It’s Autism month and staff and children of Randburg Clinic School, an institute for autistic children, were out on the streets educating schools and community members about autism.
Angelique Hall the school’s communication officer said on 16 April they had an autism awareness walk which all the children participated in.
Wearing blue ribbons and holding awareness posters, the children visited Ferndale High School where their sole mission was to educate others about what autism was.
Hall added that other initiatives would include selling autism T-shirts, socks and handmade bracelets which the children made.
“We will also have professionals come host talks and we will have an open day where parents and the public can come in and educate themselves about autism.”
She said it was important for people to know about autism as often times parents of autistic children are sometimes judged in public because bystanders think the child is undisciplined.
“Autistic children will get overstimulated by various things like light, taste, sound or smell, small things to a normal child could have different effects on an autistic child,” said Hall.
Randburg Clinic School’s remedial therapist, Ashika Govender spoke to Ferndale High School learners about the condition.
Hall said through this interaction the youngsters were able to see that children with autism were as normal as them. She hoped that through the week the children of the Randburg school would gain the acceptance they so rightfully deserve and that people would understand autism as a whole.
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