Curamus School Is A Special Needs School for Learners with Autism
About Our School
Curamus School for Autism is situated in Krugersdorp on the ridge overlooking the Cradle Of Humankind and is one of seven Autism Specific schools in Gauteng.
The need for autism specific education in Gauteng West was identified by the department of Education as awareness and the prevalence of autism is rapidly increasing. Current (2022) statistics are 1:44
Curamus school was founded in 2015 and had a humble beginning in the buildings of the old Rant en Dal School.
The school is constantly evolving and due to the consistent influx of learners the school keeps on expanding its buildings and facilities. We currently accommodate more than 170 autistic learners with medium to high support needs in our well maintained buildings and inviting playgrounds.
We follow the DCAPS curriculum and LSPID learning programme and prioritise staff development.
All classes are equipped with autism specific resources, such as schedules, visuals and independent workstations.
We are registered as a non – profit organisation (NPO: 199-722). We rely strongly on involvement from the community to provide our learners with the quality education they are entitled to.
Is Your Child A Candidate ?
What is Autism?
#AUTISMACCEPTANCE
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong & complex neuro-developmental condition.
People with ASD may communicate, interact, behave & learn in ways that are different.
Some individuals need high support (a lot of help & intervention), others need low support (less help & intervention).
Children with Autism may struggle in social situations because of sensory & communication difficulties.
Children with Autism are wonderfully Unique.
People with autism want to be accepted and appreciated as they are! #AUTISMACCEPTANCE.
Our Support Services
Red Flags for Autism
- Lack of eye contact
- Not responding consistently when their name is called
- Not engaging in pretend play
- Preferring to play alone
- Not playing Peek-a-boo by 8 months
- Not Babbeling by 12 months
- No Back & Forth gestures such as pointing by 12 months
- No imitative behaviours such as waving bye-bye by 12 months
- No Words by 16 months
- No meaningful, two-word phrases by 24 months
- Any Speech loss at any age
- Losing previously acquired skills at any age
- No sharing of enjoyment or interest
- Becoming distressed by minor changes in routine
- Performing repetitive movements such as hand flapping or rocking
- Playing with toys in an unusual way, for example, spinning or lining it up
- Having unusually strong attachments to particular objects
- Limiting conversations to very specific topics
- Exhibiting oversensitivity to sound or texture
- Being a picky eater
- Experiencing plateaus or delays in skills development
- Displaying challenging behaviors such as aggression, tantrums and self-injury
- Appearing to be in their own world
- Not Following any, or following too few, receptive instructions
- Repetitive movements with objects or posturing of body, arms, hands or fingers
- Being Hyperactive
- Being unable to sustain their attention compared to their peers