KUCHING: Early intervention and rehabilitation for children diagnosed with autism is important so that they are ready to go for formal education upon reaching the age of seven, said Women, Child and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
“The earlier these children are diagnosed and given appropriate therapies, the better the chances for their improvement,” she said during the One-Stop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC) Sarawak Graduation Ceremony Year 2022 here yesterday.
She said there was also an urgent need to expand the present OSEIC which was first launched on Oct 30, 2020, as this would result in more opportunities for diagnosis, therapies, and early intervention for not only young autistic children but also Down syndrome and disabled children.
“The 100 per cent success of OSEIC Sarawak children joining formal education bears testimony to the effectiveness of early intervention for young special needs children.”
Yesterday, the event witnessed 18 six-year-old and seven seven-year-old children from OSEIC Sarawak graduating, and they will join formal education, either mainstream education or integrated special classes under the Ministry of Education (MoE).
Fatimah added that OSEIC Sarawak would continue to offer a beacon of hope to many more parents and make a big difference in the lives of young special needs children in Sarawak and the centre would play an important role in maximising the potential of the special needs children.
“The success of this first centre can be a catalyst to the establishment of other such centres in other divisions,” she said.
The minister also called on more corporate companies to emulate the initiative by Petronas. To set up OSEIC Sarawak under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.
“Undoubtedly, so much more can be done to improve the lives of our special needs community. And under the 12th Malaysia Plan, the Special Needs Community Centre (SNCC) has been approved with a ceiling value of RM5 million and a scheme value of RM55 million.
“SNCC is an even bigger project undertaken by the Sarawak government to ensure inclusivity of the less privileged persons with disabilities so that they are not left behind.
“SNCC encompasses a one-stop early intervention centre, primary and secondary schools, a one-stop enabling intervention centre providing vocational training, sheltered workshop, day care and residential group home for special needs individuals left with no next of kin to care for them as well as sports and recreational activities,” she said.
She said the concept of providing various facilities for special needs communities under one roof was the first of its kind in Malaysia.
OSEIC Sarawak and the eventual setting up of SNCC, she said, portrayed the serious commitment of the state government to improve the well-being of the disabled, vulnerable and disadvantaged.
The event was officiated by the wife of the Head of State, Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Ragad Kurdi Taib.
Ragad later also presented an educational assistance of RM5,000 to Connie Ong Hui May, a person with disabilities under the Ragad Foundation.
Ong, a former SMK Oya student obtained a CGPA of 4 for her Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examination in 2018 and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Accountancy (Hons) at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
