Forging Methods of Communication for Autistic People




Sakhisizwe is recognizing April as Autism awareness month. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder affecting people's ability to communicate and interact in a variety of ways. Sakhisizwe had the opportunity to discuss with the director of Autism Connect, Nicolette Ripepi, and Carmen Walker of #autismsowhat about their collaborations forging new platforms for Autistic people to communicate and stay informed about the world of Autism.

Children with ASD often struggle in schools due to the various ways autism affects communication. As a parent of a child with autism, Nicolette Ripepi was inspired to start Autism Connect, an early childhood development center that works with autistic learners to prepare them with the communication tools necessary to thrive in school.

Carmen Walker, a mother of two autistic children, and wife of an autistic person, noticed a pattern in autistic communities where there is a lack of centralized communication. She started #autismsowhat to bridge this gap and forge an online space where autistic people can share information about innovations that help their daily lives.



In our discussion, we explored the specifics of both of their projects and discussed their collaboration. We touched on their inspiring journeys raising children with autism and how those experiences influenced their work. We also went into some of the specific ways that autism affects communication and learning, misconceptions about autism, and recent innovations in the world of autism. Finally, they informed us about an event on April 27th to commemorate Autism Awareness Month, and some upcoming workshops about methods of communication for autism.

To learn more about autism connect, you can follow this link to their website, access them on facebook @autismconnectmp, or contact them on Whatsapp at 065 943 5025. To learn more about #autismsowhat you can access their facebook @austsmsowhat.

Finally you can check out the interview here:


Presenter: Jasnine Roberts and Nadia T

Producer: Nadia T

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