The HEART Programme

We are proud to inform that we have initiated an Autism support programme at Autism Resources South Africa.  Our support programme is called the HEART programme as

H - Hope

E - Empower

A - Awareness

R  - Resilience

T  - Thrive

The aim of the HEART Programme is to empower and support children, parents, teachers, and specifically neurodiverse children and those in their lives to flourish. 

To flourish means to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly congenial environment. 

Our support services will not just focus on the diagnosis itself.  We will focus on the person as a whole, within the micro, meso, and macro environments that the person operates in, incorporating:

• Your senses
• Identity
• Character
• Cognitive development
• Social development
• Emotional development
• Physical development
• Spiritual development
• Your body, mind and spirit
• Neurodiversity, and the impact of the condition on the person as a whole and on the people and environment around the person 

Our support services will include the following:

1. Neurodiversity training and support

• For parents, facilitators, families, teachers, businesses, churches, schools, pre-schools, creches, and communities
• Support for families where extended family members do not understand the diagnosis and how to interact with a neurodiverse individual, child or grandchild.

2. Developmental courses for children, teens, and young adults

• personal development, life skills improvement, communication and socialisation development, understanding yourself, optimal functioning

3. Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)

• a mind-body therapy that is designed to release deep muscle tension and reduce stress.
• a somatic body-based practice for people suffering with stress, anxiety, trauma or PTSD.

4. Socialization groups for children, teens and young adults

• socialization and life skills development
• a space where like minded individuals can have fun together, share interests and make friends

5. Career guidance specifically for neurodiverse children

 Current available training courses:

Parents, teachers, carers, and facilitators who are interested in learning more about autism and neurodiversity can sign up for our first detailed online course.

Venue and time:  The course will take place via Zoom, once per week, on Tuesday evenings, 19h00 – 21h00.

Cost:  As it is our first detailed online course, we are providing it at half price, thus R150 per person per 2-hour session, instead of R150 per hour per person.

The full course will consist of 11 sessions, thus 22 hours over 11 weeks.

Our first Tuesday session will be on 7 May 2024 and the last session will be on 16 July 2024.

To register for the training please send an e-mail to noeline@autism.org.za stating that you would like to attend the 7 May online course.  You will then be sent a registration document to complete and need to return that, with your proof of payment for the course.  If you are not able to pay the full course fee in advance, you can liaise with Noëline to pay the course fee in two instalments.

We are looking forward to meet you online and to support individuals and families to better understand autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.