When Sheraine Reddy’s daughter was diagnosed with autism, she started learning everything she could to help her. Fourteen years later, Autism Excellence Incredible Minds Therapy Centre has moved into their new space in the heart of Durban North, writes Maggie Wittstock.
Sheraine and her spouse, Yugen Subraya were not overly concerned when their daughter, Paris, did not talk at the age of three. They put this and her tantrums down to her being a laat lammetjie who had been a bit more spoilt and indulged than she should’ve been. They also assumed she’d talk when she was ready.
It was only when Paris went to playschool that the teacher suggested she go for an assessment which resulted in her being diagnosed as autistic with severe mental impairment. “At the time I had been teaching in mainstream for 14 years and knew nothing about autism,” Sheraine says.
“With my limited knowledge, I was devastated and predicted a life of doom and dependency for our little girl.” However, as the couple learnt more about autism, so they began to interpret Paris’ behaviour more fully. Her avoidance of touch was due to tactile sensitivity, and the meltdowns were her expressing her intense frustration at not being able to speak and communicate.
“It’s traumatic to see your child so utterly distressed,” says Sheraine. “She was experiencing major sensory overload and resorting to extraordinary behaviour to comfort herself.”
Devouring every bit of information they could about autism, they made it their mission to give Paris the best chance at living her best life, enrolling her at the Action in Autism Early Intervention Centre in Durban.
It was there, under the loving guidance of Kirsten Miller, that Paris spoke her first words. But finding a school where Paris could further her learning became a depressing challenge. “No one was willing to accommodate her special needs and we couldn’t afford private therapy.” In 2014, they decided to do it themselves.
LEARNING TO ADAPT
Autism Excellence Incredible Minds Therapy Centre provides a calm, accepting learning environment where children’s sensory awareness and development are the number one priority. There are no playschool posters on the wall, no bright murals, the fans stay off during classes and the curtains filter out the bright light.
“Addressing the child’s sensory needs is required to get them to an optimal place of communicating, learning and working,” says Sheraine. With the younger non-verbal kids, this means using low- and high-tech communication support to express themselves.
“It takes time to earn a child’s trust, to let them know you’re addressing them as an individual. It’s a big deal to get those first words out. Just a few random words, then a few that make a phrase, and then be able to converse. It’s extremely rewarding,” says Yugen. “Don’t give up on a non-verbal child as being incapable of communicating.”
Sheraine adds: “Our children are intelligent competent human beings. They just have a different intelligence and way of processing sensory input.”
The school – which opened in July this year after operating from the couple’s home for the past seven years – caters for children from two-and-a-half up to Grade 1, to prepare them for a mainstream school. They spend their final year on the Grade 1 curriculum, getting familiar with the content, so they “can go confidently, having learnt to self-regulate their sensory issues and be comfortable in an environment with more than five kids in a class.”
Sheraine rejects the idea that autistic children’s lives must be rigid. “We do have structure and routine; however, we also teach that the world is dynamic and the world changes. A parent’s day can change, and we don’t want a child having a meltdown because the structure of the day has changed. Being able to adapt is an important skill that we integrate into our teaching.”
LIFE AFTER SCHOOL
Getting a matric is not the holy grail. Kids who don’t progress academically, are encouraged to start their own businesses, or shadow someone in a trade. “We encourage parents to register a business and start a Facebook page. Doing things like baking, painting, sculpting and creating jewellery. Others find a business where they can shadow artisans and learn – how to make built-in cupboards, do woodwork or fix appliances and computers, there are so many possibilities we can create for our kids.
“We’re not miracle workers, just parents who want to change children’s lives and give them what our daughter didn’t have access to and help them accomplish some of what she didn’t get to achieve.”
FOR MORE INFO:
Autism Excellence Incredible Minds Therapy Centre: 084 717 2397