The Western Cape government has pledged millions to support pupils with autism.
- The Western Cape government has pledged R68 million to support pupils with autism.
- Two new special schools and an additional 28 classrooms at existing special needs schools will be built.
- Civil society organisations and parents of children with autism say it is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.
The autism community has welcomed the Western Cape government’s R68-million boost for schools which serve pupils with autism, but say it is not enough.
On 29 March, Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier announced that the money would go towards improving learning facilities, staffing and teaching materials at existing schools which serve pupils with autism.
Two new special schools and 28 new classrooms at existing special needs schools catering for pupils with autism will be built.
Maynier said the department had also earmarked additional funds of more than R214 million until 2026 to support these pupils. This was above the existing funding for special needs education.
“In recent years, the [department] has seen rising incidences of autism – which is also a worldwide phenomenon – so we need to urgently address the backlog,” he said.
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact and learn in ways that are different from most other people.
More needs to be done
Autism South Africa, Autism Western Cape, as well as some parents of autistic children, regard the department’s efforts as a step in the right direction.
However, more support was needed, they said.
Mduduzi Dube, managing director of Autism Western Cape, said:
Special schools have limited resources. There is a staff shortage and limited training for educators.
Apart from a lack of counsellors and therapists at specialised schools, there were also long waiting lists for parents trying to get their children accepted.
Dube said special needs schools were important as they provided comprehensive support and empowerment for pupils with autism and gave them individual support and attention.
Education specialist at Autism South Africa Vicky Oettle said children across the autism spectrum desperately needed proper support tailored to their levels of autism.
“Some autistic children speak, and others cannot speak,” she said.
She added:
There are different sensory profiles and social interventions as some autistic people enjoy more social interaction, while others may not. They have movement and behavioural differences. There is no checklist; it is diverse.
Oettle said education could become expensive when parents had to move a child to a private special needs school to make up for the education gaps because of teacher and resource shortages.
There are 75 special needs schools in the Western Cape. Three cater specifically for pupils with autism and 21 schools have satellites.
According to Maynier, contingency plans were made as the department did not have sufficient funds to support high-support ASD pupils in recent years. By investing in additional classrooms, teachers and specialised support staff, as well as the long waiting lists could be tackled, he added.
However, Oettle said the conversation needed to move beyond simply education.
“Autistic children become autistic adults. There is no support for autistic people at university, and companies do not want to employ them. We would like to see greater access to healthcare and support given for parents and caregivers. Across the lifespan of autistic adults, we need to do more.”
Dube agreed, calling for greater access to healthcare and for government to help with the high costs that people with autism had to live with.
‘He can identify us’
Upon hearing the news, Carmen Snyders, a resident of Eerste River in Cape Town, exclaimed: “Finally!”
Snyders, the mother of an 8-year-old with ASD, said she had waited three years to enrol her son at the Dorothea Special Needs School in Stellenbosch. She said the school had helped her son enormously.
She said:
Ever since he started school, he can identify us. He is not as non-verbal, and he doesn’t have meltdowns as frequently.
Snyders said there was very little help for the parents of ASD children in Eerste River.
“There is one speech therapist and one occupational therapist in the area, and certain therapy can cost R3 000. This therapy would help make him lead a normal life.”
Ilana Gerschlowitz, founder of the Star Academy, travelled to the United States many years ago to find information to help her ASD son.
Gerschlowitz acknowledged that resources for parents were costly and limited but that they were desperate to help their children.
“We are inundated with calls at Star Academy and queries about the resources that we have. The phone rings off the hook,” she added.
Gerschlowitz said Maynier’s announcement showed that the provincial government was aware of the problem and that more resources could now be allocated.
“It is great that there is a budget. Children are in desperate need of assistance.”
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