Bruce Cyemayire, a student with autism, defied expectations as he excelled in his Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).

The 19-year-old student of Kigali Parents School achieved a score of 24 out of 30, and has now been admitted at G.S Masaka for his Ordinary Level studies.

"I did not expect it. My teachers helped me a lot with coaching and provided all the necessary study materials. I also studied as much as I could,” he told The New Times in an interview.

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His mother Rose Mukasoma Rutera, recounted her son’s early years, saying it was a time of uncertainty, especially in regards to academics.

"He was born autistic. We didn’t know about autism schools in Rwanda, so we enrolled him in a general school. While there, his early teachers and fellow students struggled to deal with his unique needs and often mistook his silence for disinterest,” she recalls.

As such, he really struggled in the first days of his academic journey, and often wanted to halt his studies.

In 2021, Cyemayire enrolled at Autisme Rwanda, an institution dedicated to educating children with autism. At that time, this school had only 12 pupils including him.

"We received him when he was in a desperate state. We quickly understood his situation,” says Rosine Kamagaju, the school’s director.

"His integration was quick as he received special care regarding understanding his mistakes, needs and wishes, while interacting with others. Beyond that, he received abundant love,” she adds.

She emphasises that she believes every child has the potential to succeed, and so, their job as Autisme Rwanda is to find the key that unlocks that potential.

Cyemayire later joined Kigali Parents where he has been studying since Primary Five level. While there, his academic strengths continued to be polished, as teachers applied an inclusive approach in educating him.

"They never treated him like he was different. They treated him like he was special, in the best way possible,” his mother says.

"I really appreciate inclusive education for all and encourage parents of autistic children to allow them to be part of the community. They have talents; so we need to give them space to grow and unlock different opportunities,” she urges.

As Cyemayire now heads to secondary school, he is ready to learn, but his dreams are even beyond academics. He wants to be a musician!

"I love music, and I would love to join a music school after I finish O’Level. My dream is to become a big musician. That’s my wish, and I will strive towards it,” says.

Around one percent of the world's population has autism spectrum disorder. That is more than 75,000,000 people, according to research conducted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

One in every 100 children is diagnosed with ASD.