Amazing K specialises in Autism. We have two school based in Jozi. The one is in Northwold and the other in Sharonlea, Randburg.
- Our youngest learner is 2.5 years and our oldest is currently 12 years old.
- We run on an average of a 4:1 teacher to child ratio
- We have an eclectic teaching approach
Our Curriculum includes:
- Academics (fully adapted CAPS Curriculum)
- Physical Education
- Motor Planning, Movement and Music
- Art and Cooking Skills
- Basic Vocational/Life Skills
- Social and Emotional skills
- Makaton & PECS
- Behaviour Management/intervention
We offer a variety of therapies which include:
- Music therapy
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Physio therapy
- ABA therapy
- AAC therapy/implementation
- How is that you are involved with autism in Jozi?
- How can we as a community in Jozi make play more inclusive for autists?
- What has worked for you & your organisation to facilitate play in autism?
- Understand the child’s challenges in respect of sensory, motor, physical, processing etc
- Make sure you clearly and visually show the child what is expected from them
- Positive re-enforcement throughout the play activity is vital
- Continuously adjust the “game” to keep the child in their “happy” space – this takes practise but once mastered it will engage the child successfully
- Keep an eye on stimuli – make sure the child is not over stimulated at any time
- Allow for sensory break during a game or sport activity (for those that need it)
- Watch anxiety levels. Anxiety can come from external factors, a fear of getting the activity wrong or a non-understanding of the activity. An anxious child will not engage no matter what you try. You have to manage the anxiety at all times
We have a child on the spectrum and created Amazing K Autism School to help other kids with ASD in Jozi.
In order to help a child play the parent, educator or caregiver needs to fully understand the child. Autists are very capable of playing, sharing, participating, forming friendships, adapting to different environments and to change. I see this daily!!!
Yes there are different levels of anxiety when it comes to public places and how a child will cope with it from a sensory perspective, a physical perspective or developmental perspective. And the only person that can help engage the child in play is the person with them.
In my opinion – Autism is too big a spectrum to even suggest adapting public places because what works for one child will not work for the other. Some have motor planning issues that would need to be addressed (physical jungle gyms etc) and others have sensory profiles that need to be addressed. Some run, some climb and can’t come down, others are incapable of even jumping on a trampoline. Some are hypersensitive and others hyposensitive.
We as parents need to adapt. Society needs to adapt! People need to be educated on what Autism actually is – and I am not talking about the DSM! Our children can play in all places it is the way they play that society needs to understand and what that individual child needs to be able to play is as individual as a fingerprint.
The key to getting a child to play is to not think they will do it because another Autist did it. Every game, sports activity and idea has different levels and the level at which you expect a child to enter the activity needs to be adjusted continuously.
CONTACT
Amazing K Autism School
