The World Health Organisation (WHO) has given Northern Cape parents with autistic children a lifeline.
14 parents from Kimberley were trained as caregivers by the organisation in partnership with Autism South Africa.
The training allows them to raise their children better and assist others with children that have Autism Spectrum Disorder.
A trainer from Autism South Africa, Elfreda Baartman says the project, which was the first for the province, will be life-changing and call for more awareness about autism.
Baartman says, “This program is very important for caregivers and parents with children with neurological disorders and developmental delays because we teach the parents how to engage with their child, how to play with the child to teach the child new skills, life skills. Autism is something that is still unknown to some people and misunderstood so we have to raise more and more awareness.”
Rafieka Augustine says her five-year-old son was diagnosed with autism three years ago and having an autistic child has been challenging for her.
She says she previously relied on social media tips in dealing with her son and the training helped her a lot.
“My son was diagnosed at the age of two and before that, we didn’t know anything about autism and we had to rely on resources made available on social media, and on the internet, which are not always the most reliable sources out there. Then, we started with the programme and it really wasn’t anything major, it was small little things that we introduced into everyday life.”
