August 2009. Comments have been made about this section on TMI. Everything written in 2002 was true. We hope before the end of this year, to visit this facility and update this entry. We understand that is has expanded to include some 50 children with autism-related problems and some 15 young children with vision-problems, and that it has better quality staff than in the past.
August 2009. Comments made about Hope School at the time this was written, were all true. We accept that certain aspects may have changed in the interim, and we hope to update this section by the end of 2009.
Dorah started attending The Memorial Institute (TMI) Centre for Visually
Impaired Children part time, in 1999. She became a five-day-a-week pupil at the
school from mid April 2000. The school, based on the edge of Parktown and
Hillbrow in Johannesburg, has a teacher:pupil ratio on average of 1:6
TMI has a paediatrician, occasional access to speech therapists and
regular access to physiotherapists and occupational therapists as well as
mobility instructors.
It has facilities including a small heated pool; a sand and water stimulation
room; an occupational therapy gym and a trailing "feely" walled room, designed
by students from the University of the Witwatersrand to encourage blind children
to explore. There is a well-equipped outside playground for warm weather use.
Due to socio-political complications beyond the trust's control, Dorah
stopped walking independently in March 2000. TMI and Dorah's foster family are
working hard at encouraging her to regain that independent mobility again.
Dorah has flourished in other aspects of her schooling. She enjoys the
company of her classmates and plays games with them like rolling a ball across
the table to each other. Dorah like rolling play dough and is a lively dancer
if her arms are held.
Dorah can sing part of Frere Jacques, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and
Baa Baa Black Sheep. Her recognisable speech remains limited except for those
who know her very well.
Her sight deteriorated after the failed corneal graft in September 1999
but she still strobes her arm in front of her eyes in response to light. She is
settling into her home in Auckland Park and increasingly trying to find her way
around on her knees, both inside the house and in the garden. One of her
favourite activities is to swing alarmingly high and to climb the ladder on the
jungle gym.