Teaching and learning for an inclusive society as UJ launches Neurodiversity Centre
Irish Minister of State for Disability, The Honourable, Anne Rabbitte T.D. and Professor Boitumelo Diale at the the Neurodiversity centre
neurodevelopmental disabilities. Children with Autism, ADHD, specific learning disorders and cognitive disorders are mistaken to be naughty, not wanting to learn or not having interest in their work because their teachers do not understand them. This is where the Centre becomes important. She added that it was not only teachers that misunderstood children with disabilities, but their parents as well. “It is for us to begin to harness the abilities of children with intellectual disabilities and begin to say that they too can be able to enter the world of work and contribute to the economy of the country.”, she concluded. Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation Prof Saurabh Sinha reiterated the importance of inclusivity: Inclusive education is a tenant of sustainable development and features prominently in multiple Sustainable Development Goals and in our case contributes to SDG
of Pretoria Centre for Visual Impairment Studies).
Statistics show that 1 in 20 people are living with disabilities. “At UJ, we see the 19 who have a daily opportunity to learn about diversity, collaboration, inclusion and friendship,” said Faculty of Education’s Prof Anthony Brown, who chaired the launch of the first Centre for Neurodiversity at UJ’s Soweto Campus on Friday 9 September 2022. The Neurodiversity Centre (CND@ UJ), headed by the Department of Educational Psychology is a result of a collaboration between the University, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and the European Union (EU). The CND@UJ will be involved in community engagement work within the larger Soweto area, as well as in surrounding communities. The Centre is one of the three centres in the country funded by the DHET and EU as Centres of Excellence and National Hubs (the other two being the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies and the University
The aim of the Centre is to address the neurodevelopmental learning needs of children and youth through a multi-pronged approach, including but not limited to: • Training teachers and other stakeholders on neurodivergent learning needs; • Therapeutic and learning needs intervention for learners and youth; • Parent support and development; • Community engagement and empowerment. At the launch, Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning & Centre Coordinator Professor Boitumelo Diale emphasised the importance of helping people with disabilities: We are used to talking about taking care of people with disabilities but generally, communities when you talk about disabilities, they tend to focus on physical disabilities that can be seen and recognised. Little do people know about
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