer lab consisting of six computers with E-learning software recommended by the Department of Basic Education for children with autism.
The learners will also receive 20 assistive technology devices and interactive boards utilised to enlarge alphabets and numbers, thus enabling them to read, write and access internet with ease.
Rights of people with disabilities
Since the 2014 State of the Nation Address, when President Jacob Zuma announced that matters relating to advancing the rights of people with disabilities will reside with the Department of Social Development, a number of initiatives have been rolled out by the department.
These include the draft National Disability Rights Policy and the provision of social services to children with autism, as well as support for parents of children with autism.
The department noted that, while it does not have a specific programme for assisting autistic children, it has prioritised Early Childhood Development (ECD) in its key programmes.
“ECD is important because the first one thousand days from conception of a child, as well as the first two years of their lives are when most of the child’s development in terms of cognitive capabilities and emotional wellbeing take place.
“This is also the period when any challenge with a child, including conditions like autism can be identified and managed in time,” the department said.
As part of activities for the day, Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu will spend time with autistic children and their parents.
She will also raise awareness on autism and the constitutional rights of children with autism, as well as educate parents on how they can be supported once their children are diagnosed with autism. – SAnews.gov.za
