Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala Calls for Support During Autism Month

Former Miss South Africa 2010, Bokang Montjane Tshabalala, is using her voice and personal journey to shine a light on autism this April, which is recognised as World Autism Month. The model and mother has an important event coming up and is encouraging families to be part of it.

Taking to Instagram, Bokang invited the public to attend a special day hosted by the Owethu Ausome Centre. She said, “Come join us as we host another Owethu Ausome  fun day event on 25th April at Cosmo Multipurpose Centre. There will be lots of fun games for all children and amazing caretakers to take care of them. We will also have amazing speakers for the parents who are attending … and a few surprises for the youth.”

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Beyond the event, Bokang also opened up about her personal experience as a mother. Speaking to Drum Magazine, she shared how she first noticed certain signs in her son at a young age. “From my personal journey, the signs started showing when my son was around 2 years old. His speech was delayed, he gave very little eye contact, and he wouldn’t play with other children,” she explained.

She added that there are other signs parents can look out for. “Other signs can include a child walking on their tiptoes, flapping their hands, and sensory sensitivities like reactions to loud noise or even lights.”

For parents who may feel unsure or worried, Bokang urged them not to ignore their concerns. “If you’re concerned, the very first step is not to wait,” she stressed.

She also addressed the stigma and misconceptions that still exist in many communities. “For most people, there’s a belief that maybe the mother was under stress while pregnant or ate the wrong food while pregnant. Among black families, there’s a lot of talk around cultural reasons, like not doing cultural practices meant to be done for kids, or the ancestors wanting certain things done for the kids, or even witchcraft,” she shared.

At the Owethu Ausome Centre, Bokang said the focus is on education and support. “We sit the families down and educate them about autism and that it is a medical condition. Practices like speech therapy and occupational therapy, which we supply at the centre, can assist children and help them improve.”

She added that families are not only supported in groups but also individually. “We let them have one-on-ones with the therapist and social worker to understand their background and give them the support they need.”