{"id":97295,"date":"2025-04-28T17:18:13","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T15:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=97295"},"modified":"2025-04-28T17:18:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T15:18:13","slug":"autism-awareness-south-africas-growing-need-for-support-and-inclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/autism-awareness-south-africas-growing-need-for-support-and-inclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Autism Awareness: South Africa\u2019s Growing Need for Support and Inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n

3-minute read
\n28 April 2025 | 17:10 CAT<\/p>\n

\"\"

Children with autism face systemic barriers in South Africa. Urgent action is needed to expand access to inclusive education and support services.<\/p><\/div>\n

As April marks World Autism Awareness Month, urgent attention is being drawn to the systemic barriers that individuals with autism face across South Africa. Despite global progress, many autistic individuals in the country continue to struggle with access to education, employment, and healthcare.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Radio Islam International<\/a>, Debbie Fewster, a lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of Natal, emphasized the importance of early identification. \u201cAutism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can sometimes be diagnosed as early as six months, although many children are only diagnosed between three and five years old,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

Highlighting the genetic link, Fewster noted, \u201cParents who have had one autistic child may be at risk of having another. Key early indicators include communication difficulties, lack of eye contact, and repetitive behaviors.\u201d She urged parents to trust their instincts, saying, \u201cOften parents will know something is not right with their child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concerning diagnosis, Fewster stressed the need for vigilance. \u201cIf a child shows unusual responses to sensory stimulation, such as an aversion to loud noises or social withdrawal, parents should seek specialist advice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

A troubling aspect Fewster discussed is the frequent misinterpretation of autistic behaviors. \u201cBecause autism isn\u2019t a visible disability, society often mislabels autistic children as naughty or blames the parents for poor discipline,\u201d she said. \u201cThis misunderstanding compounds the challenges families already face.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the question of leading normal lives, Fewster offered a hopeful message. \u201cAutistic individuals can live full, meaningful lives,\u201d she stated. \u201cDepending on where they fall on the spectrum, some may require minimal support, while others may need intensive assistance. With the right educational accommodations and family support, quality of life can be greatly improved.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the availability of specialized education remains a concern. \u201cPrivate schools offer support but are unaffordable for most South Africans. There is a desperate need for the Department of Education to provide more inclusive opportunities,\u201d Fewster stressed. Organizations like Action in Autism and Pathways in Durban offer some services, but the shortage remains stark.<\/p>\n

Fewster concluded with a call for action: \u201cWe need more accessible education and greater societal understanding to ensure our children with autism can thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen<\/strong> to the full interview on Your World Today with Moulana Muhammed Kara and Debbie Fewster here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read 28 April 2025 | 17:10 CAT As April marks World Autism Awareness Month, urgent attention is being drawn to the systemic barriers that individuals with autism face across South Africa. Despite global progress, many autistic individuals in the country continue to struggle with access to education, employment, and healthcare. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":97296,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/autism.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-pjh","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-21 15:40:33","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}