Autistic Children neglected in EC schools due to lack of Space

Scores of autistic children in the Eastern Cape have reportedly been left idle after the Department of Basic Education in the province said that it only had space for 150 learners when there are over 800 autistic children in the province.

Autism SA’s regional development officer in the Eastern Cape, Antoinette Bruce Alexander, says that teaching autistic children is a highly specialized field.

She described the situation as bleak.

In April, Parents and Caregivers of children with autism embarked on a march to the East London city hall in the Eastern Cape to hand over a memorandum of demands.

The march was led by Autism Matters, an East London based non-profit organisation.

Parents said they have been side-lined for years by the provincial government and want the state to prioritise the building of schools that cater for special needs children.

The NPO also called for more employment opportunities and adult support programmes for autistic people.

Done by Lizeka Tsotetsi