Dr Rakhee Singh, the mother of Mehul Soni (8), told the North Eastern Tribune that the Centre for Autism, Research and Education (Care) has been an invaluable and integral component of their success with Mehul thus far.
Soni was diagnosed at 18 months of age with classic autism. He displayed all the red flags of autism, which included difficulty in communicating, social interaction and sensory issues. “Soni regressed very dramatically into his ‘own little world’ and was suddenly non-verbal, despite having normal milestones and development up to that point,” said his mother.
“Mehul has been part of the Care family since 2011 when he enrolled into an intensive early intervention programme. Care is unique as Mehul has a dedicated team of professionals, which include a speech therapist, occupational therapist, sensory integration therapist and a special-needs educator. This dedication has paid off and Mehul has made incredible progress,” said Singh.
Read: WATCH: CARE celebrates World Autism Day in style
“Today,” said his mother, “He is an amazing, friendly, happy, well-adjusted boy who loves art. To achieve this, Mehul has put in an incredible amount of hard work. Recently, Mehul, with his passion for art, won an American Art Competition. The giraffe (pictured) will be featured in a textbook written by an American professor,” she said.
The textbook is titled: Educating Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Partnering with Families for Positive Outcomes.
Adele Hattingh, a specialist educator said Care is a specialised intervention centre for children with autism spectrum. She said currently they have about 38 children in six state-of-the-art classrooms which run as separate units.
“All our children are grouped according to their skills. Even the way the centre is built, it is custom-made and the classes are placed in a way that take into account the needs of our children,” said Hattingh.
Details: www.thecarecentre.co.za
Edited by Beryl Knipe
