Capacity Building Workshop for Refugee Parents of Children with Disabilities

Capacity Building Workshop for Refugee Parents of Children with Disabilities

The Discipline of Occupational Therapy (OT) collaborates with the Refugee Social Services in the central business district of eThekwini to provide a holistic service. As part of this service, fourth-year OT students, and their lecturer Dr Chantal Christopher hosted a joint capacity-building workshop for parents of children with disabilities. The well-attended event included a guest talk by OT specialist Ms Aneesa Moosa.

The workshop aimed to provide parents with practical care and coping strategies as well as offer emotional support. It began with a presentation on Finding Strength and Courage as a Parent of a Child with a Disability, which offered tips on avoiding caregiver burnout and encouraged parents to embrace their child’s abilities and educate themselves about his/her diagnosis.

Christopher outlined somatic and expressive techniques for parents to manage their stress. Moosa’s presentation on supporting children with sensory and self-regulation issues equipped parents with strategies to help calm their children and offered practical advice on what to do and what to avoid in managing their behaviour. UKZN’s third-year OT students ran a stimulation and care programme for the children, ensuring they were engaged and supported throughout the day.

The workshop also included presentations by OT students, who shared additional tips on addressing children’s behavioural challenges. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms Yasmin Rajah of Refugee Social Services who expressed gratitude for the invaluable support provided to the parents.

This community engagement is part of the community practice fieldwork block at UKZN that aims to bring real-world experiences into the University environment with its tag line “bringing the streets to the university”. The workshop highlighted the Department’s dedication to the core OT values of care, empathy, and genuine engagement in therapeutic activities. Throughout the event, the parents’ lived experiences of raising a child with a disability were acknowledged and supported, further reinforcing the OT Discipline’s commitment to making a positive community and social impact.

Words: Nombuso Dlamini

Photograph: Supplied