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/
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