Residents told about the ins and outs of autism
It is a disorder that affects communication and behaviour and it is becoming more and more prevalent
The Inam Foundation Autism Advocacy Group, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) hosted the Tembisa Autism Workshop at Tembisa Civic Centre in the Council Chambers at Rabasotho on November 23, to raise awareness around Autism disorder.
The Inam Foundation was in collaboration with the Moonlight Foundation and the City of Ekurhuleni – Tembisa Department of Social Development when hosting the Tembisa Autism workshop. The workshop aimed to bring awareness and educate the community of Tembisa about Autism. Early Childhood Development practitioners, parents, teachers and members of the community were invited to the workshop.
The non-profit organization was founded by Khulani and Vezi Silwanyana who are parents of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The foundation aims to bring awareness to this disorder and advocate for children with autism.
Vezi Silwanyana co-founder The Inam Foundation Autism Advocacy Group said their mission objectives are to increase awareness about Autism and educate society about this developmental disorder.
“We also aim to raise funds for universal access to therapy and other treatment protocols, we advocate for access to education for children with autism and form support structures and groups for families with children living with autism,” said Silwanyana.
“Autism is a complex developmental disorder. It is a disorder that affects communication and behaviour and it is becoming more and more prevalent, but it is still unknown in many communities.
“It varies in severity and affects communication and behaviour. It is also characterised by difficulty in social interaction, sensory regulation difficulties and restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour.
“The event was a great success with more than 80 participants attending the event. The participants got to engage, interact and ask questions about Autism. The feedback from the participants is that they gained valuable insight and found the session highly informative,” Concludes Silwanyana.
