Belinda Sikwane -Autism SA Limpopo
By Machaba Matsapola
Autism SA’s Regional Manager points out the urgent need for government to step up when it comes to autism.
April marks World Autism Awareness Month and even in the year 2026, most communities still don’t understand the condition and there are not enough schools who cater for kids with Autism. According to Google search, Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by brain differences, affecting social interaction, communication and behavior. It’s a lifelong condition presenting as a spectrum with widely varying strengths and challenges, from needing significant support to living independently.
To get some kind of a ‘crash course’ about autism, I caught up with Belinda Sikwane who is Autism SA’s Regional Development Officer based in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo Province. “My role as a regional development officer is advocacy, I work closely with Department of Education, Department of Health and Department of Social Development,” she says. “I help parents with getting their kids with autism in schools and getting grants for their kids.”
According to Sikwane, at Autism SA, they do training with educators and other professionals who work with autistic kids. As a qualified educator herself, she fights for inclusion of autistic kids and visits a lot of schools to observe. Her first encounter with autistic kids was in 2014 when she got a job in Braamfontein School for Autism.
A teacher by profession, Sikwane says she was not told that she will be dealing with kids with autism. “I had to learn on the job and went through different emotions, by the end of the week some of my colleagues I came in with left because none of us were prepared,” she shares. “I prayed about it and asked God to help me withstand the challenge.”
Sikwane feels like it’s unacceptable that there are still no autism schools in provinces like Limpopo. “Our government is failing us, as Autism SA we’re trying our level best to give support across the board, from learners, teachers, parents, nurses, doctors to occupational therapists,” she concludes.
To get more information or help on autism, you can contact Autism South Africa on info@autismsouthafrica.org or call them on +27 (0) 76 656 8127. Their website is www.aut2know.co.za
