KUCHING: As of September 2024, nearly 64,000 children have been diagnosed with autism, marking an 815 per cent increase from 6,991 cases in 2013.
This shows that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses have seen a significant rise in Malaysia over recent years.
In Sarawak, the Welfare Department reports that out of 15,547 individuals registered under the learning disability category, 2,584 are diagnosed with autism.
In Sibu, 127 new cases were recorded in 2022; before that, there was an average of around 70 cases per year.
The Kuching Autistic Association (KAA) is a non-governmental organisation that has set up its Educational Centre to provide specialised programmes for individuals with autism.
KAA strives to enhance educational and vocational opportunities for individuals with autism in Sarawak while also working to raise public awareness about autism.
Ultimately, KAA seeks to enable members of the autism community to live meaningful, independent and economically productive lives.
Dr Catherine Chen, the president of the organisation, emphasised the significant impact of KAA’s Educational and Vocational Training Centre in supporting countless individuals with autism and their families, while also fostering greater awareness about autism.
“Over the years, the number of students has been increasing. When KAA started its first educational centre in 1999, we had only one teacher and three students.
“When we first moved into our current building in 2013, we had about 70 students and now we have 170 students.
“You can see over the last 10 years, autism diagnoses haveincreased a lot, and we still have a long waiting list. Every few days, we get parents coming in who need help,” she said.
Dr Chen has been with KAA since 2006. She started as a committee member in the association, eventually becoming the secretary and president for the last five years.
Dr Chen said, “The association is very close to my heart because I have an adult son who’s 31 years old now with autism.”
“The majority of our students are young students in the early intervention programme or Elementary Instruction Programme (EIP). We have 117 EIP students from three to 12 years old.
“In this programme, we focus on improving their communication and social skills, managing their behaviour and sensory issues and teaching them personal hygiene and living skills. These are the most basic and important life skills that every child needs to have.
“If they cannot speak, we help them learn to speak. But not all will be able to say words or speak clearly, so we use non-verbal communication techniques, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS),” she said.
“Parents and carers play a crucial role in teaching children with autism at home. Our students spend only two hours per session, or 20 hours per month at KAA.
“We can only help with training but the parents need to do whatever they need at home. Parents and carers need to be fully involved in the kids’ progress.
“They need to put in the efforts to help their kids improve, to learn to communicate with them, to take care of themselves and learn all the skills like toileting, bathing, brushing teeth and hand-washing at home.
“We strongly encourage parents and carers to carry out the same therapy that our teachers provide at KAA in their respective homes.
“Turn your home into a therapy centre if necessary. When parents and family members are hands-on and actively training their autistic child at home, you see the results.”
The centre also caters to youngsters from ages 13 to 18 under the Secondary Instruction Programme (SIP). There are currently 29 teenagers enrolled in the programme, with an additional 14 expected to join next year.
This programme is more focused on pre-vocational training, which means teaching them living skills, work skills and functional communication.
The centre seeks to develop the talents and abilities of the students, such as art skills, the ability to do beadwork and handicraft, car wash, laundry, general cleaning, cooking and packaging. The more high-functioning students could be trained in office and computer skills, photocopying, laminating, typing, etc.
“We are trying to see what they can do so that by the time they are 19 or 20 years old, we hope we can employ them under our Sunshine Hub Sheltered Workshop,” said Dr Chen.
The Sunshine Hub Sheltered Workshop is a training and employment programme for adults with ASD. Currently, 14 adults with ASD are employed at this workshop, where they work under the guidance of KAA staff.
“The adults do car wash, gardening, grow mushrooms, do beadwork and artwork. Some are learning to bake and cook.
“By next year, we hope to establish a small café in our new building, where some of them can assist in preparing food and drinks.,” said Dr Chen.
“These are ways in which we are trying to find more employment for them.”
Dr Chen also shared that the new vocational training block, which was still being constructed, would be completed by next year.
She expressed gratitude to the Sarawak government for contributing RM4.179 million to the building project. The balance of funds came from fundraisers.
“We are very much fundraising-driven because parents pay RM260 to RM400 a month for services, but it costs the association around RM900 per child to provide the necessary therapy and training.
“That means we are subsidising the fees quite heavily. Therefore, we need to raise RM750,000 every year from fundraising and donation, and that’s quite a burden on us,”
Still, she is grateful for corporate sponsors and private individuals who are helping the centre with fundraising.
“Every contribution goes a long way in providing services for children and young adults with autism. On behalf of KAA, I would like to thank all our sponsors and individuals who have supported our fundraising activities and contributed in many ways to help transform the lives of children and young adults with autism.”
Last February, KAA hosted an Autism Art Exhibition at The Spring Mall, showcasing artworks created by KAA students. Visitors and corporate organidations supported the event by purchasing some of the displayed artworks and Autism Art merchandise.
This month, KAA will be having its eighth charity run, known as the Meow Autism Run 2025.
Dr Chen extends her gratitude to the corporate sponsors and all those who have registered for the run. Nearly 3,000 participants have signed up for the event, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 13, at the MBKS car park.
“On Sunday, July 13, KAA will have its annual charity sale and food fair. This fundraising event has been running for more than 20 years.
“As this is our main source of fundraising, we hope to see more contributors, both corporate and individual, at our Charity Sale and Food Fair this year. We are very grateful to those who have been supporting us through the years,” she said.
In the next few years, Dr Chen hoped that KAA would continue to provide the necessary services to children with ASD, especially early intervention, as it was the most crucial.
“So for me, the greatest focus is therapy and training for ASD kids below seven. The most significant effects of therapy can be seen in children aged three to seven years old.
“You have to get the therapy and training properly done as young as possible so that it will help the kids for the rest of their lives.
“Secondly, we need to help them to pick up more communication and life skills so that they are able to take care of themselves, and then, if they can work, that would be a bonus,” she added.
Members of the public also play a crucial role in helping individuals with autism, and it starts with accepting them the way they are.
Dr Chen said that over the years, there had been a lot more awareness about autism.
“Acceptance is the next step. When people see a child with autism at the supermarket or in public spaces, they are more understanding and accepting.
“Support can come in many forms — financial aid for the centre, as well as emotional and psychological support.
“Interacting with someone with autism means showing understanding, giving them space and respecting their needs, all of which are important.”
