South Africa: Waiting lists for school places for autistic kids; parents march to Parliament

May 25, 2021, SA Promo: Children with autism battle to find school places Parents, caregivers and volunteers marched to Parliament. https://www.sapromo.com/news/children-with-autism-battle-to-find-school-places/

“Parents are so heartbroken because they don’t know what to tell their children when they ask, ‘why can’t I go to school?’” says Faith Jones, a Community development worker at Autism Western Cape. Jones currently does home-based programmes, offering support to families and children living with autism. She said there are too few schools with the capacity to cater for autistic learners, resulting in long waiting lists and many children stuck at home…. On Friday, Jones joined more than 50 parents, caregivers and volunteers who marched Hanover Street to Parliament in Cape Town. They want the government to improve basic services for people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. The group’s memorandum was handed to the Department of Social Development’s Jessica Longwe who accepted it on behalf of Minister Lindiwe Zulu….