Ballito special needs school counsellor equips autistic children with vital skills

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is still not fully understood, and on average 1 out of every 5 people are affected by it.

From what may appear to be a tantrum, common tell-tale signs of a child living with autism and what he or she is going through, are not as easy to spot as one might think.

That is according to Bloom Special Needs School counsellor James Mundell, who is trained to join the dots.

He took up permanent residence as the school’s counsellor in April last year after volunteering in September the year before.

He relocated to Ballito after completing his B. Psych degree at the South African College of Applied Psychology.

It was during his volunteer work with Bloom children that he discovered his passion. He no longer wanted to follow a typical psychology career path, instead opting to help equip special needs children with the skills they need to succeed in life.

At Bloom, about 20 (40%) of the school’s children suffer from ASD.

ASD impacts a child’s ability to communicate and interact, but Mundell stresses that children with the disorder are highly intellectual and capable of realising the consequences of multiple actions.

“An ASD child reacts in different ways to situations and it is important to note how they do from the start.

“For example, during an accidental playground incident one child may require a simple apology, while another might get caught up in questioning whether it was something they did that provoked the incident.

This may result in repetitive actions such as nail-biting, which are a coping mechanism. Helping the child understand that what happened was an accident is what matters. Communication is one of the most important things to keep in mind.”

Children living with ASD are not all that different, but may need certain things explained to them because of their innate ability to reason.

“My line of work is very child dependent. Sometimes a child having difficulty simply needs to enjoy a walk or some auditory stimulation such as music.

“If left unchecked, a child may have a meltdown, an intense response to overwhelming circumstances because he or she has difficulty in expressing themselves when they feel overly anxious.”

This is an involuntary coping mechanism.

While advice differs from child to child, the most common tips for parents of autistic children are:

• Provide structure and predictability. Structure provides a sense of safety, while predictability allows a child to assess a situation effectively.
• Prioritise communication. Remember that ASD people struggle to communicate, so keep body language and tone in mind, especially within the context of the situation.
• Empowerment in choice – teach your child, as you would any child, that each action has a consequence.

Working with special needs children every day does take a toll, however, and Mundell advises parents to remember also to focus on their own health and wellness. These include placing an emphasis on physical fitness and having a social support structure, even consulting a psychologist.

“You can get kicked, bitten and hit, or even have sand thrown in your face. I know of a teacher at a different school who had her nose broken,” said Mundell, who noted that it is important to remember that children with ASD may lash out without meaning to do so.

Mundell said boys have been found to be more susceptible to ASD, about 5 times more likely than girls.

While his job is challenging, it is very rewarding and made easier with the help of his therapy dog, Nimbus.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback provides a sense of security and calm, often when human communication fails.

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