Children attending the centre receive daily care services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, as well as educational support to prepare them for mainstream school.
FOR its efforts and success in preparing autistic children for mainstream school, the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) Autism Centre in Rawang was awarded RM100,000 from the state government.
Centre manager Sharifah Salleh who received the aid from Selangor Health, Welfare, Women and Family Affairs Committee chairman Dr Daroyah Alwi, said the children at the centre received daily care services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, as well as educational support.
“Our main goal is to prepare them to go to school like other children.
“With the help of 11 professionals who teach autistic children, all of them have successfully stepped into mainstream school,” she said.
Sharifah added that so far, two out of 60 children managed to get a place in normal classes while some were enrolled in a special education class.
When providing the cash aid, Dr Daroyah reminded Selangor residents, especially those earning below RM3,900, to apply for Skim Peduli Sihat and Kasih Ibu Smart Selangor schemes to enjoy health benefits and monetary support from the state government.
Thanking the state government for the donation, Ideas centre chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the centre really needed funds to support the children’s education and welfare.
“As we only accept children from families earning below RM3,900, we charge them a maximum of RM300 per month.
“So the balance from the total cost of around RM2,700 has to be subsidised from the funds we receive from sponsors,” said Wan Saiful.
He said Yayasan Sime Darby is their biggest funder until Dec 2019 and we will apply again for funding after that.
“At the same time, we also want to be self sustaining so that we can be less of a burden to Yayasan Sime Darby who has already been a great supporter giving aid after continuously sponsoring the centre for four years to provide funds to other welfare organisations,” he said.
This year, he said the Ideas centre has 31 children aged between three and nine years.
Besides education and special therapies, the centre also provides meals for the children, based on a healthy eating guideline.
