School facilitator/Au-Pair required to support an 11-year-old female in Ballito, KZN.

The child in question has a genetic mutation, is nonverbal, experiences epilepsy and presents with autistic traits. She is a bright and unique young girl who would benefit from a calm, empathetic and nurturing person who can build a trusting relationship with her and support her through her school day and afternoons at home. The focus will be on creating a safe and supportive environment in which she can feel regulated, connected and able to participate at her own pace.

Main Purpose of the job: The successful candidate will accompany the young girl to school each day, providing support and facilitation throughout the school day, and will then take her home and provide care and companionship for the remainder of the afternoon, until approximately 16h00. The role will involve supporting her regulation, communication, participation and wellbeing, while also providing opportunities for connection, companionship and enjoyable activities. A low-demand, child-led and regulation-focused approach will be essential. The successful candidate should be comfortable thinking creatively, adapting their approach according to the child’s needs on any given day, and recognising when she needs connection, space, movement, sensory input or simply time to regulate. The child may become physically dysregulated at times, so the successful candidate needs to be calm, confident and able to respond safely and compassionately without escalating the situation.

Job Objectives:

To provide consistent, compassionate support throughout the child’s school day and afternoon.

To build a trusting and positive relationship with the child.

To support her nervous system regulation and emotional wellbeing.

To use a low-demand, child-led approach that respects her individual needs and capacity.

To support communication using appropriate alternative methods.

To facilitate participation in school activities while remaining responsive to her needs.

To provide companionship, connection and enjoyable experiences outside of school.

To recognise and respond appropriately to signs of overwhelm, burnout and dysregulation.

Requirements

Job Requirements:

Previous experience working with children; experience with neurodivergent children would be advantageous.

A warm, gentle, patient and empathetic approach.

Strong understanding of, or willingness to learn about, neurodiversity and different forms of communication.

Ability to use and support alternative and non-verbal forms of communication.

Comfortable working with a child who may communicate her needs through behaviour and body language rather than spoken language.

Ability to remain calm, grounded and patient when a child is dysregulated.

Comfortable with a low-demand, connection-first and child-led approach.

Creative and flexible, with the ability to adapt activities and expectations according to the child’s energy and regulation on the day.

Reliable, responsible and consistent.

Comfortable supporting a child who may become physically dysregulated at times.

Own reliable vehicle and a valid driver’s licence.

Fluent in English.

Availability Monday to Friday for the required school and afternoon hours, until approximately 16h00.

Benefits

There will be an opportunity to be trained by the NDC Facilitation Academy when the role commences, and support sessions are provided for one month thereafter, working in collaboration with the wider multidisciplinary team based at the Neurodiversity Centre.