Different levels based on individual abilities

THE Selangor and Federal Territory Association for the Mentally Handicapped (SAMH), also known as Wisma Harapan, is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) set up by a group of concerned parents and voluntary workers under the Rotary Club of Klang and Port Swettenham.

Established in 1964, the organisation aims to provide activities and training to mentally disabled children and adults to improve their general welfare.

Wisma Harapan manager Krishmaveni Vellayatham said mentally disabled children have rights to education.

“It is important that education and training is provided so that they may one day be capable of employment or being self-sustainable,” she said, noting that Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is used in all three of the association’s centres.

She explained ABA is used to teach autistic children compliance, communication and appropriate behaviour in order for them to integrate into society.

“Interaction is very important. They need to know how to greet people and how to behave appropriately. “These include refraining from biting themselves, self harming or grabbing at people’s clothes,” said Krishmaveni who has 28 years of special needs education under her belt.

She said Wisma Harapan has three centres - located in Klang and Kuala Lumpur - that provide Early Intervention Programmes (EIP), special learning integration programmes, vocational training programmes, as well as a sheltered workshop for special needs individuals.

“Here we do not segregate autistic children from those who are diagnosed with down syndrome, slow learners, cerebral palsy or others. The children are assigned to classes based on their IQ level. This way they can learn together as well as from each other,” she said.

Before enrolling into Wisma Harapan, students would need to have been diagnosed and certified by an expert and have relevant documents as proof, she added.

Mother of three Dharshini Ganeson said her daugther Preeya Nanthini, 27, who is dyspraxic, has been at Wisma Harapan for over five years.

Dharshini said her daughter first enrolled in the centre’s vocational programmes and has since learnt art, handicraft, sewing and more before moving onto the sheltered workshop programme, where the trainees are paid a salary to carry out contract work such as packing, sorting and folding pamphlets.

“I saw a natural progression in my daughter,” she said, stressing that special needs individuals can function in society and earn a living.

Dharshini said Wisma Harapan has provided a place for Nanthini to learn and “fit in”.

“The programmes at the centre keep special needs individuals occupied, lets them learn and earn a living.

“They can’t progress and develop if they are kept at home doing nothing,” she said.

Dharshini believes in the importance of a special child being educationally and medically assessed as soon as the disability is discovered.

“This is ensure the special child receives systematic help throughout the years. For the child to be educationally assessed as to his or her IQ, the psychologist is the best person and a report will then be issued on the child’s mental and behavioural patterns and what needs to be done,” she said.

The formulation of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the special child is best done after assessing his or her requirements, she added.

“If this is not done, the parent might not be able to achieve the best goals for the child. It is like shooting arrows in the dark,” she said.

Wisma Harapan has about 300 special needs individuals.

For more information, visit http:// mysamh.org/.

Nasom

Formed in 1987, the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) aims to deliver lifespan services to the community of people suffering from autism as well as deliver services and programmes that are results-oriented and focuses on acquisition of skills and changes in behaviour.

A parent who sends her 16-yearold autistic daughter to Nasom’s centre for vocational classes, said the NGO provides opportunities for personal development and growth to the children.

The mother said her daughter has made significant progress, 11 years after enrolling at the centre.

“She learnt how to manage herself. She used to cry a lot and was non-verbal, but now she asks for things in simple sentences and can perform basic chores, such as washing dishes and doing cross stitch,” she said.

Nasom chairman Feilina Feisol sends her son Naim Rafaie Abdul Rahim for vocational training at Nasom, where special needs educators train him in a few skills including cooking, baking and sewing.

But before attending vocational classes, she said Naim attended early intervention, transition and pre-vocational classes at Nasom as well.

“It helped him learn to socialise and be more comfortable around people so that he would be able to be brought out of the house,” she said.

Nasom is the only autism centre that does not have an exit age.

With over 20 centres across the nation, Nasom offers six programmes including early intervention; vocational; transition; residential; mainstreaming; pre-vocational; therapy; as well as assessment and diagnosis.

For more information, visit http:// www.nasom.org.my/.

Autism Behavioural Centre

Autism Behavioural Centre (ABC) director and co-founder Charlene Marie Samuel said it is vital for a diagnosis to be done as early as possible to ensure no time will be wasted for the child to gain access to EIP and IEP.

ABC is one of the first intervention centres in Malaysia with 45 rooms and 32 therapists.

In order for a diagnosis to be made, a child will usually be assessed by a team of experts comprising an occupational therapist, speech therapist, special needs psychiatrist or psychologist, neurologist, paediatrician.

ABC offers comprehensive programmes including ABA, occupational, and speech therapies; play groups; parent and teacher workshops; free autism screenings; and shadow aide services.

All comprehensive individualised treatment utilise the ABA based interventions.

“ABA therapy includes EIP programmes, school readiness skills, life skills, vocational skills as well as integration into work,” she added.

ABC also offers the ABA therapy in Mandarin due to the demand of families that are Chinese-speaking.