Autism,special needs school inaugurated

An autism centre has been established to cater for deprived children with autism and other special needs.

Known as the  Woodfield Manor Autism & Special Needs School, the centre is to benefit children with a range of special educational needs,  including global development delay, autism and severe learning difficulties.

It has classrooms, a library, a playground, a swimming pool and offices.

Inauguration

The Chairman of Jonah Capital, Sir Sam Jonah, last Friday inaugurated the centre, which was established in 2013 and currently cares for 30 children.

Sir Jonah was assisted by a former British High Commissioner to South Africa, Lord Paul Boateng, and his wife, as well as the Parish Priest of the Christ the King Catholic Church, the Very Rev. Fr Andrew Campbell, and a former National Security Advisor to former President John Agyekum Kufuor,

Mr Francis Poku, to inaugurate the centre.

Deprived families

The Founder of the school, Ms Cornellia Boateng, said it was open to all children with autism from deprived families who did not have what it took to send such children to the fee-paying autism schools.

She said such children would attend the school for free, adding that the facility was also open to children with special needs whose parents were ready to pay moderate fees to support the operation of the school.

Ms Boateng expressed the belief that children with special needs had unique talents that needed to be honed.

She cited the example of one of the children who was unable to speak but was excellent in swimming and could become a national asset in swimming.

She appealed to parents with such children not to keep them at home but send them to the centre, saying autism was not a curse, as some sections of society believed.