Skip to main content

“Autistic children: Understanding the plight of God’s special creation”

AUTISTIC children, particularly adolescent autistics, face a number of myths and challenges. They are often labelled as having “a low IQ” and in extreme circumstances, as being unintelligent, unruly children and youth. 

Unfortunately, the general public fails to recognise that these children are special, and that some of them are actually intelligent and gifted.

Famed artistes and scientists such as Dan Aykroyd, Susan Boyle, Albert Einstein, Temple Grandin, Daryl Hannah, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Heather Kuzmich are just a few examples of renowned autistic persons. For instance, the former is a comedic actor who was expelled from two schools as a child before being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. 

The issues

The question now is whether or not these Malaysian children are given proper recognition. Are their rights as citizens of this country fully respected?

In recent years, the Government has taken a number of initiatives, including tax deductions for parents who have these children in their care. Furthermore, many children receive financial assistance from a range of Government agencies through various programmes aimed at easing the financial burden of raising these special children.

The Government’s efforts for these youngsters, in partnership with NGOs such as the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM) and the Persatuan OKU Sentral (OKU Sentral Association) or OKU Sentral, are genuinely amazing. However, more that can be done in this area. 

To begin with, I am hesitant to categorise them as OKU (disabled people). Every child is the same but are unique in their own way. Who are we to put labels these children?  They are, in my opinion, God’s special children. 

In most cases, some of these children recovered completely later in life, but the stigma of being an OKU will follow them for the rest of their lives. Is it fair to them?

The importance of these special children must be addressed in our society, as they are a part of it. They should not be labelled just to separate them from the rest of the society. These children have dignity sense of self-worth. This must be unconditionally accepted by society.

Moreover, if the child, for example, has fully recovered, the Government must devise a process to remove the OKU designation totally, allowing the children to resume their normal lives.

Secondly, some of these children are from low-income or impoverished homes and live in rural areas. Unfortunately, facilities to support these special children are concentrated in large cities like Kuala Lumpur. These youngsters from remote areas must have access to the facilities too, including teachers and trainers.

Neglected due to financial constraints 

Due to lack of access to these facilities, these special children in rural areas are be abandoned and neglected by their parents, not because they don’t love them, but because of their financial constraints, which prevent them from providing for their basic necessities. 

Is it then fair to blame these parents for their children’s neglect? What can we, as citizens, do to assist these family, particularly these precious children?

Another issue here is the majority of these children come from upper-middle-class families, with some families having only one child with autism. As a result, they are willing to pay a significant amount of money to send their children to various activities where the fees are, in my opinion, are high. I understand that these instructors and trainers invest a significant amount of time and money to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to assist these children. 

Teachers and trainers from NASOM, for example, have contributed to the transformation of these children by prioritising them over their own families. Their sacrifice is greatly appreciated, and in some cases, they played a critical part in the children’s recovery. 

There will be some bad apples, just as there will be in any other field or industry. These unethical individuals are only interested in making money not in the recovery and welfare of these youngsters. Families of autistic children suffer a great deal as a result of these types of teachers and trainers, and in some circumstances, their progress is interrupted. 

These types of teachers and trainers must be identified and removed from the system to protect the interests of these children. Because of a few bad teachers, the majority’s contributions and commitments are being called into doubt.

It is still unclear whether Malaysia has a monitoring mechanism in place to register and regulate trainers and teachers/instructors for autistic children or any other special children for that matter. 

Government authorities in developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, strictly regulate these trainers and teachers as recognised professionals. 

For instance, the National Autistic Society of the United Kingdom offers an Essential Autism Course (EAC). 

EAC teaches about autism and how to support persons who have it, among other things. It is interactive and equips delegates with strategies to use at work. It also looks at how delegates might adopt their tactics to provide the best possible support and understanding for autistic people.

Furthermore, on successful completion of the training course, applicants are licenced to deliver the Essential Autism Course within their own organisation, having signed a two-year licencing agreement.

Back to Malaysia, I am curious if there is any umbrella body in Malaysia that governs or oversees these educators and trainers under the auspices of the respective Government bodies or ministries, like how the Malaysian Bar Council represents lawyers, the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) represents accountants and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) represents doctors.

Vulnerable due to lack of awareness  

If there isn’t one, now is the time for stakeholders, including the ministry concerned, to form to protect the children’s rights and wellbeing.

Finally, I would like to touch on the Government’s involvement in assisting these children. They must play a key part in this by recognising these children as assets rather than liabilities to the country. 

 

In 2018, a 22-year-old male was detained in Subang Jaya for allegedly outraging the modesty of a woman. The autistic man has the mental capacity of a 13-year-old and has no idea why he was detained or what are the implications of his conduct. 

Despite his parents’ attempts to explain his situation to the police, he was remanded. Fortunately, the police’s request for further remand was rejected by the Petaling Jaya court.

His mother stated that she will not place all of the blame on the lady or the police in this case because they are not aware on the existence of autistic children or men.

This case demonstrates how vulnerable autistic children or men are as ordinary people often misinterpret their everyday gestures. His mother’s approach ought to be commended.  

Thus, the Government must utilise its machinery to educate the public about these children and strive harder to eradicate the stigma that surrounds them.

The various Government agencies, especially enforcement agencies like the police and the Immigration Department, for example, must train their personnel on how to deal with autistic children, adults, and women. These trained officers should be stationed in every district, where they may educate their colleagues about these children, men, and women.

Despite the fact that the Education Ministry (MOE) encourages these children to integrate into mainstream society, a lack of awareness of these children’s circumstances among ordinary teachers makes it difficult. 

Therefore, it is critical not only to establish special education teachers in schools but also to re-educate or introduce ordinary teachers to the conditions of these autistic children, which will be critical to the achievement of the MOE’s novel intention.

Perhaps, we should consider giving companies that have hired autistic men and women special incentives. Furthermore, Government-linked companies (GLCs) can adopt a policy requiring this group to make up 5% to 10% of their employees.

Conclusion

Every citizen, including autistic people, are protected by the Federal Constitution. As a result, it is the obligation of the State to ensure that autistic people’s rights are safeguarded. They should not be secluded or denied the right to exercise their citizenship rights.

Meanwhile, the society must also take a proactive role by respecting the dignity of these individuals and unconditionally accepting them.

Furthermore, public-private partnerships can be established to provide a necessary platform for these individuals to have a brighter and more secure future independent of their families. 

Even though the Government’s is moving in the right direction on this, more can be done. With MPs assistance, the current and future Governments of this country should come up with a national programme or plan by enacting legislations to safeguard the future of these special people. 

In a nutshell, if you notice an autistic child wandering about outside, do not ignore or look down on them. 

Instead, celebrate their individuality by reassuring them that they are alright and God’s gift to the world too, like every one of us. – March 20, 2022

Source: https://focusmalaysia.my/autistic-children-understanding-the-plight-of-gods-special-creation/

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

India-Malaysia ties and the future

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is on his first official visit to India. The main aim of this visit is to seek support for Malaysia’s application to join Brics and to fortify bilateral ties, as the country is keen to improve its connections with one of the rapidly expanding economies in Asia. In light of the increasing crumbling of the global order, particularly stemming from trade disputes between the United States and China, as well as the proxy conflict involving the United States and Russia, Malaysia is encouraged to reassess its foreign policy to uphold its neutral stance. Given India’s status as the largest democracy and the fifth-largest economy globally, along with its notable advancements in indigenous space and defence technologies, it is proposed that India emerge as Malaysia’s key partner in the years ahead. Why India is important for Malaysia The historical ties between India and Malaysia extend back several centuries, with significant Indian cultural, religious, and administ...

THE HISTORY OF TERRORISM: MORE THAN 200 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT

The history of terrorism dates back at least 1500 years when Jewish resistance groups (66 - 72 A.D.) known as Zealots killed Roman soldiers and destroyed Roman property. The term assassin comes from a Shi'ite Muslim sect (Nizari Isma'ilis - also known as hashashins "hashish-eaters") fighting Sunni Muslims (1090 - 1275) and during Medieval Christendom resisting occupation during the Crusades (1095-1291). The hashashins were known to spread terror in the form of murder, including women and children. The brotherhood of Assassins committed terror so as to gain paradise and seventy-two virgins if killed and to receive unlimited hashish while on earth. The modern development of terrorism began during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror (1793 - 1794). During this period the term terrorism was first coined. Through the past two hundred years, terrorism has been used to achieve political ends and has developed as a tool for liberation, oppression, and i...

The by-election in Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) and the Indian electorate

  I was born in Malaysia, belonging to the Indian ethnic group, which constitutes approximately 7% of the country's total population. My durable credence is that I am Malaysian first and foremost, and only then do I identify myself as Indian. Regrettably, it saddens me to witness and hear about the actions of certain politicians who question my loyalty to Malaysia. What is even more disheartening is that some Malaysians have been influenced by the manipulative rhetoric of these self-serving politicians. Recently, I have observed numerous discussions on both mainstream and online news platforms regarding the recognition and inclusion of Indians by ruling parties. Surprisingly, even the opposition has displayed a significant interest in the welfare of Indians. Upon contemplating the reasons behind this sudden surge in attention towards Indians, it becomes evident that it is primarily driven by the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election. It is noteworthy that such ...