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Autism Care
and
Education Support Center
Kigali, Rwanda
2-507-887-0662
Our Mission and Goals
The mission of The Autism Care and Education Support Center (ACE) in Kigali is to care for, educate, accompany, serve and advocate for Children with Autism and their families.
ACE Mission Goals
The Centre aims to provide autistic Rwandan children with a structured and therapeutic learning environment in order to: (a) learn new daily living skills; (b) better access and master appropriate academic content; (c) decrease destructive behaviors; and (d) help the children to gradually reach their maximum potential and level of independence.
ACE aims to provide educational and therapeutic interventions (Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Nursing care, Speech Therapy, Clinical psychology and Social Services) to children and youth on the autism spectrum. We will use evidence-based procedures, including Applied Behavior Analysis, which have been empirically demonstrated to be effective in the education and treatment of autism. Our goal is to help autistic children to function as independently as possible across multiple settings in ACE and the community. Parental involvement and the children’s quality of life are our priorities.
The Center aims to grow as a research center: ACE will partner with other credible institutions such as universities, medical schools and international autism schools in order to promote better understanding of how best to meet the needs of autistic children and their families.
About Us
Rwandan national Jean Jules Alexis Byamukama founded the Autism Care and Education Support Center (ACE) in 2022 to respond to the needs of underserved autistic children in Rwanda. Jean Jules is a qualified rehabilitation specialist, physical therapist, and community psychologist. Jean was motivated by his encounters with Rwandan parents of autistic children. They express despair about the lack of affordable therapeutic educational settings for their children.
Jean Jules and the ACE team recognized that there is a gaping void around the care of, and advocacy for, autistic children in Rwanda. A large number of Rwandan children with autism and other developmental disorders are not able to attend mainstream public or private schools, and are marginalized in society. Many end up on the streets scraping together meager incomes as beggars, while others remain locked away from their communities inside their parent’s houses.
ACE is intended to bring relief and long term hope to autistic Rwandan children and their families.
The founder’s advisor Gabrielle Herderschee-Hunter (former RN, BA anthropology, MA applied philosophy and mother of children with special needs) is an Australian expat living in Washington DC. Gabrielle met Jean Jules when they studied at a Jesuit University in Harare together and she co-founded a non profit (GTLD Network Zimbabwe) to support, inform and connect parents, teachers and other professionals serving gifted and talented children with learning differences (GTLD youth) in Zimbabwe. Gabby serves as a liaison to help connect ACE with American partner organizations such as IvyMount School Organization in Potomac, Maryland, which has indicated willingness to help train Rwandan teachers and professionals in evidence-based teaching methods. Since its founding in 1961, Ivymount has been a leader in developing and delivering evidence-based special education services and programs to meet the evolving needs of their neurodiverse community.
Our Work
ACE aims to provide educational and therapeutic interventions (Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Nursing care, Speech Therapy, Clinical psychology and Social Services) to children and youth on the autism spectrum. We will use evidence-based procedures, including Applied Behavior Analysis, which research shows is effective in the education and management of children on the autism spectrum. Our goal is to help autistic children to function as independently as possible across multiple settings in ACE and the community. Parental involvement and the children’s quality of life are our priorities.
The center aims to partner with other credible institutions such as universities, medical schools and therapeutic schools specializing in autism spectrum needs in order to promote better understanding of how best to meet the needs of autistic children and their families.
At the heart of our services to autistic children and their families is our commitment to journey with them throughout their daily life. ACE projects require training, planning and financial sustainability, but our mission remains rooted in our love for autistic children that is profoundly rooted in faith in God’s unfailing love for the most vulnerable members of humanity.
Enrollment Form
Simply fill out the form below, attach the required medical certificate and tap “send”
Donation Page
Why Donate...
The Autism Care and Education Support Center (ACE) in Kigali is building partnerships with relevant agencies in the US, Africa and elsewhere to create a school of excellence for autistic children in Rwanda. ACE needs financial support to:
(A) Launch our fledgling school by the end of February 2023;
(B) Train ACE’s skeleton staff in evidence-based methods that serve autistic students well; and
(C) Expand our staff to include more teachers and administrators as the demand for our services is great.
The current Centre staff are enthusiastic to provide autistic Rwandan children with a structured and therapeutic learning environment. We aim to keep costs down as much as possible for Rwandan families.
With training and strong partnerships ACE will work to care for, educate, accompany, serve and advocate for Children with Autism and their families.
ACE is registered as a community benefit company in Rwanda. This means donations to ACE Center are tax free in Rwanda although foreign donors may need to confirm donations can be claimed as tax dedications in their countries. Donation certificates can be issued on request. Contact ACE Director
Jean Jules Alexis Byamukama at
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