15,547 registered under learning disabled group
KUCHING: A total of 15,547 individuals are registered under learning disabled category in Sarawak, said State Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
She revealed that 587 are diagnosed with global developmental disorder, 1,390 with Down syndrome, 604 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and 2,584 are considered autistic.
Others include 7,204 individuals registered under intellectual disability, 542 with specific learning disability and another 2,636 people with unspecified learning disability including those with autism but have yet to change their registration status.
“Autism is a developmental disability due to a neurological disorder that affects functioning of the brain. It is a spectrum disorder which means that the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations from mild to severe,” said Fatimah.
The minister was officiating at an autism awareness event and books launch-cum- fund raiser jointly organised by Kuching Autistic Association (KAA) and State Welfare Department at the State Library, in Petra Jaya yesterday.
“The Sarawak government, as a caring and responsive government, has always taken the welfare of these autistic individuals into consideration. Lots of policies are put in place by the state government so that special needs individuals are well taken care of,” she said and shared with the audience that she had taken a deep personal interest in autism disability as one of her grandchildren has the condition.
The state government had provided a grant of RM4.179 million to KAA on March 4 last year to build its second educational block which will house a sheltered workshop, a merchandise shop, an art gallery, a launderette and a car wash centre.
The association had been receiving state grants of between RM5,000 and RM20,000 since 2003, and a yearly operation grant to match the amount derived from donations which started last year.
Aside from the existing OneStop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC), Fatimah said there is a proposal to set up a Special Needs Community Centre (SNCC) under the 12th Malaysia Plan with a ceiling value of RM5 million and a scheme value of RM55 million.
“Autistic individuals and their families are very much a part of our society, I would like to stress that as a caring and inclusive society, we should always work towards understanding and reaching out to every autistic person,” she added.
The minister also expressed the hope that Sarawak will be overall champion for the 14th time in the Para Sukma to be held in October.
The two books launched during the ceremony were ‘Into a New World' by Roselind Wee and ‘The Broken Tajau' by Victoria Siaw Wei Yah. Proceeds from the sale of both books will be donated to the association.
Wee's book describes the challenges and experiences in raising an autistic child while Siaw provides an insight into the daily struggles and hardships that families of autistic individuals go through.
Among those present during the ceremony was Fatimah's deputy Mohamad Razi Sitam, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan's wife Datuk Dayang Morliah Awang Daud, Wee and KAA president Dr Catherine Chen.