Due to the great need of learners needing high levels of support, and limited resources, there is a long waiting list at Thuthukani Special School. Seeing that learners who are on the waiting list for the LSPID Phase are the learners who need the highest levels of support, and because most of these learners are not attending any school while waiting, a support group was formed. Parents / Caregivers and their children with Intellectual Disability attend the support group once a month. The children attend a group OT session, while the parents attend an interactive information / support session. Activities are done and home programs are given to assist the parents to interact better with their disabled child and to provide the correct stimulation for the child.
These support groups have proven to be so successful that we have been able to reduce the level of support needed for some learners, and they have been able to enroll in Foundation phase classes.
Parent support Groups have been expanded to include a support group for all parents of children with cerebral palsy and specific communication challenges. Each teacher also gets an allocated day to invite parents to come to school and spend a day with their child in the classroom. These support groups have become a very successful way to gain better parent involvement in the children’s schooling, and the children are very excited when it is their turn to show off to their parents.