Ecaleni LSEN School raises awareness about autism
“We believe that everyone is on this earth with a purpose and we want to help parents receive all the necessary support.”
Ecaleni LSEN School and the Autism South Africa Organisation celebrated Autism Awareness Month on April 26 at Ecaleni Primary School under the theme ‘Moving from surviving to thriving’.
With Autism acknowledged globally in April, Ecalen LSEN School hosted a beautiful event where parents and stakeholders came together with learners to honour the progress made by both learners and teachers.
The event featured numerous activities, including performances from the school choir, poetry readings, learners showcasing their singing skills and a special group performance from the foundation phase learners.
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Ecalen LSEN School deputy principal Victoria Makwela said the goal is to offer support to the parents who are struggling with acceptance.
“We want to raise awareness about autism among parents so that they can be able to accept and look forward to what the future holds. Most parents are still struggling to accept autism because it is challenging to raise an autistic child.
“The school has played a huge role in helping parents accept their situation and we offer help for parents on how they can deal with their children. Our aim is to ensure that parents accept their children with open hearts.
“We believe that everyone is on this earth with a purpose and we want to help parents receive all the necessary support.”
“Our goal is to continue hosting awareness workshops, especially for parents, who are the ones who receive everything.
“We have a strong relationship with the parents because they trust us with their children on a daily basis, and on our end, we try our best level to prepare them and guide them into acknowledging the children,” added Makwela.
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Parent Brenda Nkadimeng said she is grateful for what the school is doing to help children with autism.
“When I had my firstborn in 2011, everything was normal until, at one stage, he could not speak.
When we consulted with doctors we were told the child is okay. At the age of four, we were told that our child has a tied tongue and is autistic.”
She said it was hard for her to understand.
“I questioned God for putting me in these shoes at a young age.
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We approached the Department of Education, and they referred us to this school, and they changed my life. Teachers from the school helped me more than anyone from my family.
“They taught me how to accept the situation as it is and how to treat a child with autism. We are grateful that the school gave us hope when we had none,” said Nkadimeng.
