national director
Juliet is happily married to Lance and they have three delightful children. Their eldest daughter is autistic.
RESOURCE DEVELOPER & FINANCE OFFICER
Claudia is a hotelier by profession and worked in the hospitality industry...
National Training Coordinator
Leryke Kleynhans is the National Training Coordinator for Autism South Africa...
Gauteng Regional Development Officer
I am the sister to an Autistic young man. I've been the office Administrator for Autism SA for the past 5 years.
counsellor
I was married for more than 27 years to my Greek husband who was in a fatal car accident in 2013.
AUTISTIC ADULT - OFFICE ASSISTANT
I am Kokeletso Sibisi I am Autistic, I have a big brother and he is my best friend...
NATIONAL RDO COORDINATOR
I am the mother of an adult with autism and I have been working for A;SA for the past 12 years...
EASTERN CAPE
I co-founded a Support Group and NPO -Autism Sinethemba, started a little Early Intervention...
NORTHERN CAPE
My name is Elfreda Baartman, I was born in Cape town Bellville South
KWAZULU-NATAL
Rosemary Nomalanga Shezi nee Mtshatsha, affectionately known as Jijiza in my home townand as Mom Autism in disability corridors.
FREE STATE
Passionate about my work, in love with my family and dedicated to spreading the light.
limpopo regional Development officer
Content to follow
mpumalanga regional development officer
North West Regional Development Officer
I am a mother to a now 10 year old low support boy. I have worked in the South African Air Force,
CONSULTANT TRAINER
I completed my studies at RAU and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education as well as Qualified Teachers Status in...
My name is Cobie Lombard. I started my career as a French teacher with a keen interest in special needs. i had the...
RESOURCE DEVELOPER AND FINANCE OFFICER
Claudia is a hotelier by profession and worked in the hospitality industry for 30 years. After her husband died she decided that she needed a change of scenery. She was introduced to Jill Stacey by a mutual friend over 12 years ago and the rest is history. She has 2 children and 5 beautiful granddaughters. With her financial background, Claudia and her team have managed to steer Autism South Africa through some financially precarious times and we are hoping that she will get us through this pandemic with her frugality and financial planning. Claudia is constantly seeking to broaden A;SA’s income streams and would be happy to discuss and brainstorm any ideas that you may have.
NATIONAL DIRECTOR
Juliet is happily married to Lance and they have three delightful children. Their eldest daughter is autistic. She is a constant source of valuable insights into her lived experience as an autistic person. Juliet's faith is central to who she is. She firmly believes that - since all people are created in the image of God - all human beings are valuable and should be treated with dignity. She is a social worker and educator by profession, with close to three decades in the child protection, education and corporate training sectors. Juliet heads up the Autism SA team, whom she describes as "the most dedicated and compassionate group of individuals who consistently go the extra mile." For her it is a privilege to work with such wellsprings of wisdom. Resources and services for autistic persons are very limited and insufficient in South Africa. Thus, it is Juliet's sincere and deliberate intention that Autism SA continues to dedicate itself to the support and advocacy for the rights of the autistic community, their families and the support systems with which they work.
COUNSELLOR
I was married for more than 27 years to my Greek husband who was in a fatal car accident in 2013. We have three children, a 33 year old son who graduated with his LLB and is now a practicing attorney, a 30 year old daughter who has graduated with degree in Fashion Management at UJ and a 21 year old son who is doing his BSC Genetics and Informatics at the University of Pretoria. I speak Greek and English at home, but can also speak, read and write in Zulu, Xhosa, and a little bit of Afrikaans. I have been in the field of Disability for more than 30 years and worked as a Speech, Language and Hearing Therapist (Wits 1986) and as a Counselling Psychologist (UP 2007) for many Centres such as The Harvey Cohen Centre, Lusito School, Nokuthula School, Sunshine Centre, as well as the Department of Education at the Educational Support Centre. I joined A;SA as a Parent Counsellor in 2015. The primary focus of my work is to support people autistic within their family unit and community by supporting and stabilising the family so that the family is better able to take care of the child/ person with Autism. The aim is to provide holistic support and psychological counselling for parents and carers of persons with Autism especially on diagnosis with a focus on the early intervention principles.
I was born in the Boland, my family moved to Saldana Bay when I was 10 and I matriculated at Vredenburg High School in 1986. I spent two years in the South African Air Force as a Radar Operator and met my loving husband, JB, in 1988. I moved to East London in 1989 and we have been a strong unit since then. We married in 1996, had two beautiful children, Kayleigh and Daniel. Daniel was two years old when we noticed his social skills and speech disappeared. It took another two years for him to be diagnosed with Autism. This placed my life on a completely different path. I co-founded a Support Group and NPO -Autism Sinethemba, started a little Early Intervention Centre for our first 6 children in 2008, our school is 12 years old, it now has 5 classrooms, 40 children and 15 staff members. In 2011 I started working for Autism South Africa as their Eastern Cape Regional Development Officer. I attended varied courses to learn new skills, researched all I could about Autism and am part of this amazing team of people who teach others about this complex, interesting, unique and life-long condition called Autism Spectrum Disorder. I still learn more every day, not just from the parents and children I work with but also from my own precious son, Daniel. Autism South Africa shares factual knowledge, resources and practical advice with anyone who needs it. My greatest love is to help other parents and care givers to manage their child’s daily life and education. I am a Finalist for the Regional Business Woman of the Year 2017 in the Social Entrepreneur category and a member of the Business Women’s Association in East London. Life is bigger than Autism, we need to live it. If Daniel can find meaning in his own life, so can I and therefore will never stop fighting for our children and families.
I am the mother of an adult with autism and I have been working for A;SA for the past 12 years. I live in Gauteng, which is where I work, and I am also the regional development officer for both Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
I am Kokeletso Sibisi I am Autistic, I have a big brother and he is my best friend.I went to different schools because my condition was not understood.I ended up doing skills training at The Living Link, that helped me a lot.I am a volunteer at ASA.My special interest is SAPS. I am a full member of the Young Men's Guild(YMG) in my church.
My name is Elfreda Baartman, I was born in Cape town Bellville South. I now live in Kimberley, and I have lived there for the past 16 years. I've been married to Gavin Baartman for 15 years and we have 2 beautiful children, Abigail 10, and Nathan 7.
NORTH WEST PROVINCE
I am a mother to a now 10 year old low support boy. I have worked in the South African Air Force, at an American Mining Equipment Manufacturing company in Gauteng then at my Events company in Mahikeng. One job I can never ever resign from is parenting my boy, I love it and would never trade it for anything. Working for A;SA has given me a grand purpose assisting caregivers and service providers working with Autistics. What more can I say…
Rosemary Nomalanga Shezi nee Mtshatsha, affectionately known as Jijiza in my home townand as Mom Autism in disability corridors. I am from Pietermaritzburg born at St Mary's Hospital in Marianhill my husband is from UMlazi in Durban South and we settled at KwaNdengezi. We have been married for 30 years! I Received my basic education in PMburg and Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies at The University of Natal Howard College. A Mother to beautiful girls, one is an attorney, one is an environmentalist, one is a pension keeper and handsome young man, a corporate communication strategist and an Autism Advocate. I am a staunch Christian who does not discriminate against other Faith's. Harmony, Honesty, Humour and Empathy are my way of life. I am a passionate Autism Development Officer in the KZN Province, a Children's Rights Activist and strongly believe in a Just and Inclusive Society for All. It is this passion that saw me leave the corridors of the Department of Health, but fate ensured the strings will never be cut for my work entails building and keeping strong bonds with the same department. ' I believe in doing Right even when no one is watching' The excellent networks and rapport formed as I execute my duties makes it a breeze to refer and seek advice, the life of 'work on travel' has brought positive growth in me. '... wherever I lay my head, that' s my home'
“Support | Advocacy | Inclusion” Passionate about my work, in love with my family and dedicated to spreading the light. I believe it’s my calling to support families I am the Regional Development Officer for the Free. I began my career at Martie du Plessis special needs school, and a tutor as a summer job while in college. I had no idea that years later I would get to play a role in advocacy.
I completed my studies at RAU and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education as well as Qualified Teachers Status in the UK. After graduating I headed to the UK to teach and travel. Autism in the classroom grabbed my interest while teaching at a school for learners with severe intellectual disabilities in London. I went on to open the first ASD specific class at that school before taking a position at an ASD school also in London. Every day brought with it new adventures and I learnt so much from all my leaners. It was because of this that I went on to specialise in Autism. I believe that each child has a voice and deserves to be listened to. I currently share information with teachers, parents and other proffessionals on Autism specific intervention strategies. After leaving my role as the Autism Specialist at the Gauteng Department of Education in 2018 I went into private practice and work 1:1 with ASD individuals ranging from toddlers to adults. As well as being a consultant for Autism South Africa I am also a Makaton Tutor and a Timian Behaviour Tutor. I am also completing my training as a Spelling to Communicate Practitioner. Outside of my many different roles I am ruled by 2 beautiful but crazy black cats who I share my home with. My therapy is gardening and am learning how to not kill all the plants in my garden.
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR | GAUTENG REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Hello my name is Elizabeth Mosehla, I am the sister to an Autistic young man. I've been the office Administrator for Autism SA for the past 5 years. I’ve had a rather minimalistic upbringing, and because of this, I find that I continue to value hard work and frugality. I take life as it comes and believe in drawing happiness out of the small things in life. I'm an easy going and flexible person.
Leryke Kleynhans is the National Training Coordinator for Autism South Africa. With a professional background in Occupational Therapy and a personal journey as an autistic adult diagnosed later in life, Leryke brings a unique perspective to the topic of autism in women. Passionate about raising awareness and fostering understanding, Leryke combines lived experiences with evidence-based information to provide insightful and impactful presentations on neurodevelopmental disabilities.
