THE Genius Junction centre in Waterfall is appealing to the community to support them as they work towards a thriving community for school-going children. Genius Junction provides a safe and happy learning environment for both mainstream and neurodivergent children.

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The Genius Junction was founded by Kerry Katz a year ago as a result of the lack of a support system for children with special needs as she had experienced it first-hand with her son.

“My son has dyslexia and ADHD, with an above-average IQ, and there was no school system that could fully cater for his needs. The school he was at tried their best, but he just wasn’t stretched enough to his full capabilities. It is hard to find schools that have a curriculum that suits kids with special needs. Either they are held back, making them feel stupid, or they are pushed ahead with work they cannot cope with, and that makes them feel stupid, too.

“I thought if I am so desperate and looking, there have got to be other people out there who are in my position. My plan to embark on creating this environment for parents and children was proved right because, after a year, we have 36 children in our centre,” she explained.

With the centre being inclusive, Katz said they do not separate the learners. “It doesn’t make sense to separate special-needs kids from mainstream children because that is not what the world offers – we have to be able to integrate, understand, accept and love each other.

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“So having an autistic child in a class of mainstream kids is beneficial to the autistic child because she is learning in a way that would allow her to operate in business and function in a workplace.

“And for other kids, they are learning about the issue because we talk about it quite openly. We also discussed other social issues – two of our learners lost their parents, and we talked about the topic of grief and loss,” she said.

Catering to various grades and classes, the centre also offers activities that stimulate the children and keep the environment fun and engaging. “We have activities, such as walks in the park where we play different types of sports and activities. We walk to the library where they make puzzles and read books. We also try to do fun activities in between their curriculum [work times]. We try to make it fun and different from the normal school activities.”

One of their success stories is that of Jesse Downs who has just landed a part-time job at a local store where he does woodwork.
Having taught in the mainstream school system for four years, Katz said she has noted that they get more done in terms of work in the morning as compared to normal schools.

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The centre is located in a house-like structure in Waterfall. “The plan is to stay here permanently as it is the perfect environment for our children. The building is going for sale at the end of the year, so the plan is to raise funds so we will be able to buy it and own it, and our kids will have their home and school,” she said.

For more information about Genius Junction, Kerry Katz can be contacted on 084 831 1234.

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