Current teacher education programmes still focus primarily on the normative child. For example, the latest undergraduate bachelor programmes may only include a single module dedicated to Inclusive Education. Yet, a definitive feature of today's educational landscape is diversity. Teacher education programmes must therefore ensure that all teachers are better prepared to accommodate the needs, interests and abilities of learners who are culturally, linguistically and developmentally diverse. Our educational policies on Inclusive Education compel us to educate all learners, including those with autism. This is fundamental for advancing human rights and social justice.

Together with my colleagues working in the fields of Inclusive Education and Special Needs Education, this book represents our attempt to initiate a conversation about autism in Africa. How do we as Africans understand, define and frame autism? Is autism simply a disability? Is autism regarded as a natural form of human diversity? How should we as lecturers prepare our students to teach learners with autism in mainstream or special education settings?

As scholars, we acknowledge the pockets of excellence that exist related to education and therapeutic intervention for children and adults on the autism spectrum in both public and private settings. However, we are critical of the extensive policy borrowing that has characterised post-colonial Africa. While we recognise the extensive international scholarship on autism, very limited research has been conducted in our African contexts. We believe that we need to brainstorm and develop our own context-specific interventions and pedagogies that will be appropriate, affordable and responsive to the needs of our children and adults with autism.

Through our interaction with schools and teachers, we have learned that:

• • Many teachers (mis)interpret autism as severe brain injury.

• • Few teachers understand that autism is a spectrum condition.

• • The overwhelming majority of children and adults with autism are not receiving the support they require to thrive.

• • Existing policies and programmes have reinforced segregated placement, which undermines social inclusion, acceptance and support.

This book is also part of a much larger research project on Curriculum Adaptation for Learners with Autism, funded by the Women-in-Research Programme at the University of South Africa.