DIGNITY & SERVICES

Supported Living Program: 9-10-11 Feb 2012

2012-03-13T14:10:00.003+08:00

Activity: Patsy making spaghetti
Objective: To enable members to taste different meals

Activity: Wai Keen sharing his experience on his trips to Langkawi & Singapore with Fendi.
Objective: To enable members to express themselves.

Supported Living Program: 2-3 March 2012

2012-03-08T11:50:00.003+08:00

Activity: Fendi's birthday & Farewell party
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends.

Supported Living Program: 24-25-26 Feb 2012

2012-03-08T11:46:00.002+08:00

Activity: Making Fendi's (D&S Staff) birthday & Farewell card and watching a film together.
Objective: To enable members to learn about caring for each other.

Supported Living Program: 17-18 Feb 2012

2012-03-08T11:35:00.003+08:00

Activity: Watching Fendi's (D&S Staff) theatrical musical pantomime "Si Putih & the 7 Makciks". Fendi was acting in the show as "Mak Giggles" of the 7 Makciks. It was staged on The Actor's Studio at Lot 10.
Objective: To enable members to be aware of art cultures.

Supported Living Program: 14 Feb 2012

2012-03-08T11:29:00.003+08:00

Activity: Cheque giving ceremony by Jeffrey Cheah Foundation
Objective: To enable members & parents to participate in OPTIONS programmes. To appreciate & to show Jeffrey Cheah Foundation what OPTIONS is all about.

Supported Living Program: 10-11-12 Feb 2012

2012-02-15T10:08:00.002+08:00

Activity: SEGI AIESECERS, Associates & Volunteers giving OPTIONS members a visit and some items for donation.
Objective: To enable members to interact with the community and make new friends.

Activity: Kenhan's birthday party
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends

Activity: Sunday morning jogging with Josh Green
Objective: To train OPTIONS members for upcoming marathon.

Supported Living Program: 3-4 Feb 2012

2012-02-15T10:05:00.000+08:00

Activity: Current Affairs ( Whats in the newpaper today ?)
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world.

Activity: Cleaning of OPTIONS kitchen
Objective: To enable members to take care of the OPTIONS house

Supported Living Program: 27-28-29 Jan 2012

2012-02-15T09:59:00.002+08:00

Activity: Discussion about Chinese New Year
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the cultures of Chinese New Year and to share their excitements on their holidays.

Activity: Having lunch at Secret Recipe TTDI
Objective: To enable members to interact with each other and the community.

Supported Living Program: 13-14 Jan 2012

2012-02-15T09:55:00.002+08:00

Activity: Sara cake making session
Objective: To learn basic baking skills

Supported Living Program: 6-7-8 Jan 2012

2012-02-15T09:50:00.003+08:00

Activity: Changing curtains
Objective: To teach individual on how to take care of the OPTIONS house.

Activity: Evaluating OPTIONS 2011 programme activity
Objective: To get all members involved and participating in generating ideas for the programme

Supported Living Program: 9-10 Dec 2011

2012-01-29T15:59:00.001+08:00

Activity: Julie's birthday party
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends.

Supported Living Program: 25-26 Nov 2011

2012-01-29T15:43:00.003+08:00

Activity:
D&S High Tea Event "20 Years On" at the KL Convention Centre.
Objective: To promote awareness on disability and the work of D&S and book launch of One Voice.

Supported Living Program: 18-19-20 Nov 2011

2012-01-29T15:39:00.003+08:00

Activity: Practicing songs for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011.
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Activity: Making cupcakes to sell for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011 with Standarad Chartered Volunteers.
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Supported Living Program: 11-12 Nov 2011

2012-01-29T15:37:00.002+08:00

Activity: CJ's birthday party
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends.

Dignity & Services - 20 years on. A fund raising event

2011-11-07T20:53:00.004+08:00

Dignity & Services cordially invites you to our fundraising high tea event at

Event: Dignity & Services - 20 Years On - A Fund Raising Event
Date: Sat 26th November 2011
Venue: Conference Halls 1 & 2, Level 3, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Time: 3pm - 5pm

For inquiries, please contact:
Mettilda John
Tel: 03-7725 5569
Email: dignityandservices@yahoo.com

Thank You for your kind support.

Supported Living Program: 4-5 Nov 2011

2011-11-07T15:39:00.002+08:00

Activity: Practicing songs for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Activity: Financial Literacy by Standard Chartered Volunteers
Objective: To teach members about how to Save, Spend & Share money (Recap & Part 2)

Supported Living Program: 29-30 Oct 2011

2011-11-07T15:35:00.001+08:00

Activity: Discussion about cleaning the house
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to understand the proper way to clean house

Activity: Practicing songs for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Supported Living Program: 22-23 Oct 2011

2011-11-07T15:31:00.001+08:00

Activity: Practicing songs for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Activity: St.Mary's cathedral
Objective: To promote & create awareness for OPTIONS and our klcc fund raising event.

Supported Living Program: 15 Oct 2011

2011-11-07T15:28:00.001+08:00

Activity: Making organic cookies & muffins to sell at Organic Day event at SS2
Objective: To promote public awareness about organic products and raise fund for OPTIONS & Bake4Fund

Activity: Practicing songs for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Supported Living Program: 7-8 Oct 2011

2011-11-07T15:25:00.002+08:00

Activity: Making homemade pizzas
Objective: To teach members on learning new dishes

Activity: Practicing songs for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011 with Brian Yim
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Supported Living Program: 1-2 Oct 2011

2011-11-07T15:23:00.001+08:00

Activity: Playing badminton with volunteers from Standard Chartered Bank
Objective: To improve their hand-eye coordination

Supported Living Program: 23-24 Sept 2011

2011-11-07T15:19:00.001+08:00

Activity: Practicing songs for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011.
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Activity: Playing badminton with volunteers from Standard Chartered Bank
Objective: To improve their hand-eye coordination

Supported Living Program: 16-17 Sept 2011

2011-11-07T15:12:00.002+08:00

Activity: Cleaning the house fans
Objective: To teach members on keeping the house clean

Activity: Practicing songs for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011 with Brian Yim
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Supported Living Program: 9-10-11 Sept 2011

2011-09-13T12:02:00.004+08:00

Activity: Practicing "You Raise Me Up" song for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011.
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Activity: Financial Literacy by Standard Chartered Volunteers
Objective: To teach members about how to Save, Spend & Share money.

ONE VOICE: Sept 2011

2011-09-13T12:01:00.002+08:00

Wednesday September 7, 2011

Hope in the face of autism

By ALEXANDRA JUNG

To all despairing parents: Just hang in there, things do get better.

WHEN my son was diagnosed with moderate autism 14 years ago, my first mission was to talk to other parents who had trudged the path before me. Years later, that same feeling intensified when my son struggled through the pain and confusion of puberty, hauling the rest of the family along in trying to re-establish some form of sanity and peace. Both times, I felt ill-prepared and lost.

Had someone shown me the book, Parenting Across The Autism Spectrum – Unexpected Lessons We Have Learned by Ann Palmer and Maureen Morrell, it would have spared me many hours of despair and bolstered my confidence.

The authors, Palmer and Morrell, are mothers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children who met through a parent support group in North Carolina. Their respective sons, Eric and Justin, are now both in their twenties. They are on opposite ends of the autism spectrum, living out their lives on completely different routes.

Eric, a quiet and passive boy, went through the mainstream school system and is now staying in a university dormitory.

Justin, described as a “whirlwind of activity and mood swings” is currently living in a residential farm community. These two wise and witty mums are now in what they call their “empty-nest time” and are sharing their stories, providing well-earned lessons.

This book is not about which intervention works, or how to teach or cure your child. It offers something far more valuable. It is a treasure trove filled with pearls of wisdom on how to emerge from this arduous journey with your sanity and sense of humour intact, your family stronger with your relatives and friends still willing to be on your Facebook friends list. It is written with such candid ease, it had me laughing and crying many times over.

It amazes me that although geographically we are so far apart and that these two mothers are in a country which offers a support system that is in stark contrast to mine, yet we all share similar experiences of exhaustion, feelings of guilt and anguish when dealing with our children.

I identify more with Morrell’s story as my son is very similar to hers. She had me in stitches describing the kind of mother she wanted to be as an “all-wise and all-loving perfect mom, a close approximation of Mother Teresa had she chosen the biological route…”

And yet, on the very next page, she had me fighting back tears, as I read and recognised those very feelings that I suppressed and refused to entertain whenever it rears its ugly head during the darkest stretches of the journey.

“When I was honest with myself, I resented him for being so difficult. I blamed him for robbing me of a future that held any chance of happiness.”

While I was in North Carolina last year for an autism training course, I had the opportunity to meet these two remarkable ladies and posed them a question: “Knowing what you know now, what is one that you wish you knew earlier?”

Morrell replied: “I wish someone could have told me to just breathe, because things do get better. Just hang in there and keep working on it.”

That injection of hope was just what I needed to propel me to soldier on. William Shakespeare was probably right to say: “The miserable have no other medicine, but only hope.”

Talking about misery, it brings me to another book, Boy Alone by Karl Taro Greenfield. It is a gripping account of a family’s struggle with Noah, Karl’s severely autistic brother, and their search for help. Karl talks about how his family life revolves around Noah, and how neglected he felt.

“I can feel the room tilting toward you whenever you walk in ... all the attention and parental love drains into you, never to come back out. You possess gravity out of all proportion to your size.”

His parents’ preoccupation with Noah, leave them little time and energy to care for Karl as they seem oblivious to his stealing sprees and drug addiction. The title Boy Alone refers as much to Noah, as to Karl.

Thinking it is a book written by a sibling, initially I wanted to pass this book to my eldest (neuro-typical) son once I was done with it. In the end, the depressing book left me drained of energy and hope. I wanted to either throw that book or myself out of the window. It was brutally honest, definitely not a recommended read for emotionally vulnerable parents. In the end, I gave the book to a social worker who wanted to start a sibling support group.

There is probably a 20-year gap between Noah’s time and that of Eric and Justin. I guess services improve with every generation and that is why the outcome for Noah as opposed to Eric and Justin, is so starkly different.

No matter how bad it seems, like Morrell says, “just breathe”. The key is that we keep working at it. With hope and faith in our hearts, despair has no chance to take root.

For enquiries of services and support groups, please call Malaysian Care ( 03-9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569) or e-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/9/7/lifeliving/9380494&sec=lifeliving

ONE VOICE: Aug 2011

2011-09-13T12:01:00.001+08:00

Wednesday August 3, 2011

Music to the ears

One Voice
By PANG HIN YUE

The new Music Dream Centre in Selangor serves as a platform for the learning disabled community to develop and showcase their talent.

WHEN her daughter, Ler Pei Yi, was diagnosed with autism three years ago, part-time beautician Winnie Low found herself on a sharp learning curve. As she braced herself for the barrage of information on the neurological disorder, she learnt the heart-breaking lesson on rejection.

“My daughter had been turned away many times by music teachers when I tried to enrol her. The usual excuse is, they only accept ‘normal’ students as they don’t have the patience to teach those with special needs,” she laments.

But when she got wind that Rotary Club of Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya in Selangor, has opened its Music Dream Centre for the learning disabled, Winnie took her daughter there to have her registered as the six-year-old girl loves music and dancing.

That’s my girl: Winnie Low cheers on as her daughter Pei Yi (left) hits the keyboard.

A creative centre that caters exclusively to the learning disabled community is music to the ears of families which have been affected by children with learning disorders.

Parents like Kee Yong Chen and Sakuntala Manikkam share the hope that their Down syndrome sons will find a niche in music.

“I have been looking for an avenue for my 19-year-old son, Veshuan, to sing and dance, and I’m glad that there is such a place now,” enthuses Sakuntala.

“This centre is dedicated to people with learning disabilities. We see the need for such a centre as we understand that many parents have problems getting music schools to accept their special needs children. This is a platform for them to unleash their talent,” says K.G. Tan, president of the Rotary Club of Bandar Utama.

The newly renovated and fully air-conditioned centre in Perdana Damansara, Petaling Jaya, offers lessons in piano, percussion, guitar, drums, singing and dancing in group settings for persons with ages ranging from seven to 21. Consideration will be given to those below seven and above 21 after an assessment.

Multi-talented Brian John Yim who readily accepted the Rotarians’ invitation to be the centre’s coordinator on a pro bono basis, says the Music Dream Centre is a pilot project which he hopes to replicate in other states within the next two years to benefit more families.

“The idea is to develop and nurture talents that will lead to students giving public performances,” he says, adding that he is on the look-out for friends in the music and entertainment industry to volunteer their time at the centre.

Tan who strongly believes that there are gifted artists, singers and musicians among the learning disabled community, hopes that by showcasing their talents on stage, they will be able to earn a living and gain independence in the long run.

“It is a small step we take to raise public awareness. With community support, people with learning disorders can realise their full potential,” says Tan.

Aptitude

Students who show an aptitude for learning and playing musical instruments are placed under the centre’s music education programme where they learn in groups of five to 10.

Those who have yet to show their inclination, undergo a therapy programme where music is used as the medium of instruction. Four sessions lasting an hour each, is held monthly.

Tan says the club needs at least RM100,000 a year to run the centre. “We are thankful that we have a few sponsors and we will continue to raise funds through various events as we want to make this place viable,” he adds.

Families who sign up their children at the centre, can enjoy discounts for books, and access to experts in child psychology, therapists in various disciplines and motivational speakers.

Although the announcement was made via e-mails and by word of mouth, the turnout exceeded the Rotary Club members’ expectations. The centre was packed to the brim with parents and their children last Saturday when the Rotarians invited them to register and hear a presentation about their vision for the centre.

The affable Tan admitted that before he watched the National Autism Society of Malaysia’s (Nasom) choir performed at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra’s chamber hall last year, he did not realise the magnitude of the problems faced by the learning disabled in the country. After seeing how Yim had succeeded in grooming and training the autistic children to sing in Nasom’s choir, Tan decided to rope in the former to run the centre.

Statistically, the global trend for people with autism stands at a ratio of 1:110 compared to Down syndrome with a ratio of 1:800.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of autism for ages three to 10 is 3.4 per 1,000, higher than the rates for cerebral palsy (2.8 per 1,000), hearing loss (1.1 per 1,000) and vision impairment (0.9 per 1,000).

As such, Yim expects 60% of the students at the centre will be persons with autism, while another 20% will be those with Down syndrome, with the remaining 20% for those with non-specified developmental delays.

Rotary club member Chong Hing Pheng, who helped her dyslexic son overcome his reading problems through intensive therapy, urges parents not to give up on their special needs children.

Chong, a human resource director, who volunteers at the centre, advises parents to focus on building up their children’s confidence.

That her son, Kuan Yew Gene, sings for the Kuala Lumpur Children’s Choir, should encourage parents to look for the silver lining in every challenge.

The Rotary Club of Bandar Utama’s Music Dream Centre is located at 28-3A, Lot No C/27-3, Jln PJU 8/5G, Bandar Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. For details contact K.G. Tan (012-323 0007/03-7710 3210).

For enquiries of services and support groups, please call Malaysian Care ( 03-9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com

Supported Living Program: 2-3 Sept 2011

2011-09-13T11:58:00.003+08:00

Activity: Making paper trays by Monash Students
Objective: To improve their hand-eye coordination

Activity: Practicing "You Raise Me Up" song for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011.
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Supported Living Program: 26-27 Aug 2011

2011-09-13T11:51:00.004+08:00

Activity: Appropriate use of handphones as a medium of communication by HELP College students
Objective: To teach OPTIONS members about using the handphones appropriately.

Activity: Practicing "You Raise Me Up" song for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011.
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Activity: Signing of One Two Juice Contractual Agreements.
Objective: To teach and introduce them about real-life work situation.

Supported Living Program: 19-20 Aug 2011

2011-09-13T11:46:00.004+08:00

Activity: Practicing "You Raise Me Up" song for our 2nd KLCC Fund Raising Event 2011.
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event.

Activity: Hinyue cake making
Objective: To learn basic baking skills

Supported Living Program: 13 August 2011

2011-08-13T21:03:00.003+08:00

Activity: Brian Yip audition
Objective: To practice a song for our upcoming fund-raising event at KLCC

Supported Living Program: 8 August 2011

2011-08-13T20:59:00.003+08:00

Activity: Brian Yip audition
Objective: To practice a song for our upcoming fund-raising event at KLCC

Supported Living Program: 29-30-31 July 2011

2011-08-13T20:52:00.004+08:00

Activity: Making ketupat decorations with Standard Chartered Bank Volunteers
Objective: To learn how to make a ketupat decoration

Activity: Dancing exercise.
Objective: To improve their hand-eye coordination and to have fun among groups.

Supported Living Program: 22-23 July 2011

2011-08-13T20:47:00.004+08:00

Activity: Wai Keen's birthday party
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends.

Activity: Practicing making green smoothies
Objective: To improve their skills in making fruit smoothies as this is for our upcoming fruit juice project with Selangor Dredging Berhad.

Supported Living Program: 15-16-17 July 2011

2011-07-19T12:35:00.003+08:00

Activity: Standard Chartered Sustainability Picnic at Taman Rimba Kiara TTDI. Planting trees and throwing mudballs to clean the pond.
Objective: To promote public awareness and our OPTIONS group about taking care of mother nature.

Activity: Practicing making fruit smoothies.
Objective: To improve their skills in making fruit smoothies as this is for our upcoming fruit juice project with Selangor Dredging Berhad.

Activity: Playing outdoor activities at TTDI park.
Objective: To enable individuals to have fun among friends.

Activity: Our 2nd Olympic Day Fun Run 7km 2011
Objective: To participate in mainstream sports and be a visible part of the community.

ONE VOICE: July 2011

2011-07-13T14:19:00.002+08:00

Wednesday July 13, 2011

Walk with faith

One Voice
By PANG HIN YUE

Big-hearted volunteers walk the extra mile to raise funds for people with learning disabilities.

SHE took a leap of faith when she quit her decade-long job as a secretary and signed up for a diploma course to teach special needs children. Five years on, Rebecca Jane Thomas has taken on another challenge – not only has she dedicated her time to teaching students with learning disabilities, she has also taken on the task of raising funds for the community.

The hot, cloudless day that kept the rain at bay on July 2, brought smiles to Rebecca and her group of volunteers who organised “A Silent Walk In The Night” at 1 Utama Central Park in Petaling Jaya, from 3-8pm.

The inaugural event attracted 450 people and raised RM8,120 for Dignity & Services, a self-advocacy group that works with people with learning disabilities.

Successful: The ‘Silent Walk’ raised RM8,120 for self-advocacy group, Dignity & Services.

It was no small feat, considering that no event management company was hired to do the job. It was just a crowd of big-hearted volunteers who worked diligently for two months to get sponsors and participants for the walk.

“Everything went smoothly. There was a lot of support and goodwill. And we will continue to explore options to raise money for the learning disabled,” enthused Rebecca.

Award-winning singer/songwriter Reshmonu and his two sons, as well as PR queen Datuk Nancy Yeoh, were there to lend their support by taking part in the candle-lit silent walk.

People with learning disorders came out in droves with their families. Some baked cookies for sale, some showcased their artwork and some performed on stage. There were 14 booths at the event, mostly related to providing services and support for the learning disabled.

Instrumental

Singer and song composer Brian John Yim, who had been instrumental in setting up the very first choir of autistic people last year, was at hand to ensure Umar Hasfizal, Clement Ooi and Tan Seng Kit hit the right notes. Their friend, William Chan, spontaneously went up on stage and danced as they sang their hearts out. Many in the crowd looked on in silent admiration. Who could imagine that people with autism, whose biggest issue is language deficit, were up on the stage singing in harmony with the rest.

By all accounts, the event was a huge success. So how did Rebecca manage to pull off the event, given such short notice?

“I have found my calling in life, that is, to teach children with learning disorders and to work with their parents for breakthroughs. Just as I am blessed, I want to pass on the blessings to others,” explained Rebecca.

Although she is open to teaching children with various needs, she finds more and more families who have children with autism and Down syndrome, seeking her services.

Rebecca spends considerable time conducting one-on-one therapy and group learning.

During the day, she teaches two 12-year-old students in an unconventional setting. They are a familiar face at the Starbucks outlet at the Great Eastern Mall in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

“The kids tend to do better when they are not confined to their home. At Starbucks, the students get a chance to learn in a social setting, and the staff have been very helpful and considerate,” she said.

But her daily routine does not end there. Her abundant energy enables her to teach late into the night. Between 8pm and 10.30pm, Rebecca has 12 students with learning disorders at her place in Taman Bukit Angkasa, Kuala Lumpur. She enjoys sharing knowledge with them and getting them to interact with her.

Rebecca is motivated by her love for special needs children. She wants to give hope to their families and share her philosophy that all things are possible.

It is precisely her unbridled energy and optimism that prompted Dignity & Services to partner with her and her group of volunteers.

“What draws us to this motley group of people is their vision, humility and sheer enthusiasm. Most of all, their hope in people with learning disabilities,” said Mettilda John, executive director of Dignity & Services.

From the looks of it, this partnership could be the beginning of more exciting things to come. For the members of Dignity & Services, it was another busy and memorable weekend, having just completed their 5km run the week before at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon.

Altruism is alive and well. What a welcome relief in the wake of selfish drivers who hog parking lots meant for wheelchair-users and commit other insensitive, discriminatory acts.

> One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com. For enquiries of services and support groups, please call Malaysian Care ( 03 90582102) or Dignity & Services (% 03-77255569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/7/13/lifefocus/9066612&sec=lifefocus

Supported Living 1-2-3 July 2011

2011-07-05T10:49:00.003+08:00

Activity: A Silent Walk in the Night at 1 Utama Central Park. Special thanks to Raise Voice for making this happen.
Objective: A Silent Walk In The Night is a fun, friendly, informal charity event open to everyone. Participants gather at a park, walk in silence with a light, to show their support towards enhancing the lives of children with disabilities. It is an evening dedicated towards creating greater awareness of children with learning disabilities and helping them better integrate into our society. xperience the positive power of thousands united by a single cause, by lighting up and walking hand-in-hand in the night. With a few steps, hearts full of love and compassion you will change care giving, education and research.

I, CAREGIVER: Walk of hope

2011-06-30T11:50:00.000+08:00

2011/06/25
JUNEITA JOHARI

THERE is nothing more emotionally hurtful than to be called “stupid”, “mad” and the like, not just for the child that the label was intended for but also for the parents and the family.

Such is the insensitivity that families of children with special needs have to put up with. Many children with special needs look normal. In many cases, only after spending time with them can you notice the difference, like having difficulty paying attention or holding a conversation.

Today, there are programmes that can help these children overcome their weaknesses so they can learn, develop and integrate with society. But such efforts to increase awareness about their special needs and how to help them, have to be a continuous process.

Come Saturday, a group of volunteers made up of caregivers, educators and children with learning disabilities will walk together in an event called A Silent Walk In The Night at Central Park Bandar Utama 1, Petaling Jaya, from 3pm to 8pm.

It is organised by an advocacy movement for people with learning and intellectual disabilities called Raise Voice @ Dignity and Services, by Dignity and Services Sdn Bhd.

“Through this event, we want to remind society that these children with their aspirations can shine brightly if given a helping hand,” says Rebecca Jane Thomas, an educator who works with children with learning disabilities. “The struggles faced by this community and their caregivers cannot be ignored. We should strive to empower and integrate them into society. With proper guidance, some of them can become professionals and leading corporate figures.” The event will start with “raising their voices” through musical performances — bands, choirs and solos. Local group Band3, flutist Dr Radhakrishnan, 12-year-old autistic singer Umar (who has been performing since the age of 3) and an autistic choir put together by Brian John Yim are in the line-up. That is the first autistic choir in the world and it has also been recognised by the Malaysian Book of Records.

There will be food sale, games and creative and educational activities as well.

The event also offers opportunities for parents to sign up with the organisation, stating their needs and making the connection with those rendering specialised services.

The highlight of the evening will be the walk, where they will first light up the Torch and then spread the flame to the next candles or torches. Before the walk, a group of special children will hold candles, each to signify hope of a meaningful life and to celebrate the life and inspiration that each child brings to our community. You are encouraged to bring your own candle, lantern or torch. This act is to symbolise support towards improving the lives of children with disabilities, like a flame of hope.

The walk, which will be carried out in silence, will last for an hour. The silence is to signify the voice that is not heard in terms of advocating the rights of people with learning disabilities. “In silence, it is our hope that the event will contribute towards what is already being done to integrate people with learning disabilities into society at large,” says Thomas.

“Following the event, we hope to have regular forums involving experts so parents, caregivers and teachers can better manage children with learning disabilities.” There will be prizes for the most creative lights. Registration fee is RM10 a person.

For details, email Thomas at rebeccajt1440@yahoo.co.uk.

The writer volunteers at the Special Children Society of Ampang. After more than two decades of grappling with the system, she finds that the whole experience is just one big learning curve. You can reach her at juneitajohari@yahoo.com.

Supported Living Program 24-25-26 June 2011

2011-06-29T14:57:00.008+08:00

Activity: Making organic cookies & muffins to sell at Organic Day event at Tesco Kepong
Objective: To promote public awareness about organic products and raise fund for OPTIONS & Bake4Fund

Activity: Matthew's Birthday Celebration.
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends.

Activity: Our 2nd Standard Chartered KL Marathon 5km Fun Run 2011
Objective: To participate in mainstream sports and be a visible part of the community.

Supported Living 17-18 June 2011

2011-06-29T14:51:00.004+08:00

Activity: Hinyue cake making
Objective: To learn basic baking skills

ONE VOICE: JUNE 2011

2011-06-22T16:30:00.001+08:00

Multinational helps out learning disabled 1 June 2011
ONE VOICE
By PANG HIN YUE

THE Malaysian Armed Forces’ quarters in Desa Tun Hussein Onn along Jalan Jelatek, Kuala Lumpur, is more than a show of might. Unknown to many, there is a tender side to it. Within its self-contained sprawling grounds is a centre to cater to the army’s families and those in the vicinity who have children with learning and physical disabilities.

Hemmed in between the high-rise living quarters and a school is the MAF’s very own single-storey Community Rehabilitation Centre. With the Social Welfare Department overseeing the centre, on a regular day between 30 and 35 people, including toddlers, converge there.

The majority of them are persons diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that impairs movement and learning in varying degrees. Among them is Rozana Rozami, 20, who has limited mobility on her right limbs. To prevent her muscles from stiffening, her mother, Rosnah Hamid, accompanies her daily to the centre and diligently does physiotherapy for her. A handful of people with autism and Down Syndrome are also at the centre.

A toddler enjoying the stimulating bubbles column in the multisensory room at Kem Perdana Sungei Besi, Kuala Lumpur. Multinational corporation Procter & Gamble sponsored the special therapy room.

Toddlers with cerebral palsy lie on the padded floor mats, soothed by the air-conditioning and the exercises done to tone their muscles.

Manned by six staff members, the centre at MAF is open from 8.30am to noon, Mondays to Fridays. At the helm is Sharifah Anum who has been serving faithfully at the centre since its inception 10 years ago.

“The centre is open to anyone, from babies to adults who have disabilities,” says the affable Sharifah who receives training sponsored by the Social Welfare Department, to keep abreast of happenings.

The centre also has classes to help students with the basics of reading and writing.

“We are preparing some of them to be accepted into the Education Ministry’s Special Education programme,” explains Sharifah. To date, at least seven have successfully gained entry to school.

(The regulations under the Education Act stipulate that only students who are “educable” are accepted into the Education Ministry’s Special Education programme. The Social Welfare Department admits those who are not able to care for themselves under its Community Rehabilitation Centres.)

In the last two years, the centre at MAF received another boost with a multi-sensory room sponsored by multinational corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). The air-conditioned room is equipped with lights, sounds and other gadgets that have been modified to meet the diverse sensorial needs of the disabled. Some are used to soothe the nerves, while others stimulate learning in a stress-free environment.

The centre at the army barracks is just one of the 50 Social Welfare Department centres across the nation that has benefited from P&G’s generosity.

P&G’s External Affairs Leader, Zulhaimi Abdul Hamid, says the multinational has invested RM1mil over the last two years to equip 50 Social Welfare Department community rehabilitation centres across the country with therapeutic multi-sensory rooms. P&G also provides training to ensure the multi-sensory rooms are optimally utilised.

In fact, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was present last month to mark the handover of the 50th multi-sensory therapy room at Kem Perdana Sungei Besi, Kuala Lumpur.

P&G’s contributions towards the cause of the learning disabled in Malaysia are based on its global corporate campaign themed “Live, Learn and Thrive” to improve the lives of children in need, from infancy to 13 years old.

P&G has been reaching out to children with learning disabilities in Malaysia since 1999 under its Open Minds Programme, says Zulhaimi. To date, RM6mil has been spent.

Besides funding the Social Welfare Department’s centres, P&G also contributes towards non-governmental organisations that serve people with autism and dyslexia, he adds.

While the Persons With Disabilities Act 2008 has been enacted, it remains to be seen how the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will work to ensure that those under its care, will have equal rights to education, healthcare and employment. As it is, there is no available data on the number of students from the community rehabilitation centres who are transferred to schools.

For now, the learning disabled community can take heart that there are corporations and individuals who are investing their money, time and talent to make Malaysia an inclusive society.

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. For enquiries of services and support groups, call Malaysian Care ( 03-9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

http://parenthots.com/features/Centre-for-special-children-founded-on-mothers--lo.aspx

ONE VOICE: MAY 2011

2011-06-22T16:21:00.001+08:00

Empowering parents of children with autism5 May 2010
By ANTHONY MIRANTI

MY wife Intan had noticed for many months that our two-year-old was not developing normally. For me, I was not in a state of denial; I just did not recognise that anything was wrong.

Intan was worried that our boy did not seem to understand any language, was unable or unwilling to look at a person’s face, and played with toys by lining them up or by spinning their wheels. She fretted that our son was not bonding with any of us, and that he screamed uncontrollably for hours over noises or situations he could not control. I just thought he had unique ways of expressing himself.

Intan was convinced that something was wrong, and did extensive research. She talked to people, read whatever materials she could find, and surfed the Internet for information. It was a good thing she did so because it eventually led to an accurate but heart-breaking diagnosis back in April 2001. That initial diagnosis of autism was later confirmed by two other professionals in the United States.

Empowered: Intan Miranti demonstrating to her 11-year-old son the properties of springs.

During those early days, the predominant feelings we had were fear and helplessness. We feared for his future, and we felt helpless, not knowing what to do. To my wife’s credit, instead of running away from reality, she faced it head-on. “I was heart-broken but I got down to work,” said Intan.

She talked to other parents, read books and research articles, explored interventions, signed up for training and joined autism online discussion groups. With research comes knowledge. Knowledge leads to making better treatment choices, which results in better progress and growth in a child with autism.

There’s a parallel change in the parent. With research comes knowledge. With knowledge, comes understanding and empowerment. With each bit of knowledge gained, helplessness dissipates, and is replaced by hope and joy. Fear is kept at bay.

Things are very much different for us now. After nine years, our son is very different, and my wife and I are, too. I am grateful to all the people who have helped him along the way, and to those who still do. However, I believe that my son’s progress would have been less pronounced were it not for my wife’s desire to empower herself with enough knowledge to keep the family moving forward.

In 2005, my wife decided to help other parents of children with autism to empower themselves. Through an organisation named ANDI Initiative, we provide several avenues for parents to arm themselves with knowledge. We have a collection of autism-related books available for loan to parents of children with special needs. Many of these books are not available in local bookstores. Parents do not have to pay to use this service. Another service is the Parent Voices Support Group where parents come to share and learn from each other. Parents have provided feedback on the ANDI Initiative blog. In addition, ANDI Initiative also helps parents gain more knowledge by collaborating with experts to offer training and workshops.

Chan Wai Ling, a parent of an autistic child, has this to share: “Before I went through the half-year training, my child was non-verbal, unresponsive and had no eye contact. The training empowered me to be a ‘parent-therapist’.

“The programme emphasised on play as a means of bonding and earning my child’s trust. This was followed by using play to motivate him, and later to give him confidence. And for the first time, my son experienced joy instead of being trapped in his own world where no one could reach him.

“The therapy methods created an interactive relationship,” added Chan. “Now my son enjoys his time-table, knowing he’s able to learn and achieve through his efforts and he gets reinforcement, too. Even his tantrums are meaningful now as we are able to decipher them through the training programme.

“The parent training session took us on a journey of self-discovery. It enabled me to be a better parent. After four months, my child was able to verbalise, had imitation skills, had eye contact, was affectionate and spontaneous, and was joyful. Now I know there are strategies I can employ to help my child. I am empowered knowing that I have a direct impact on my child’s development,” said Chan, a participant in a training programme for parents, which is now called the ASD Parent Training and Support Series.

Haslinda Abdul Rahman, another participant, echoes Chan’s sentiments.

“The training helped me to communicate with my son effectively. In return, he is able to relate to me in a sensible way. Introducing a new routine is no longer a struggle. The training also helped me to set appropriate expectations of him. This in turn makes me less stressed and allows me to cherish every achievement of his.

“After picking up skills from the parent training sessions, I am better equipped to plan programmes to suit my child’s needs. Seeing my child’s progress makes us realise that he has potential, and a brighter future ahead,” added Haslinda.

The parent plays a crucial role in any intervention programme for an autistic child. There is more to be said about empowering the parent of a child with autism, but my now 11-year-old son is waiting to play with me. And he’s been very patient.

> To find out more about ANDI Initiative, go to ANDIInitiative.blogs pot.com, or find us on Facebook. You can also contact us by sending an e-mail to ANDI.Initiative@gmail.com.

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com. For enquiries of services and support groups, please call Malaysian Care ( 03-9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

http://parenthots.com/features/Empowering-parents-of-children-with-autism.aspx

Supported Living 10-11 June 2011

2011-06-15T14:42:00.004+08:00

Activity: HELP University students help prepare lunch (Sri Lanka Dal)
Objective: To enable individuals to learn dishes from other cultures

Activity: Making fruit smoothies.
Objective: To improve their skills in making fruit smoothies as this is for our upcoming fruit juice project with Selangor Dredging Berhad.

Supported Living Program: 3-4-5 June 2011

2011-06-15T14:38:00.003+08:00

Activity: HELP University students getting to know our members.
Objective: To enable members to interact with the community.

Activity: Spraying the kitchen utensil.
Objective: To teach members to take care of house equipments.

Supported Living Program: 27-28 May 2011

2011-06-15T14:35:00.001+08:00

Activity: Current Affairs ( Whats in the newpaper today ?)
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world.

Activity: Cake making by Sara
Objective: To teach members basic baking skills.

Supported Living Program: 20-21-22 May 2011

2011-06-15T14:28:00.004+08:00

Activity: Helen cake making
Objective: To learn basic baking skills.

Activity: Karaoke session with Standard Chartered volunteers.
Objective: To enable members to interact with each other and the community.

Supported Living Program: 13-14 May 2011

2011-05-18T11:43:00.003+08:00

Activity: Trip to Aquaria KLCC
Objective: To enable members to interact with each other and the community.

Supported Living Program: 6-7-8 May 2011

2011-05-18T11:34:00.004+08:00

Activity: Playing badminton at Kepong Sports Centre with volunteers from Standard Chartered Bank
Objective: To enable the members to have fun and improve their hand-eye coordination.

Activity: Having lunch at ikea
Objective: To enable members to interact with each other and the community.

Activity: Sharif's Birthday Celebration.
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends.

Supported Living Program: 29-30 April 2011

2011-05-18T11:31:00.003+08:00

Activity: Making art templates for OPTIONS upcoming event with Monash Volunteers
Objective: To enable the members to participate in the upcoming event.

ONE VOICE: MAY 2011

2011-05-18T11:30:00.001+08:00

Justice for the Disabled

Setting the precedent, a mother seeks legal redress for her Down Syndrome son in a society that still views people with disabilities as less than equals.

By Pang Hin Yue

THERE are words of blessing and there are words of condemnation. Housewife Rose Hoh found out the hard way. Last October, she broke down and cried for days after she received a letter from the defendant’s lawyer stating that her son, Ian Woh Ye-H’ng, 21, is “handicapped” and that he is, “suffering from Down Syndrome.”

Rose had sought legal redress following claims by an apparel company that her son had damaged a display unit at its boutique in One Utama shopping mall. Both mother and son were prevented from leaving the shop until the former paid RM500 for the alleged damage.

The letter goes on to state that Rose should know better than to bring him out, “knowing very well that her son could cause damage or injury to himself and to others and left her son to wander around our client’s boutique without supervision whatsoever.”

“People should not expect persons with disabilities to be confined to their home with the undignified excuse they will be safer,” contends B C Teh, chairman of the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM).

He stresses that people with disabilities have as much rights as everyone else to be seen, to be involved and be part of the community.

Up until then, Ian and Rose who are regular shoppers at One Utama, had not encountered such hostility. “Generally, the sales people at the shops and the supermarket that we frequent are friendly with Ian. We had not expected to be treated otherwise when we stepped into the boutique for the first time,” says Rose.

The letter concludes that the defendant is advised to report Rose’s “attitude towards her handicapped son to the Welfare Department as she is incompetent to look after her handicapped son.”

Her eldest daughter, Woh Yi-Bin, a law student in the United Kingdom, who alerted the disabled community about Ian’s case, believes that the company had severely undermined her brother’s fundamental human rights. “I know my brother well. He makes himself unobtrusive and observes his surroundings quietly when we are out and about,” she writes in her email.

For Rose who loves her son dearly, the choice of words by the defendant’s lawyer cuts like a knife. Till today, her tears flow freely each time the matter is brought up. “I am shocked that in this day and age, my son is cruelly described as “handicapped” and that he is, “suffering from Down Syndrome as though he has a disease. It is very hurtful,” she cries. (According to the defendant’s court papers, Ian is described as one with “penyakit Sindrom Down” ).

President of Malaysia Down Syndrome Society, Wan Mohd Hanizan likens such negative labeling as one who is stuck in the 18^th century. “It is absurd, unbelievable. Down Syndrome is not a disease. It is not acquired. It is a genetic disorder. It is regrettable that no lawyers have taken the trouble to check their facts with us (in the society),” he contends.

With family support and interventional therapies, he adds, there is nothing to stop people with Down Syndrome to pursue education and gain employment. A quiet and gentle soul, Ian is currently with Kiwanis Job Training Centre in Petaling Jaya.

There is no doubt that the online disabled community has gone viral about his case. Reading their chats, one gets the sense of outrage and disbelief that the rights of the disabled have been grossly violated.

Says Bathmavathi Krishnan, a representative of Malaysia Disabilities Rights Group, the case is a reflection of the low awareness, support and understanding of the rights of disabled in Malaysia. “Lawyers need to be educated on the rights of the disabled,” she asserts. It is a point which Bar Council had noted two years ago when it hosted a seminar on the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.

Malaysia first visually-impaired lawyer, Mah Hasan Omar, who is also the president of Malaysian Confederation of the Disabled, concurs. Mah Hasan who was present in court last month to hear the proceedings , feels that the rights of the disabled vis-à-vis Persons With Disabilities Act 2008 have not been fully addressed in Ian’s case.

“The court should address the rights of the disabled. It is not too late. It is only the beginning,” he notes. (Rose is waiting for the written judgement before deciding on the next course of action).

Teh of NASOM points out that Section 26 of the Persons With Disabilities Act guarantees persons with disabilities the right to access to and use of public facilities, amenities, services and buildings open or provided to the public on equal basis with persons without disabilities.

Moreover, he says, under the Act, the onus is on the providers of such facilities to ensure accessibility to the disabled: “For the purpose of subsection (1), the government and the providers of such public facilities, amenities, services or buildings shall give appropriate consideration and take necessary measures to ensure such public facilities, amenities, services and buildings and the improvement of the equipment related thereto conform to universal design in order to facilitate their access and use by persons with disabilities.”

While he concedes that Persons With Disabilities Act 2008 have its shortfalls as there are no penalties for discrimination, he says it does clearly spell out the rights of the disabled. Both Teh and Mah Hasan are of the opinion that the Court can still make a difference. “The Court can enforce it,” adds Mah Hasan.

Penang-based Lawyer Lim Kah Cheng who specialises in women rights and disabilities issues, laments the dearth of lawyers who are well versed in special needs matters. The trend needs to be reversed so that they can better represent their clients on their rights in court, she says.

For Khor Ai Na who heads the Asia Community Services (ACS) and other support groups that are calling for an inclusive society, there is no let up to raise public awareness on the rights of the special needs people.

They believe in speaking words of blessing over the people with learning disorders. “We should celebrate their abilities rather than seek charity,” says Khor who has been working over 20 years with the learning disabled community in Penang.

At ACS , parents are empowered about their rights when they enroll their special needs children for the Early Intervention Programme.” We help them to speak up on behalf of their children at schools. As for young adults, it is about economic empowerment,” explains Khor.

As the presence and visibility of the learning disabled in the community increases, the public must learn to embrace them as they have as much rights to participate in the ordinary things of life, says advocacy group Dignity & Services executive director, Mettilda John.

At the same time, she adds, a fine balance needs to be struck that even as the learning disabled community is empowered on their rights, there must be also continuous efforts to educate them on the boundaries for appropriate social behavior and personal safety. All in the spirit of, “Can Do, Nothing is Impossible.”

With the growing number of people rooting for Rose and her family, she feels encouraged to step out and step up to champion the causes of the disabled. “My son and all the other disabled people deserve to be heard.”

Ends

ONE VOICE: APRIL 2011

2011-05-18T11:29:00.001+08:00

Ball and sandbag therapy for kids

13 April 2011

By LIM ANG NEI

AFTER more than a decade of reviewing therapies, Bal-A-Vis-X sounded like fun and something that was doable. My son was 14 at the time and I was looking for something that does not look like therapy anymore.

Besides a brief description of the training, the flyer stated that it is for everyone, from learning challenged, gifted, regular children to senior citizens. What is this programme that uses balls and sandbags to improve overall body coordination and cognitive function? And the man himself was coming to teach it.

I first heard of Bill Hubert in 2000 when my Brain Gym instructor, Cece Koester, mentioned a technique that uses balls and balance boards to help students improve their academic performance. She distributed notes on it and I duly put it in cold storage because I was still grappling with the enormity of my son’s full-blown autism. Furthermore, it was happening in the US and I did not have the time or money to entertain the thought.

So when Bal-A-Vis-X appeared on my e-mail, I looked for the note. All it had was a list of exercises and I had written, “timing, rhythm and movement” at the top right hand corner. The timing was right on the dot.

Balance Auditory Vision Exercises, or Bal-A-Vis-X, was born out of a desire to help struggling students in a traditional academic setting. Every year, as a teacher, Hubert saw countless students struggling with their studies and failing. He set out to do something about it. In his search for an answer, he studied and reviewed works by various key people.

Among them were Carl Delacato on the importance of hand dominance; juggling as a shortcut to hand dominance by Ingolf Mokk; the importance of balance and use of balance boards from Frank Belgau; that bodily movements are necessary for the growth of our cognitive functions from neurophysiologist Carla Hannaford; and the importance of whole brain integration for optimal learning from Paul Dennison.

Hubert combined the knowledge he derived with his own observations to create Bal-A-Vis-X.

During the training in Singapore, I had the opportunity to engage in a practice session with Hubert. We were doing a pattern called “2 bag rectangle” in which one hand has to toss a bag to a partner and the other hand catch an incoming bag from the partner. I kept missing the incoming sandbag.

Hubert stopped and suggested gently that I look at the incoming bag. Voila! I did not miss any catch after that. He had noticed that my eyes were not tracking properly. Once something is out of whack, I am out of rhythm.

Bal-A-Vis-X is not random bounce-juggling of balls or tossing of sandbags. It requires precise techniques: the catch, the bounce, the toss and the eye movement when done properly will come together, resulting in improved bodily balance, eye-hand coordination, vision, auditory precision and sense of rhythm. All these are important precursors to learning.

In 2008, a study carried out by elementary educator Jacque Groenendyk showed that the implementation of Bal-A-Vis-X by classroom teachers did raise academic achievements and improved social behaviours in students of Douglas Elementary, Michigan. The data collected, using standardised tests, also showed improved eye movements along with improved maths and reading scores.

To date, there are more than 300 patterns, many of them created by Hubert’s students. During the training, we started off with simple patterns. Once we had mastered those, we moved on to more complex ones with partners. Then, Hubert added another dimension. The participants who could follow the exercises had to ensure that their friends could do likewise. In this way, Bal-A-Vis-X also fosters peer teaching.

By requiring his students to help their peers, Hubert discovered some naturally gifted teachers among his students. He calls them assistant instructors. At all his training sessions, these assistant instructors demonstrate techniques and teach alongside him.

In Singapore, when the Bal-A-Vis-X training was held for the first time in the region, Tiffany Mercado, 16, came along to teach. With quiet confidence and patience, she corrected and taught people who were much older than her.

“The biggest impact Bal-A-Vis-X has made in my life thus far is in learning the different ways people learn and function,” says Tiffany. “It has helped me personally, making an enormous difference in the way I learn. I plan to go to college to become a physical therapist and learn more about children with disabilities who could benefit from Bal-A-Vis-X,” says Tiffany.

“Many teachers understand that not all students learn the same way, but not many teachers understand how to teach every student. I am a highly visual learner who also needs auditory input and Bill knows that. So when he is demonstrating something and I don’t understand, he will immediately use words to explain it once or twice and I get it. He knows exactly what to do when someone is struggling.”

Singaporean Zohra Abdul Rahim, 11, was introduced to Bal-A-Vis-X in 2009 by Sumiati Said, a Brain Gym instructor. One year later, she was so at ease and adept at Bal-A-Vis-X that when Hubert met her, he made her an assistant instructor.

Prior to 2009, Zohra was not doing well academically and failing in her Mathematics, in particular. However, by the end of 2010, Zohra got a B for her Mathematics and passed all her other 11 subjects.

Says Sumiati: “Bal-A-Vis-X requires the use of both hands to bounce the balls and this has allowed Zohra to access both her left and right brain hemispheres. Her eye tracking is also better, leading to improvement in reading and comprehension abilities. She is also calmer and more focused.”

According to Hubert, once the dominant hand has mastered the pattern, the non-dominant hand is able to do the same. So first you practise with your dominant hand, then do it with your other hand.

Studies on brain activity by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the United States, showed that performing activities with the opposite non-dominant hand can help to strengthen existing neurons and encourage the growth of new neurons.

Recent studies in neurological science also found that physical exercises increase Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor or BDNF, a protein in the brain that can help to generate new neurons and synapses.

According to Dr John Ratey of the Harvard Medical School, “exercise can profoundly increase the levels of BDNF and improve neuroplasticity”. So it is not surprising that Bal-A-Vis-X is able to improve academic performance and also has found its way into nursing homes.

Hubert has made Bal-A-Vis-X such that anyone can learn the techniques and patterns. The initial patterns are simple and achievable. Each success builds up confidence and self-esteem.

Phoebe Long, Director of Breakthru Enrichment Station in Kuala Lumpur, uses Bal-A-Vis-X as part of her work with some 10-year-old children who have learning and emotional challenges. She found that the children responded well and were motivated to master the techniques shown. More importantly, they enjoyed the exercises.

Although Bal-A-Vis-X was created to help students with learning difficulties, everyone can benefit from it. It is people-friendly and enjoyable. My learning disabled son can do the “2 bag rectangle” with his older brother or younger sister with ease. Perhaps that is the best part for me, to see them learning together, each making sure that the other can follow the exercises.

As for me, I could do with some improvement to my memory, and increased flexibility and movement.

How it all started

In his book, Resonance, Bill Hubert chronicled the development of Bal-A-Vis-X and how it has impacted lives. In this e-mail interview, Hubert shares his thoughts on the series of exercises he developed.

Where did the idea of Bal-A-Vis-X come from? Was it a single “eureka” moment?

Bal-A-Vis-X wasn’t born in a eureka moment. It evolved as a long process of connecting dots.

Dot One: Each year many of my grade one students didn’t function well.

Dot Two: My martial arts experience enabled me to watch these six- to seven-year-olds through the twin lenses of balance and rhythm.

Dot Three: I felt it important that all these students have fundamental balance and rhythm capabilities, so I taught them such basic physical skills as throwing, catching, walking balance beams and skipping.

Dot Four: Slowly I became aware that, of all my students, the ones most deficient in these basic skills were the same ones who struggled academically.

Dot Five: I noticed, as we all worked on balance and rhythm, that now and then when a struggling student’s balance and rhythm improved, his academic performance also improved.

Connecting these dots, then posed this question: might fine-tuning a child’s balance and rhythm simultaneously address his academic difficulties? What followed were more than 20 years of trial and error to find out. The result, as of 1999, was the still evolving programme now known as Bal-A-Vis-X.

How does Bal-A-Vis-X differ from other programmes related to physical movement?

There are several similarities. First, rhythm. And I mean natural rhythm. Not matching a tone or a metronome or a musical beat or any other outside source. The rhythms of Bal-A-Vis-X are the natural outcome of proper techniques which one learns and commits to muscle memory during our training.

Secondly, visual tracking. In a typical 30-minute Bal-A-Vis-X session, one tracks across three “midlines” (side-side, up-down, near-far) probably 1,000 times.

Third, entrainment (group synchonicity). The majority of our exercises are done with a partner and/or in concert with others. Synchronicity is always the goal. In a Bal-A-Vis-X setting, no one is allowed to be a lone ranger.

Fourth, responsibility. As soon as you are fully competent with even a few exercises, you are immediately set the task of teaching those exercises to a new or less competent student – under the trained eye of your instructor.

You are responsible for the new student, while the instructor is responsible for both of you.

In time, as your competence grows and you become less a student and more an instructor yourself, your responsibilities and confidence grow exponentially. Earned self-esteem naturally follows.

Bill Hubert will be in Kuala Lumpur June 8-12 to conduct the following classes:

> Children six years and above: June 8, 9am-5pm

> Children with learning difficulties (six years and above): June 9, 9am-5pm

> Three-day training for adults: June 10–12, 9am-5pm

For enquiries, call Hasanah Hassan at (012) 200-5830 or e-mail: hasanah_hsn@yahoo.com).

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com. For enquiries of services and support groups, call Malaysian Care at (03) 9058-2102 or Dignity & Services at (03) 7725-5569. E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

http://parenthots.com/features/Ball-and-sandbag-therapy-for-kids.aspx

Supported Living Program 22-23-24 April 2011

2011-04-29T11:09:00.003+08:00

Activity: Current Affairs ( Whats in the newspaper today ?)
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world.

Activity: Wai Keen & Fendi sharing their experience in watching Justin Bieber's Concert in Dataran Merdeka.
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the pop & music culture around the world.

Activity: Preparing & brainstorming for an Art Project for D&S upcoming fundraising event
Objective: To enable members to participate in the event

Supported Living Program 15-16 April 2011

2011-04-29T11:06:00.003+08:00

Activity: Current Affairs ( Whats in the newspapers today)
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world.

Activity: Helen Cake Making
Objective: To learn basic baking skills.

Supported Living 8-9-10April 2011

2011-04-12T16:58:00.004+08:00

Activity: Cake Making by Hin Yue
Objective: To teach members basic baking skills

Activity: Wai Keen sharing his working experiences at Hotel Maya
Objective: To enable members to become aware of working experience.

Activity: Standard Chartered Bank Volunteers playing a card game with OPTIONS members
Objective: To enable members to participate and interact in group games.

Supported Living 1-2 April 2011

2011-04-12T16:55:00.003+08:00

Activity: Current Affairs ( Whats in the newspaper today?)
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world.

Activity: Presentation about Healthy Eating
Objective: To teach members on healthy eating diets

Supported Living 25-26-27 March 2011

2011-04-12T16:51:00.005+08:00

Activity: Making Cherry Cake by Standard Chartered Bank Volunteers
Objective: To teach members basic baking skills.

ONE VOICE: MARCH 2011

2011-03-29T10:17:00.000+08:00

What is typical speech and language development?

9 March 2011

By PAMELA THOMAS JOSEPH

AT age three, Aisha has yet to use any meaningful words. She is well cared for and appears generally contented. She browses through books, plays only with her favourite blocks and is happy to gaze at Barney for a good length of time.

Her parents notice that she appears intelligent, taking in all that happens around her. She follows some instructions well, especially when she is called upon to eat or hop into the car for a ride.

She frequently points to the TV and says “V” when she wants the TV to be switched on. She could say “juh” for juice, point and say “bird”, “wo wo” for the neighbour’s dog and “no” to things she objected to.

Her family felt nothing was amiss until relatives remarked on her lack of speech and how she does not play and interact like other children.

Is there a disparity her family can’t see that others can?

Speech and language delay

Speech and language delay is the failure to develop speech and language abilities according to the typical developmental time-table.

Speech delay is distinct from language delay in that speech refers to the verbal motor output whereas language refers to the internal programming system of ideas.

In simple terms, when we want to communicate something, we need two systems to work well together.

For example, if Aisha wanted her father to have some juice with her, her language system would need to coin ‘“papa-drink-juice too” and then her speech system would have to organise all the sounds needed in a systematic fashion so that her father hears just that clearly.

However, with speech and language delay, Aisha may have trouble formulating the idea of “papa-drink-juice-too” and would have resorted to just “juice”. Her speech system, which is also a little atypical, would then attempt putting together “juh” to indicate this.

The outcome: Aisha says “juh” (to get her father to drink some with her) and her father gives her more and more juice. She then coins the word “no” to mean it isn’t what she meant and the trouble begins as daddy only hears her retort “no, no, no” and a lecture on wastage begins.

Language can be broken into two categories: receptive language (language understanding) and expressive language (referring to the use of words, sentences and ideas to communicate what we think, need and want, for instance).

Language and speech are two independent areas, hence they may be individually delayed. An example of speech delay: You may find a child who understands everything but when she puts together a sentence, she is hardly understood.

Conversely, you may have a highly articulate child who speaks so precisely but cannot communicate what she means. For example, she may be saying “chocolate-cake-fall, chocolate-cake-fall” and get more frustrated when the teacher cleans it up for her, unaware that she enjoys seeing the cake on the floor and ants on it in class. This is an example of language delay.

As every child is different and has a personality of their own, parents have to be able to discern what their littles ones are good at, and see if it is simply a lack of nurturing or a problem that requires professional attention.

Universal milestones suggest that:

> Before age one, children should be actively using their voices to communicate and relate to those in their environment – cooing, babbling and charming adults into “teaching” them many words as they soak in this information with all their innate skills.

> By the age of one, children should be able to understand a variety of words and be able to use a few single words appropriately.

> By age two, words should be combined into two- or three-word phrases that communicate their ever-growing ideas.

> Between ages three and five, they learn to engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, follow and give directions, and can speak alone in the presence of a group (without their parents).

As a general rule, children should have intelligible (understandable but not necessarily perfect) speech by age four and complete, correct use of all speech sounds between ages five and seven.

As more and more parents are well read and informed these days, warning signs of a possible problem are frequently heeded early.

An infant who does not vocalise or does not respond to sound is cause for concern.

Parents should be concerned if a child between 12 and 24 months:

> Isn’t using gestures, such as pointing or waving bye-bye, by 12 months.

> Prefers gestures over vocalisations to communicate, by 18 months.

> Has trouble imitating sounds, by 18 months.

> Has difficulty understanding simple verbal instructions and requests from his parents.

What parents can do

The first thing a parent can do is to discuss their observations together and seek each other’s support to have their child examined by his regular paediatrician. An assessment by relevant team members can be sought if needed, including an audiologist who tests hearing and a speech language pathologist to assess his skills.

The second thing is to make a commitment to each other that you will both seek to understand your child so that you can nurture and respond to him in a way that best suits him, to facilitate his speech and language development.

Getting back to little Aisha, her parents can help her with some of these ideas:

> They can watch Barney with her, pointing out new words and commenting with short phrases rather than leave her to process it all on her own.

> Not leaving her alone but, rather, coaxing her often to interact by joining in her play, making comments and getting her to think, to develop her language and thinking. For example, they can say: “Can tiger have a block, please?” or “Let’s make this block baby’s stool,” etc, to force her to break her linear play with blocks.

> Learn skills to expand her current use of speech. For instance, the next time she says “V,” they can expand it by consistently adding another word and saying “on TV” before switching it on. When she says “bird,” expand it by saying “hi, bird”.

With good facilitation skills, Aisha will quickly expand both her speech and language repertoire simply through the fact that her parents, teachers and carers have skills to take her a level up in her speech and language development.

Whatever your child’s age and problem, recognising and treating problems early on is the best approach to help him cope with speech and language delays.

With suitable techniques, over time you can be assured that your child will be able to communicate with you and the rest of the world more confidently.

Pamela Thomas Joseph, a speech language pathologist, will be conducting a parent and teacher workshop on Facilitating Speech And Language Skills in Ipoh on March 13. For details please contact Coreen (013-3301728 / e-mail jpltraining track@gmail.com)

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com. For enquiries of services and support groups, please call Malaysian Care ( 03 90582102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-77255569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com

http://parenthots.com/features/What-is-typical-speech-and-language-development.aspx

Supported Living Program 17-18-19 March 2011

2011-03-25T21:21:00.003+08:00

Activity: Datin Seri Pang Ngan Yue invited OPTIONS to her house for lunch, fun and games Objective: To enable individuals to learn how to interact with other members of the community. Activity: Current Affairs ( Whats in the newpaper today ?) Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world. Activity: Group project - making a family photo presentation as a group Objective: To enable group members to celebrate each others identity( childhood and family )

Supported Living Program 11-12-13 March 2011

2011-03-25T21:15:00.004+08:00

Activity: Professional Photographer Mr.Tee showing the youth his shots of Msian birds in their natural habitat Objective: To enable the individuals to learn about the behaviour of different kinds of Malaysian birds that live in the jungle. Activity: Making their own Tosai for dinner. Objective: To enable individuals to learn dishes from other cultures

Supported Living Program 4-5-6 March 2011

2011-03-25T21:11:00.004+08:00

Activity: Volunteer Lucy teaches the OPTIONS members on how to cook Nyonya dishes - egg Sambal and Pongteh Objective: To enable individuals to learn how to cook new dishes for lunch Activity: Cooking Shepherds Pie for dinner with parent Hin Yue Objective: To learn basic cooking skills using the oven Activity: A group presentation on Healthy Living by Runfool ( an amateur running group ) Objective: To teach group members about how to prepare themselves for running to keep fit.

Supported Living Program 18-19 Feb 2011

2011-03-25T21:09:00.003+08:00

Activity: Making Muffins Objective: To learn basic baking skills

Supported Living Program 11-12-13 Feb 2011

2011-02-14T08:32:00.005+08:00

Activity: Watching a movie at the local cinema and paying for it themselves
Objective: To teach youth to have fun with friends and learn budgeting skills by organsing their own pocket money.

Activity: Group discussion about the day`s news.
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world.

Activity: Bowling
Objective: To enable individuals to have fun among friends by enjoying a competitive game

Supported Living Program: 29 Jan 2011

2011-02-06T20:34:00.004+08:00

Activity: Cleaning the house before Chinese New Year
Objective: To participate in the culture and traditions of the Chinese Community

ONE VOICE: Feb 2011

2011-02-02T10:46:00.002+08:00

Coping with the news of disability

2 February 2011

ONE VOICE
By Dr AMAR SINGH

PARENTS face many challenges when their child is diagnosed with a disability. The primary struggle is to accept the diagnosis given by a medical practitioner. Often there is the classical grief response of shock, denial, anger and depression before healthy acceptance comes.

Parents experience a gamut of emotions ranging from guilt (of possibly being responsible for the disability) and fear (of what the future may hold) to depression (at having to cope with the burden). They also face stigma from family members and society, for having a child with a disability.

This traumatic experience can be mitigated by how a healthcare professional, especially the doctor, supports the parents at the time of diagnosis.

The “clinical” model in which doctors are trained often tends to dehumanise the relationship and there is a need to return to a more holistic approach.

The current training of medical students and young doctors in the care of parents and their children with disability is limited. There is little focus on disability in the syllabus and it does not cover disability in any depth. Traditionally, the focus has been more on physical disabilities (eg, cerebral palsy) than on intellectual or learning disability. This is despite the fact that learning disabilities account for the majority of childhood problems.

Most medical students or doctors are not trained adequately on how to give bad news. Doctors as a whole have a tendency to shy away from painful clinical situations, both acute (eg, impending death) and chronic (eg, inoperable condition or difficult to rehabilitate disability). Their focus is on curing diseases. When this cannot happen, they feel defeated and may distance themselves.

They also tend to look at these children based on their disability, that is, an “autistic child” rather than “a child with autism”. There is a need to help younger staff members learn how to engage parents sensitively by example (role modelling) rather than formal teaching.

Medical students are trained to be objective, that is, to be clinically detached from the patient. This is supposedly to assist them in making good decisions on patient management. This outlook, however, hinders them from forming meaningful relationships with parents and their children with disability.

There is little, if any, training of a spiritual dimension for the medical practice. The lack of a meaningful spiritual dimension in undergraduate or postgraduate training means that doctors do not explore their own outlook on disability.

Doctors come from diverse backgrounds. Many false societal beliefs influence doctors, including their views on disability. Among the common misconceptions are: God’s will that the child is disabled; a “test” from God for the parents; punishment from God (for past sins of the parents); a result of “salah pantang” (broken a superstitious belief) and possibly the work of evil spirits or a curse.

The lack of a meaningful spiritual aspect to training, deprives the doctors of valuable skills and resources to understand more deeply how parents respond to the challenge of having a child with a disability, and offer support.

The health service is constantly changing, but not always for the better. We need to be reminded to always put the patient at the centre, and not the health care profession.

The development of services for children with disability and their family is largely in the hands of professionals or therapists working in government agencies and non- government organisations. This has often resulted in services that are developed to meet the needs of the professional, therapist or organisation rather than those of the child or family. Children with disability and their parents should be consulted and involved in the decision-making process of proposed and existing services which cater to their needs.

What are the needs of the disabled? What services do they need? The list below summarises the key needs of parents and their children with disability:

> Infancy/at presentation: assessment, rehabilitation, family support groups;

> Pre-school: focused early intervention programme, specialised therapy, kindergarten, respite care;

> School: inclusive education, special schools, home schooling;

> Special needs: recreation and leisure, sexuality and abuse prevention, emotional adjustment, adolescent awareness, aid or equipment;

> Employment: vocational training, sheltered employment, open employment;

> Long-term care, financial support, friendship and partners, dignity and rights, hope.

This is a long and extensive list of needs. Supporting such families is like running a marathon, not a 100-metre dash. Doctors must not feel exhausted or be afraid of meeting such needs. We need to do what we can and not feel as failures.

Parents are appreciative of our presence rather than our technical services. They desire continuity of care, that is, the attention and friendship of one doctor or nurse whom they can come to trust and with whom they can share their hopes and fears.

As doctors, our primary function is to be “in the service of” to those who are ill and in need of care. This requires us to build a therapeutic bond with them, that is, parents and children need us to become their friend. This does not diminish our care or make us less objective; rather, it enhances our care.

It is not about how much we as doctors do, but about how much we love.

We must develop a practice where parents and children see the same doctors most of the time. Doctors need to undergo internal change (spiritual deepening of personhood) which is more important than external change (technical advancement and skills).

Every parent must be treated as a unique individual and offered the time and space necessary to express and come to terms with their grief.

The doctor can play a key role in supporting them by offering an honest opinion tempered with compassion, by not merely describing the disability but also the strengths of the child, by not just outlining the challenges but also the hopes, by being an attentive listener and friend.

The list below outlines some of the key areas we need to work with, with parents and children:

> Respect for the parent and child as a family;

> Help parents make the transition from doctor/disability/centre focus to family focus and wholeness;

> Recognise and support the prolonged and often cyclical grief process;

> Not to ignore the religious beliefs of others and integration of true spirituality into our practice;

> Help articulate pain, fears and wishes;

> Empowering parents and the community and individuals to support each other’s needs.

Our ultimate aim must be for the family and the person with a disability to live a meaningful life rather than allow the disability to run their life.

We need to see children with disability and their family as partners and offer them care in a way which dignifies, best meets the needs of the person with disability, and takes into account his or her cultural and spiritual needs.

I firmly believe that the day we lose sight of the importance of every single child, is the day we lose our right to work with children. It is the child who is all important, not the system.

Datuk Dr Amar Singh is a senior consultant paediatrician (community) and head of the paediatric department at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh. He has been working extensively with parents and children with disabilities.

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

For enquiries of services and support groups, call Malaysian Care ( 03 90582102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-77255569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

http://parenthots.com/features/Coping-with-the-news-of-disability.aspx

Supported Living 22-23 jan 2011

2011-01-24T20:12:00.004+08:00

Activity: Evaluating OPTIONS 2010 programme activity
Objective: To get all members involved and participating in generating ideas for the programme

ONE VOICE: January 2011

2011-01-18T08:57:00.001+08:00

Family-centred solutions for the learning disabled

12 January 2011

By PANG HIN YUE

FAMILY dynamics play a critical role in determining the quality of life of the learning disabled. In Ireland, it has been found that when families become overly-reliant on the system to provide services for the learning disabled, many of them leave school unqualified, unemployed, live dependently, have few friends and little prospect of finding partners.

“This has been going on for the past 20 years,” observes Professor Roy McConkey of the University of Ulster, who has been working with the learning disabled community for more than 40 years.

While the welfare of the learning disabled in developed countries has improved over the years as parents fought for better services, at the micro level, the quality of life of individuals with learning disabilities still depends very much on the functioning of the respective families.

Helping hand: Special needs children with poor motor skills need to be trained to strengthen their muscles.

“The focus had been on the affected child but experience suggests that we (professionals) need to move in the direction of helping the entire family,” says McConkey at the 3rd National Early Childhood Intervention Conference 2010 held in Malacca last month.

The three-day conference was organised by a coalition of NGOs, including Wings Melaka, Association for Children with Special Needs, Malaysian Care and the National Autism Society of Malaysia.

Poverty, poor health of the primary caregiver (in many cases, the responsibility lies squarely on the mother), stress and marital problems with little or absence of informal support, can aggravate the child’s challenging behaviour, says McConkey.

“Single parents have a tougher time and it is compounded by higher stress levels, all of which affect the child’s well-being,” adds the professor of developmental disabilities at the University of Ulster’s Nursing Research Institute in Northern Ireland.

In his studies conducted in three nations, namely Ireland, Taiwan and Jordan, on family functioning, McConkey found a similar trend despite the cultural differences. “A good family (that is, no marital strife and has support from relatives, friends and the local community) does better in helping the child’s growth,” he observes.

In Ireland, he says, 65% of families impacted by learning disabilities receive informal support in the following order: parents, friends, neighbours and church. They fare better than those who get very little help.

As such, there must be a shift towards providing family-centred services.

“A proliferation of experts that focuses only on the affected child can be confusing and overwhelming. Training should involve key members of the family. With training, family functioning improves and with that, the special needs child receives better care,” says McConkey.

“If we can bring families together, there is tremendous opportunity to learn from one another and share information. Families can do a lot more to help themselves when they rally behind one another, rather than being dependent solely on experts,” he adds.

Australian occupational therapist Cathy Love, concurs. She says convention dictates that special needs children with poor motor skills be trained to manipulate specially designed gadgets to strengthen their muscles.

“A lot of these exercises can be done at home, using everyday utensils. For example, if a child has problems holding a spoon, then the parents should just get the child to practise gripping the spoon. There’s no need for fancy gadgets,” she explains.

On the medical front, health experts could do well if they learn to be more people-friendly and empathic when dealing with parents with special needs children, says Datuk Dr Amar Singh, senior consultant paediatrician (community) and head of the paediatric department at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh.

Traditionally, the training doctors receive emphasises cure-and-fix solutions which dehumanise the relationship between doctor and patient, he observes. As such, when doctors are presented with patients who have chronic disorders such as those with disabilities, more often than not, they are unsure what to do.

He notes in his presentation at the conference that most parents struggle to accept the diagnosis of their child’s disability by a medical practitioner. “Often there is the classical grief response of shock, denial, anger and depression before acceptance comes,” he observes.

The process is traumatic but he says it can be mitigated by how a doctor supports the parents at the time of the diagnosis.

“Healthcare professionals first need to deal with their own outlook on disability and understand how parents respond to the challenge of having a child with disability,” he adds.

In calling for a more holistic approach, Dr Amar who has been instrumental in mobilising the Health Ministry to improve child healthcare services, urges doctors to take the initiative to gain access to resources that can support parents as they overcome their grief before they can help their child with the necessary interventions.

“Disability services remain limited locally and will not improve dramatically unless parents and healthcare professionals team up as advocates to pressure the government to allocate adequate resources,” he says.

Like other professionals who have a heart for the learning disabled, Dr Amar believes it is family support and love that will ultimately help a child with special needs to grow and reach his full potential.

> One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com. For enquiries of services and support groups, please call Malaysian Care ( 03-9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

http://parenthots.com/features/Family-centred-solutions-for-the-learning-disabled.aspx

Supported Living Program 14-15 Jan 2011

2011-01-18T08:50:00.002+08:00

Activity: Expressions through water colours
Objective: Making Thank You cards for our supporters

Supported Living Program 7-8-9 Jan 2011

2011-01-12T22:09:00.002+08:00

Activity : Mr Tee, a keen photographer showing birds in their natural habitat.
Objective: For the group members to increase their understanding of nature

Activity : New Year`s party in Josh`s House ( one of the Directors )
Objective: To celebrate 2011

Supported Living Program 18-19 Dec 2010

2010-12-22T13:38:00.002+08:00

Activity : Parent's Meeting and playing games at the OPTIONS year end party.
Objective: To learn how to interact socially with others

Supported Living Program 9 Dec 2010

2010-12-22T13:34:00.003+08:00

Activity: Carol Singing with friends
Objective: To understand the meaning of Christmas and sing carol with friends.

Activity: Julie's Birthday Celebration.
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends.

Supported Living Program 4-5-6 Dec 2010

2010-12-22T13:30:00.003+08:00

Activity: Awana Genting Trip.
Objective: To have fun with friends.

Supported Living Program 27 Nov 2010

2010-12-22T13:27:00.002+08:00

Activity: Garage Sale in OPTIONS
Objective: To promote public awareness and raise fund for OPTIONS.

ONE VOICE: December

2010-12-02T10:56:00.001+08:00

The right to an equal opportunity

1 December 2010

By PANG HIN YUE

DURING his free time, Ho Wai Keen, 23, reads and copies from a book, You Love Me? Don’t Accept Me As I Am by Dr Reuven Feuerstein and his colleagues at the International Centre for the Enhancement of Learning Potential. If the title of the book is telling, it is because he is determined to fight off the label that had been placed on him since birth for having an extra chromosome.

World-renowned clinical psychologist Feuerstein, whose grandson also has Down Syndrome, urges people with learning disabilities and their caregivers not to accept the diagnosis passively but to actively seek mind-stimulating therapies. He postulates that the brain is like plastic, modifiable when given the right stimulus.

“I don’t like it when people call me names or see me as someone who has a learning disorder,” said Ho as he related how he was bullied when he first enrolled in an international school.

But over time, with his cheerful disposition, he made friends and went on to spend 10 years there.

The book means a lot to him as he bought it in July this year when he attended Feuerstein’s conference in Romania which catered to educators and therapists.

“I want to learn how to mediate so that I can reach out to others who are considered low-functioning,” said Ho emphatically.

Therapists Foo Siang Mun and K.C. Soo who were also at the conference, said Ho left a deep impression on the lecturers as he did not shy away from speaking up and did not quit even when given tough assignments.

As confident as he is, Ho, too, faces the challenge of employment in mainstream society. Many high-functioning young adults like Ho, have a deep desire to secure a job in the open market.

“Just like everyone else, they want equal opportunities in getting a job, and be able to earn money and make independent financial decisions,” said Dignity and Services (D&S) executive director, Mettilda John. D&S is an advocacy group that seeks to empower people with learning disabilities, and help them live independently through its supported living programme.

Over the past four years since D&S started the programme, Ho has been actively involved and has proven to be a capable person. He enjoys time spent away from his family from Wednesday to Sunday at Options for Supported Living in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

“Set him a task, and he will put in 150% effort. His work ethics is second to none,” said John. It is no surprise why he has been elected by his peers as the head of the house. And when the occasion calls for it, Ho is entrusted to help out with D&S office work.

More good things are in store for him. Ho begins his internship with Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur near KL City Centre this month. The prospect of working and taking the LRT gives him a sense of purpose and hope for the future. All this is made possible because Selangor Dredging Bhd (SDB), which owns the five-star boutique hotel, has embarked on a course to be an inclusive corporation. SDB managing director Teh Lip Kim is instrumental in setting the agenda.

“Having a six-year-old son with autism helps me to see things in a different perspective. Providing working experience for the learning disabled is our first step. It is something close to my heart,” Teh admitted candidly.

Although it is uncharted terrain for her, Teh is prepared to step out in faith to use the resources available to her to bring together the able and disabled alike as a community.

“Life is a journey and at times, it calls for taking risks. If we fall, we pick ourselves up. The key is not to be afraid to take the first step,” said Teh.

When Teh came to know about D&S and Bake4Fund, a set-up by two mothers for people with learning disorders to learn and earn by baking cakes and cookies for sale, she decided to rope them in to help raise awareness among her staff and the patrons of SDB.

“Bake4Fund is about helping people with learning disorders to focus on their potential by honing their skills in baking even as care is put into the products to ensure they are delicious and of quality,” explained Lim Ang Nei, Bake4Fund’s co-founder.

A baking project was mooted and it was timed for the launch of SDB’s Dedaun which offers 38 luxury apartments in an enclave off Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

With help from Maya Hotel’s executive chef, Adriano Teng, pastry chef, Tommy Soong and his staff, seven participants from D&S and Bake4Fund baked 200 trays of fudge brownies and 1,800 mini muffins of cempedak and pandan flavours. These were packed into 400 boxes and given away to visitors who turned up at SDB’s Dedaun show unit.

Teh said she was drawn to the energy and vision of D&S and Bake4Fund.

As it was a first for everyone, Teng and Soong took care of the logistics to ensure everyone had a chance to bake at the hotel’s pastry kitchen. Soong and his staff taught the participants how to do piping, besides the usual mixing and stirring.

To accommodate one of the participants, Cheong Choong Jian, who uses a wheelchair, care was given to ensure accessibility in the kitchen.

For participants like Ho, Chin Keat Lai and Nicholas Mathew, donning an apron with their name tag gave them a sense of pride.

Even before the baking project came to an end, SDB’s human resource department had started working out the details to provide internships for the learning disabled community at the hotel.

“It is our (SDB) way of giving back to society,” added Teh.

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com. For enquiries of services and support groups, please call Malaysian Care ( 03 9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

Link: http://parenthots.com/features/The-right-to-an-equal-opportunity.aspx

Hotel Maya Internship Program (Nov-Dec 2010)

2010-11-29T12:56:00.005+08:00

Activity: Hotel Maya Internship Program 2010
Objective: To enable individuals to receive training in real life settings towards economic empowerment.

Waiting for the LRT to go to KLCC.

At the HR Department with Valerie Ong explaining their employment contracts.

Testing out their work uniforms.

Commencing work at the Pastry Department, Hotel Maya,KLCC

Supported Living Program 19-20-21 Nov 2010

2010-11-29T12:44:00.003+08:00

Activity: Dinner & Dance 2010 "A Night of a Thousand Memories"
Objective: To enable individuals to have fun among friends.

Activity: Sticking postal address to envelopes & playing kites and Frisbee at Kepong Metropolitan Park
Objective: To enable individuals to participate in the work of D&S. To enable individuals to have fun among friends.

Supported Living Program 13 Nov 2010

2010-11-17T21:53:00.002+08:00

Activity: House cleaning.
Objective: To maintain the cleanliness of OPTIONS house

Supported Living Program 6-7 Nov 2010

2010-11-17T21:49:00.002+08:00

Activity: Terry Fox Run 2010
Objective: To participate in mainstream sports and be a visible part of the community.

R.AGE

2010-11-06T18:36:00.001+08:00

Courtesy of The Star Newspaper
Wednesday November 3, 2010
Stepping out Focus on young adults with special needs
BY IAN YEE

THE first time I met Matthew Loh was at an LRT station in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, at 7.45am, while he was on his way to work.

As a young man with Asperger syndrome, a learning disability under the group of conditions known as autism spectrum disorder, it wasn’t easy for him to have me around.

Though he speaks almost perfect English, Matthew’s condition means that he finds it unsettling to make adjustments to his routines, and has difficulties with social interaction. His mother had to ask him a few days before if it was okay for me to meet him.

“My main struggle is to adapt to changes. Like if there’s a change in the bus routes, or in my working hours, I find it hard to adapt. I have to be informed ahead of time,” said Matthew, 25, in an awkward yet clinical tone while we were waiting for the train.

He had agreed to talk to me for the length of the journey to his workplace, and he spoke very matter-of-factly about “overcoming the challenges” he has, in areas people often take for granted.

While most people his age are planning for their careers and the rest of their lives, Matthew worries about keeping a regular job, learning to be independent from his family, making friends, and finding a partner he can spend the rest of his life with.

Matthew Loh has Asperger syndrome but with some help from Malaysian Care and a determination to overcome the challenges he faces due to his condition, he's landed a job doing data entry. He even takes public transport to work every morning.

“I had a bit of trouble learning to make friends, but I managed to overcome all that by learning to say ‘hi’, to introduce myself, say what my name is, how old I am – basic introductory skills,” he said.

Friends
With the help of Malaysian Care, a Christian non-profit organisation that runs a programme preparing special needs young adults for employment, Matthew and many others like him have been able to find “sheltered employment”, where employers are pre-selected and trained to handle special needs individuals.

Matthew, for example, does data entry. He gets paid RM65 a day, five days a week, and is on a six-month rolling contract that’s renewable based on his work performance.

Malaysian Care teaches its members things like punctuality, manners, responsibility and initiative over the course of a few years, depending on their learning capacity. They have been largely successful in preparing special needs individuals for the working world.

Just like Matthew, Wong Khai Lun, 24, has a job now thanks to the Malaysian Care programme. He is one of over a hundred special needs individuals working in Giant hypermarkets around the country. His supervisor, Stephen Gurusamy, is happy to have him working at their branch in The Mines Shopping Mall in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

“He’s better than our other employees in so many ways. He has a good attitude, he works hard and he is honest. The others might find ways to skive off sometimes, but not Khai Lun. He always does his job,” said Gurusamy.

Khai Lun is very shy. When asked whether he enjoys his job, and if he has friends at work, he just smiles and nods shyly.

Malaysian Care’s special needs programme coordinator Pang Jee Ching works with individuals like Matthew and Khai Lun every day, and says that even though they can be prepared for the workplace, they still have difficulties making friends.

Slow learner Wong Khai Lun clocks in and out of work just like everybody else. After attending a job training programme run by Malaysian Care, Khai Lun now has a job arranging merchandise at the Giant hypermarket in The Mines shopping mall.

“Their main struggle is to be accepted, and that stems mainly from their experiences in school. Their self-esteem would be low when they first join us, and we have to build it back up.

“They struggle with friendships. They tell me that a lot. But once they find friends, they are very faithful. They appreciate it more,” she said.

Muhammad Razzaq Razali, 20, for example, couldn’t find any friends his age when he was a teenager, and his mother says he ended up having to “pay for friendship”.

“He’s not on the same wavelength with people his age, so he ends up making friends with younger kids, and sometimes it feels like he has to pay for their drinks, or their movie tickets for them to be friends with him,” said Razzaq’s mother, Kiswah Mohammad.

Working well
That aside, Razzaq is still an excitable 20-year-old man who has left quite an impression on his employers and colleagues at an ice-skating rink in Petaling Jaya.

Pyramid Ice assistant manager Bryan Law says that he has only received two complaints about Razzaq so far, and they were both over simple misunderstandings.

“He’s very shy, and sometimes, people misinterpret that as him being rude, because he doesn’t dare to look at people in the eye when he talks sometimes. But people like him are gifted – they have no attitude.

“He helps everyone, like putting on their skates for them, even though it’s not his job. In my experience, a lot of the guys here only help girls,” said Bryan with a grin.

Razzaq’s immediate supervisor, Murugam Aranasalam, 23, has been deeply moved by his experience of working with the football and Selangor FC fan.

The Dignity & Services supported living home in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Selangor allows special needs young adults to live there every weekend and learn how to do things like chores, cooking and taking public transport so they can eventually live independently.

“Even though he has a small problem, he’s like my younger brother, my best friend. Nowadays, when he’s not around, we feel like something is missing. We feel happier when he’s around, because we can call him and talk to him. He really is special, and I feel very encouraged looking at his life,” said Murugam, with his arm around a beaming Razzaq, who calls him “abang”.

Sunway Group public affairs assistant general manager Bernard Paul Netto explained that their job placement programme was created in 2005 to complement their special needs education programme at SMK Bandar Sunway, Selangor.

“We realised that after most of them finished school, they just go back home and have nothing to do. Since we have a hotel, mall and Sunway Lagoon, we thought ‘why not give them job placements there?’

“So far, we’ve given out 58 certificates to (special needs individuals) who have completed their job training,” said Bernard.

He added that the first five years of the programme was dedicated to preparing participants for life in a real working environment. They are now moving into the next phase which is to absorb some of them into the company’s operations – starting with Razzaq.

“He’s been an inspiration,” said Bernard of Razzaq. “If you asked me now, I would employ him and the special needs students over ‘normal’ people. They don’t have any attitude, and they don’t complain. That’s something I’ve learned from them. I don’t complain anymore. I feel lucky to have what I have.”

Independence
Special needs individuals have different forms and levels of disability, but according to executive director of advocacy group Dignity & Services (D&S), Mettilda John, their needs and struggles become quite similar as they approach young adulthood.

BEST FRIENDS: Pyramid Ice supervisor Murugam Aranasalam (R) says that whenever his "younger brother" Muhammad Razzaq Razali, a slow learner, isn't around, he feels that "something is missing".

D&S runs a home for “supported living”, where young adults aged 17 and above with learning disabilities are taught how to live independently from their families.

Participants of the programme live together in a double-storey house in KL over the weekend, learning how to do things like making their beds, taking public transport and cooking.

“We have a session where we let them talk about their feelings, and they often tell me about their dreams, about getting married, having children, where they’d like to work.

“People always assume that they don’t look for excitement, but that’s not true. They want to go out. Just like you and I, they want to live their lives and be independent from their parents,” said Mettilda.

Students from Monash University and Standard Chartered employees often visit the home during the weekends to spend time with the young adults. The week I visited, a group of students were taking some of them out for a movie.

“We learn a lot from living – going out with friends, talking to other people, and so on; but they need help with that. Too often we put them through therapy, but they need to learn how to live, how to clean, how to interact; things that we take for granted. “They don’t always realise when they are behaving inappropriately. So, it’s important for them to learn to socialise, and be around people apart from their family,” explained Mettilda.

Malaysian Care director of special needs services Clarissa Chang feels the support servicesfor special needs individuals in Malaysia need to be improved.

Struggles
Khai Lun’s mother Patricia, however, says that trying to balance her son’s need for friendship and the struggle to learn how to be independent isn’t easy.

"My dilemma is that I want him to work, but I also want him to go out and have a social life, to make friends.

"We can give him everything at home, but he’s only human. He still wants to go out, to have friends. Other kids his age are having girlfriends, but he’s still getting used to working. And how long can we be there for him?” said Patricia.

Matthew’s mother, Loh Chee Ling, added: “In this country, we know we won’t get hand-outs. The Government support systems here for people like Matthew are 20 to 30 years behind. We’ve had to find our own solutions.”

After realising “something was wrong” when Khai Lun was five, Patricia took it upon herself to give her son the care and education he needed.

“I attended a three-year course on teaching special needs children just to take care of him. I remember bringing him to a doctor in Singapore, and they told me he had the intelligence of a seven-year-old child, but he was already 19. Can you imagine how sad I was?” she said.

Clarissa Chang, director of Malaysian Care’s special needs services, said: “In Malaysia, a big concern among parents for their special needs children is relationships, marriage and whether their children can handle a family. But we don’t have any support systems for that.

“In other countries like Australia, each (special needs) couple has a social worker to help them understand what marriage is all about from before and after their wedding.”

Patricia Wong has dedicated many years to taking care of her son Wong Khai Lun, who is a slow learner, but she says that support systems in Malaysia for people like Khai Lun need to improve because she can't be there for him forever.

Realising the need among special needs individuals to socialise and eventually enter long-term relationships, Malaysian Care has set-up a “Friendship Club”, of which Khai Lun is a committee member.

“The kids started it themselves, we just oversee it,” said Clarissa. “They have activities once a month, but we need young people to join and help them, so they feel comfortable around people their own age.”

Said Patricia: “If not, they will always be around aunties like us! They don’t feel comfortable when we’re around.”

When speaking about the Friendship Club, Khai Lun asked me, after some encouraging from his mother, if I knew any DJs who would be willing to help out for their upcoming “Dinner And Dance” event on Nov 19.

“We want someone who can create a fun atmosphere, so we can dance,” he revealed.

He admitted to being excited about the event, and said in Cantonese: “Yeah. I’ll get to see my old friends (from Malaysian Care). We don’t get to see each other very often.”

For more information on services available for people with learning disabilities, visit malaysiancare.org and dignityandservices.blogspot.com.

To know more about the Sunway job placement programme, contact Bernard Paul at bernardp@sunway.com.my.

http://rage.com.my/writeups/story.asp?file=/2010/11/3/rage_issues/20101102154743&sec=rage_issues

ONE VOICE: Oct 2010

2010-10-22T10:18:00.002+08:00

Take a break, care-givers

By LOH SIEW HAR

Breaks are vital for the well-being of care-givers of children with special needs.

IT’S Saturday morning and Peter goes to Pemancar House in Glugor, Penang, as usual. He takes off his shoes, puts them on the shoe rack and prepares to walk straight into the house. He waves goodbye to his parents when they call out to him: “Pete, bye”. Then his parents leave with wide smiles on their faces, going off for a few hours to spend precious family time with their other children.

Peter, a 17-year-old with severe autism, is the second child of Mr and Mrs Lee. Everyday he spends his time roaming around his home as there are no available care-giving services suitable for his age and needs.

His mother, the main caregiver, has not taken a break since his birth. She was able to get her much-needed respite only after Pemancar House began operations in March this year. Pemancar House Respite Care Support Centre is a joint project between Asia Community Service (ACS) and Bold Association for Children with Special Needs Penang (Bold Penang).

Win-win: Respite care provides children with a change of environment and an opportunity to socialise with other children.

“There were times when we desperately needed someone to look after Peter so that we could attend to an emergency situation. But we just couldn’t get the help. So either my wife or I will have to stay with him. As my elder daughter grew older, she took up the emergency carer’s role. Still, this is a heavy responsibility for a 19-year-old,” said Mr Lee.

“Sometimes we really need a break to recharge ourselves and to spend more time with our other children,” he added.

Jason also goes to Pemancar House every Saturday morning. When he first started two months ago, he cried when he saw his mother leaving. Now he happily waves goodbye to her.

“I was so worried on the first day. I felt guilty for leaving him so that I could take a break,” said Vera, Jason’s mother. “But now I feel so relieved to be able to have a nice meal and do a bit of shopping with my visiting mother, knowing that Jason is safe in Pemancar House,” said Vera, a single mother.

There are many more parents out there who need a short break from their special needs children, but are not able to find it.

For most of us, going an outing with friends, shopping for groceries, or even attending a wedding, may sound trivial. But to families with special needs children, especially those with severe disabilities, and to single mothers like Vera, these are luxuries that are hard to come by.

Caring for someone can be a full-time job. When the task involves looking after a special needs child, the responsibility can be overwhelming and stressful for the caregiver.

The caregiver needs to take a break sometimes. Some caregivers may feel guilty or apprehensive about taking a break.

However, if the caregiver has been providing care for too long without taking a proper break, she or he may become ill, anxious or depressed. This can make life even more difficult for the caregiver and the person under his or her care. It is no wonder why some children end up in residential institutional care.

What these caregivers need is “respite care” or “short break care”. This concept of providing temporary relief to families caring for a child with a disability is fairly new in Malaysia.

Can respite care meet the needs of Malaysian families who have children with disabilities? Are Malaysians ready to take up the role of respite carer? To get some answers, a small survey was conducted last December. Based on the families’ responses, ACS and Bold Penang jointly piloted the Pemancar House Respite Care Support Centre.

Recently in August, we were fortunate to learn more about respite care from Luke and Rachel Bulpitt, a couple from Reading, England, who are registered foster carers and approved respite carers for children with special needs.

Luke (who works four days a week as a solicitor) and Rachel got involved in respite care when they were foster parents for a baby boy named Eric who had multiple disabilities from birth.

Eric required special care such as feeding through a tube, frequent mucous and phlegm removal through suction, and had to be frequently carried. The Bulpitt’s family life was severely affected by caring for Eric. They were stressed out and hardly had time for their two daughters. They reached out for respite care.

Having experienced the benefits, they decided to take on the role of providing respite to other families after Eric passed away.

In Britain, local councils are legally required to provide some kind of respite care after a survey discovered that this is the most needed service for families of children with disabilities. Respite care can be centre-based like Pemancar House, in a respite carer’s home, or in the home of the person with disability. The Bulpitt family runs their respite care mostly in their home but Rachel sometimes provides respite care in the home of a person who is dependent on an oxygen machine.

From their experience as user and caregiver, the Bulpitt family shared with us the importance of having respite care. Respite care provides the parents with a break that helps them to de-stress and to recharge their batteries. As a result, respite care helps to reduce abuse, neglect, and/or abandoning of a child with disability. It also provides the parents with opportunities to have quality time with their other children.

Last but not least, it provides opportunities for children with disabilities to have a change of environment and to have social interaction. This is particularly important for those who are home-bound or come from single parent families.

All names have been changed to safeguard confidentiality. Asia Community Service and Bold Association for Children with Special Needs Penang are NGOs servicing children and young adults with special needs. To learn more about Pemancar House Respite Care service, call 04-658 7857 /017-478 5193 or e-mail: respite pg@gmail.com.

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com. For enquiries of services and support groups, call Malaysian Care ( 03-9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569).

Supported Living Program 20th October 2010

2010-10-21T12:30:00.005+08:00

Activity: OPTIONS & Bake4Fund making brownies project for Hotel Maya
Objective: To enable the individuals to experience on how to make brownies with the help of professional chefs.

Supported Living Program 16th Oct 2010

2010-10-18T11:13:00.003+08:00

Activity: Farewell Speech from OPTIONS to Monash students.
Objective: To enable individuals to express their gratitude and thanks to the Monash students.

Activity: Farewell Karaoke for Monash students
Objective: To enable individuals to have fun with friends.

Supported Living Program 8-9-10 October 2010

2010-10-11T07:23:00.004+08:00

Activity: Bake4Fund- making Fudge Brownies and peeling cempedak for Chempedak Muffins.
Objective: To teach individuals on how to bake brownies and peeling cempedak as part of their preparation for a future project with Maya Hotel,KLCC in October 2010

Activity: Fundraising Futsal with Monash Alumni.
Objective: To enable individuals to play sports and having fun while raising funds for D&S.

Activity: First Aid by Monash
Objective: To teach individuals on how to keep themselves safe and how to treat cut and burn wounds.

Activity: Bowling at PinJunction, Cineleisure
Objective: To enable individuals to have fun among friends.

Supported Living Program 1-2 Oct 2010

2010-10-03T19:43:00.005+08:00

Activity: Bake4fund Project: Baking Pandan Muffins
Objective: To teach individuals on how to bake muffins as part of their preparation for a future project with Maya Hotel, KLCC in October.

Activity: Celebrating birthdays for the month of October and November.
Objective: To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends

Activity: PS the Children, Personal Safety Programme - Feelings
Objective: To enable individual to understand and explore their own feelings.

Supported Living Program 25-26 Sept 2010

2010-09-28T18:13:00.005+08:00

Activity: Group discussion about the day`s news.
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world.

Activity: Olympic Day 7km Run 2010 ( mainstream category )
Objective: To participate in mainstream sports and be a visible part of the community

Activity: Dignity & Services and OPTIONS open day
Objective: To create awareness amongst the Chinese speaking community to know about the work of Dignity & Services and OPTIONS.

ONE VOICE: September 2010

2010-09-22T15:24:00.003+08:00

NEW SCHOOLS FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM

Their teaching content may be different, but their intent is the same. Parents in Selangor and Perak are taking the initiative to set up schools to cater to autistic children who would otherwise fall through the cracks of the education system.
By Pang Hin Yue

AFTER helming the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM) as its chairman for eight years , Mr Teh Beng Choon is still all fired up to push for changes for people with learning disabilities. Under his leadership, 16 nationwide centres providing Early Intervention Programme (EIP) and three vocational centres have been set up.

In addition to these, NASOM has its own one-stop centre for assessment and diagnosis that is supported by a dedicated team of experts that include three psychologists, two speech therapists and an occupational therapist. It is no small feat , for a nominal sum of fee, NASOM provides a multitude of services that cater to a wide ranging group of people, from pre-schoolers to adults . All of which are geared towards educating, empowering and liberating people with autism. And now Teh is taking it to the next level.

He is planning to set up a special school for autistic children who have been denied of a place in government schools owing to their multiple disabilities or who have not benefitted from the government’s special education programme. “It is open to all who one way or another, can’t fit into the current education system,” he explains.

He is targeting for the school to be set up by next year . For a token sum for rent , SP Setia Foundation has provided a premise for NASOM to run its EIP in Setia Alam, Shah Alam since April this year. NASOM hopes to expand to include its latest school pilot project. Although Teh and his secretariat staff are working hard to convince a major housing developer and the State government to support their endeavour to have a permanent site for the new school, he feels the time has come to, “just do it”.

What will set the new school apart from others? “It will be driven by parents. They will be the ones giving inputs and getting involved directly ,” he says. He believes that parents can make invaluable contributions given their experience in caring and managing their autistic children.
Teh’s empathy for parents who are hard pressed for an alternative school for autistic children stems from his own share of ups and downs in securing his son’s rights to education. Although diagnosed with autism, his highly intelligent son sat for UPSR and passed with flying colours. But he was denied entry to secondary school because he was under 12 when he sat for the national exam. That left Teh with no option except to admit his son to a private school and seek exemption from the Education Ministry. Today at 15, his son is studying for a foundation programme for a master degree in pharmacy at a leading university. Would the outcome be different had his son remained in the mainstream school system? “My son enjoys his time at the university because he is finally learning by exploring,” he says.

Teh strongly believes that children with autism – whether they are high or low functioning – should be given every opportunity to realise their full potential. Just because they can’t fit into the mainstream school system, it does not mean they should be denied of their right to be the best they can be.

“The conventional education system requires children to learn a wide variety of subjects, and may be in languages that they may not be accustomed to. Children with developmental disorders may take a longer time to learn them, a situation which is not afforded by our school system. Further, their innate impairments may hinder their learning process. Consequently they develop a poor self image and see themselves as failures, thereby impeding their progress. This is further compounded if carers also give up. Which is why the new school will be unconventional,” he explains.

Instead of teachers, there will be facilitators determining what each child wants to learn and what he is capable of learning, says Teh. Facilitators will explore various learning options until they find those that bring out the best in the child, he adds. For instance, if a child is more proficient in English, then his programme will be structured based on his spoken language.
“Ultimately, the learning process is to ensure the child is supported in areas where he shows potential , be it in the field of academia, music, art or cooking and work towards independence and job skills,” he says.

Towards this end, Teh invites parents and critics to give their thoughts and ideas how best the school should be operated and email to him at info@nasom.com.my .

Being a non-profit organisation, he is only too aware that for any of NASOM’s programmes to succeed and remain sustainable, it has to have the financial security and strong teams of staff supporting them . For instance, NASOM spends RM1 million annually to ensure 61 students across the country have teachers aides to help them study in mainstream schools.

For members of the public who wish to donate towards NASOM’s causes, he cautions against giving their money to any third party. “NASOM is not affliliated to any foundation or organization,” he stresses, adding that all donations are tax deductible and that NASOM welcomes volunteers.

Ends

For more details, contact NASOM Secretariat at 35A Jln SS21/37, 47400 PJ. Website: http://www.nasom.com.my/. Email: secretariat@nasom.com.my, tel: 03-77104098.

SPECIAL SCHOOL IN IPOH

DETERMINED not to settle for less, eight parents together with two advisors in Ipoh, Perak decided to set up a school for their autistic children. Calling themselves , Autism Support Association For Parents (ASAP), this motley crowd of parents went ahead and opened a school this year. With an undisclosed sum of money given by a generous donor, they found a double storey house and had it renovated. Says ASAP committee member, Tan Pek Imm, the members are thankful to find a retired teacher who accepted the challenge to run the school with the help of a teacher aide.

The school sessions are held in the afternoon, from 2-5pm with an enrollment capacity of six students. Mathematics, Science and English are taught based on the Singapore syllabus. “After examining the various teaching methods and contents, we settled for the Singapore syllabus because it allows our children the flexibility to take the secondary school level exam, one subject at a time,” explains Tan. She travelled to Singapore, spending time talking to officials at the island state’s education ministry and went away impressed.

“We prepare our kids to sit for ‘N’ Levels, ‘O’ Levels and ‘A’ Levels. We may also plan for them to sit for Cambridge exam upon completion of Year 6 in order to expose them to having exam in a public hall,” she says, adding that the school also offers other forms of interventional therapy for speech, behaviour and motor skills.

“ Next year, we plan to increase the number of classes to three to cater to a total of 18 students. The sessions will be held in the morning,” explains Tan whose son aged 13, had previously attended an international school in Ipoh before settling in his new school.

To ensure the viability of the school project and to garner support and services for families with autism in Perak, ASAP endeavours to increase its fund raising efforts with help from its patron, Datin Grace Lee.

ASAP invites parents to enroll their children at the new school. ASAP also welcomes those who are interested to be teachers to write in. For details, contact Charlotte at 016-4227076 (email: charlotteccy@yahoo.com) or Tan at 016-5535803 (email: immseng@streamyx.com)

Supported Living Program 18th Sept 2010

2010-09-20T10:25:00.006+08:00

Activity: PS the Children, Personal Safety Programme - Introduction
Objective: To teach our members about personal safety and appropriate social skills by Lai Cheng from PS the Children.

Supported Living Program 4th Sept 2010

2010-09-20T10:08:00.006+08:00

Activity:Group discussion on the day`s news.
Objective: To enable members to be aware of the news all around the world.

Activity: Voting for OPTIONS House Committee members.
Objective: To teach members to nominate and elect a person of their choice to be in charge of organizing activities in OPTIONS.

Activity: Wrapping gifts
Objective: To teach individuals basic skills for wrapping a gift.

Supported Living Program 28-29 Aug 2010

2010-09-15T15:06:00.007+08:00

Activity: 4 members went out for lunch with a budget of RM 10.00 each with Monash University Students.
Objective: To enable individual to learn basic budgeting skills and give feedback to the rest of the group.

Activity: Basic computer skills
Objective: To enable individual to learn basic computer skills and improve their hand-eye coordination.

Activity: Cleaning kitchen cabinets.
Objective: To maintain the cleanliness of OPTIONS house

Supported Living Program 21 August 2010

2010-08-23T14:58:00.004+08:00

ii) Activity:Painting kitchen wall which was infested with termites.
Objective: To maintain the condition of OPTIONS house

iii) Activity : Celebrating Jason's 28th birthday
Objective : To celebrate each person as a unique individual and value each other as friends

Supported Living Program 14-15 August 2010

2010-08-23T14:48:00.005+08:00

i) Activity: Planning the next 6 months (Aug-Dec 2010) OPTIONS activities
Objective: To encourage members' full participation in designing the programs.

ii) Activity: Cake making by Helen & Celebrating Keat Lai's birthday.
Objective: Members learn how to bake cakes for tea and celebrate each others uniqueness as individuals.

ONE VOICE: August 2010

2010-08-09T14:37:00.001+08:00

Supporting the social needs of special children

4 August 2010

YOUR VOICE
By PANG HIN YUE

AT a recent support group meeting, parents were asked about their dreams for their autistic children whose ages ranged from four to 24. They all expressed hope that their children would receive proper education and be employed. The ultimate goal is for their children to live independently when they are no longer around to fend for them.

But getting an education and a job are not top priority for adults with learning disabilities, says Clarrisa Chang of Malaysian Care who has been working with teenagers and adults with learning disabilities (LD) for the past 20 years. They include people diagnosed with autism, slow learning, Down syndrome, attention deficit hyperactive disorder and dyslexia.

In fact, based on her surveys, persons with LD have the same yearnings like any typical teen or young adult. “They desire to have a relationship with the opposite sex, settle down, raise a family and have a car,” she notes.

This was amply demonstrated last weekend by a group of young adults with LD at Dignity and Services’ fund-raising event. They told the audience that they, too, wanted the ordinary things of life like living on their own, getting married and having a car licence.

But oftentimes, says Chang, parents get so caught up with the need to intervene academically because they think it is the ticket to securing a job and gaining independence.

“We don’t want our (special needs) son to be a liability to his siblings when we are gone,” says a parent who declined to be named at the Parents Resource for Autism meeting.

Very few parents dare to entertain the thought of their LD children getting involved in a relationship. Marriage and starting a family are not part of the equation to see their LD children through adulthood.

“Many parents overlook their children’s social and emotional needs which are critical to their well-being,” Chang asserts.

Basic human desires need to be addressed; we can’t just sweep the issue under the carpet.

At the very least, these young adults should be given the opportunity to participate in social activities that give them a sense of belonging and a chance to foster friendships. This is where social clubs and supported living for the LD community come in, explains Chang.

Although parents have reservations out of fear that their children who have learning disabilities may not fully understand the responsibilities that come with marriage and raising a family, the issues must be dealt with. But it is a Catch-22 situation in Malaysia as the system is bereft of provisions for people with special needs who want to get married.

In Britain, people with LD are free to enter into marriage at age 18 or above without their parents’ consent.

The UK Social Welfare Ministry is charged with providing support and services to ensure people with LD are taught sex education and are advised accordingly, should they decide to enter into a relationship and have children.

But in Malaysia, the issue of sex and marriage among the LD is hardly within the radar of the Government. It has not reached the level where parents are confident that the choices their LD children make will guarantee them the necessary support should they decide to pursue marriage.

“The education system here for special needs children is far from ideal. What more when it comes to job opportunities and marriage,” says M.L. Chan, who has a 15-year-old autistic son.

Chan spent 15 years teaching in a regular school before making a switch to teaching LD students under the Government’s special education programme five years ago. She had hoped to change the system to make it work for the LD students by incorporating the various interventional therapies she had learnt privately. She wanted the school to benefit from them but was met with strong opposition from other special education teachers. She is on the brink of quitting.

“It is an uphill battle (trying to improve the education system). I am planning to home-school my son,” says Chan.

And she is not alone. In an education system that has yet to fully grasp the need to provide interventional therapies, families with the financial means have opted out and are seeking help privately.

Even as the meeting drew to a close, parents were still mulling over the options for their LD children with the exception of one mother who expressed hope that her son would marry some day.

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com. For enquiries of services and support groups, please call Malaysian Care ( 03-9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

Link: http://parenthots.com/features/Supporting-the-social-needs-of-special-children.aspx

Overall activities in July 2010

2010-08-09T14:29:00.005+08:00

Activity:
i) Making bookmarks for D&S High Tea
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event on the 31st July with help from Monash students.

Activity:
ii) A thorough cleaning of the front yard of the house
Objective: to maintain cleanliness of the house.

Activity:
iii) Practising for D&S High Tea event - a sketch entitled "Letting Go"
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to share an important message with the guest at the fundraising event on the 31st July

Activity:
iv) D&S High Tea Event called Persons with Learning Disabilities - MOVING FORWARD at the KL Convention Centre.
Objective: To promote awareness on disability and the work of D&S and book launch of Sam's Story.

Overall activities in June 2010

2010-08-09T14:06:00.006+08:00

Activity:
i) Beading Project: Making costume jewellery for D&S High Tea Event
Objective: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event by making their own items for sale

Activity:
ii) Interview by Pang Hin Yue, the Star Newspaper One Voice reporter.
Objective: To enable members to express their opinions about OPTIONS to the public.

Activity:
iii) Awareness talk on Disability and the work of D&S at St.Mary's Cathedral.
Objective: OPTIONS members were participating on creating awareness about D&S and promoting our D&S High Tea event.

Activity: Bowling at Cineleisure, Damansara
Objective: Group members learning to have some fun

Activity: Standard Chartered KL Marathon (5km fun run)
Objective: To participate in mainstream sports and visibly promote the work of D&S to the public.

Dignity & Services Review (June 2010)

2010-07-20T08:18:00.001+08:00

ONE VOICE: July 2010

2010-07-08T09:38:00.001+08:00

Trying to live an ordinary life

7 July 2010

ONE VOICE
By PANG HIN YUE

THEY did not bag the grand prize of RM350,000 at the recent Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2010 but they went away as winners. There is no price for their camaraderie and determination to compete in the race.

Sporting a black cape tagged Dignity and Services: For and with Persons with Learning Disabilities, Ken Han, 20, Mathew Chan, 18, William Chen, 22, and Yudesh Subramaniam, 22, completed their run just like the rest of the 16,500 participants. No exceptions made. No special treatment given. For the foursome who each has different learning challenges, it was a feat to be part of the ordinary. They represented Dignity and Services (D&S), an advocacy group for persons with learning disabilities that seeks to empower them with the right to be heard and to live a full life in mainstream society.

For volunteers Josh Green, Rupert Burton and Kosheila S. Pillay as well as D&S staff member Fendi Edip who joined in the run, they were elated that everything went without a hitch.

They injected some fun by donning party masks, while Mathew and his mother, Astella Hew, set the pace by being the first in the group to cross the finishing line.

The weekly training at Kiara Park in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Kuala Lumpur, had paid off for the foursome. The successful run boosted their confidence and they have set their sights on competing in other sports events. Green is more than happy to train them and hopes more of their peers from the transition home called “Options For Supported Living” will take part.

Options, which is open from Wednesday to Sunday, is filled with laughter, warmth and merry chatter whenever these young adults gather together.

Hope abounds

The seeds of love and hope sown by parents, caregivers and friends, have undoubtely borne fruit at Options.

“I like being here because I have friends and I can learn to live independently,” says Charmaine Chan, a bubbly 20-year-old.

Initiated in 2006 by D&S with the view of enabling young adults with learning disabilities to take short breaks from their family home even as their parents learn to let go of them, the concept of supported living is gaining ground.

“Supported living is about the learning disabled having a safe, decent home of their own with support from people who care for and respect them. This project serves as a transition towards planning for life in the future,” explains D&S executive director Mettilda John who oversees Options with help from her staff and volunteers from Monash University.

In the five-room double-storey link house along Pinggir Zaba in TTDI, the humdrum of every day life is celebrated. Here, the adults learn to live, play, plan meals, shop for groceries, cook, bake, take public transport and do household chores.

It is all in the spirit of seeking an independent and meaningful life within the community. They are also learning to care for pets with the adoption of two cats named Pinky and Brainy.

“It looks like Pinky and Brainy are made for supported living,” jokes Mettilda. “The participants at Options love them to bits. Those without the capacity for speech often make a beeline for the cats, and spend time stroking the felines and playing with them.

“All we want is an ordinary house in an ordinary neighbourhood where the participants can do ordinary day-to-day stuff. Options is not about having a highly structured programme; it is more about learning through living an ordinary life like the rest of us,” stresses Mettilda.

As parents age, they have to learn to let go of their special needs children and give them the opportunity to make choices and grow independently, she adds. “Options provides families with an avenue to let go of their children or siblings in a secure environment.”

When the project first started, there were only five people. Over the years, as more parents caught on the idea, the number has risen to 15. Now there is a waiting list.

For parents like Wendy Cheong, she is thankful that Options has given her some personal space when her son, Cheong Choong Jian, 18, goes there for sleepovers.

A home-maker, Wendy has her hands full caring for her bedridden father-in-law. In the last three years, she has taken on the additional responsibility of caring for Choong Jian after he became wheelchair-bound following a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy, a condition in which nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord – peripheral nerves – have been damaged.

The condition can produce pain, loss of sensation and muscle control.

But both son and mother are keeping positive, and with the support of D&S and friends in Options, Choong Jian continues to enjoy his cooking sessions.

“My son and I look forward to Saturdays. He gets to hang out with his friends at Options while I take a break and go window shopping,” says Wendy.

She believes supported living has helped Choong Jian gain confidence to connect with people. Before he came to Options three years ago, Wendy says her son would keep to himself when they had visitors at home. Now he is more sociable.

Looking ahead

Wendy is heartened that all efforts have been made to ensure her son is able to move about in his wheelchair while at Options. “I’m glad he has a place where he can go to for friendship and support,” she adds.

Special education teacher Sarah Toh believes it is never too early for parents with special needs children to plan for their independence. Her daughter, Samantha Ramasamy, who was diagnosed with Kabuki Syndrome, is only 15 but she is already exposing her to the concept of supported living. Although Samantha has another two years before she qualifies as a member of Options, Sarah sends her there on Saturdays to get a feel of the place.

For Chin Keat Lai, 50, Options has opened up a whole new world. She had led a sheltered life, being cared for by her mother in Ipoh, Perak. But with the passing of her mother, she came to Kuala Lumpur to stay with her sister. Initially her family was unsure if she could cope in Options. But she surprised them by insisting on having sleepovers and participating in their activities. And she has been faithfully attending Options since March.

Mettilda, whose sister, Julie, also participates in supported living, finds it gratifying to see how the group has grown in terms of fostering friendships, taking on responsibilities and having a sense of belonging.

“There are lots of opportunities for choice-making and problem-solving when they come to Options,” she notes.

But as with all things, it costs money to make the project viable and sustainable. For now, all participating families pay a nominal sum towards the subsidised rent. All this is made possible through one of the parents who bought the house to ensure there will always be a place for the group to go to.

Seeing the happy faces of the participants and the strong bonds they have forged with one another gives Mettilda and the respective families the strength to keep championing the rights of the learning disabled.

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

For enquiries of services and support groups, call Malaysian Care (03 90582102) or Dignity & Services (03-77255569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

http://parenthots.com/features/Trying-to-live-an-ordinary-life.aspx

ONE VOICE: June 2010

2010-07-08T09:36:00.004+08:00

Parents urgently need support services

2 June 2010

One Voice
By MARY CHEN

MY youngest son was born 23 years ago with a learning disability. During those pre-Internet days, our main source of information was the doctors, especially my gynaecologist.

Call it maternal instinct, but I felt something was not quite right with my baby. I voiced my concern to my gynaecologist when I took my newborn for the first post-natal check-up two weeks after delivery.

I asked the doctor why my baby’s eyes were so small, and they were always teary and filled with mucus. To this day I can still remember his comment: “Oh, he has Chink eyes, that is why they are like slits and he must be ‘heaty,’ you need to give him more water.”

Later, we discovered he had blocked tear ducts when we took him to the ophthalmologist. It was really tough trying to pin a baby down to force his eyes open to clear his tear ducts. We could not sedate him because he was too young. At the end of the session, the female ophthalmologist and I were in tears.

What was I doing before that?

I was constantly cleaning his eyes, wiping away the mucus, experimenting with his diet.

Well-meaning family and friends recommended less heaty milk powders, cooling drinks, and herbal remedies for bathing, washing, and consuming.

During the first year of raising William, I had never felt so alone.

He was not taking to breastfeeding, and he was constantly crying. In the end I gave up and bottle-fed him. Yet he was not drinking well. There was always milk left over. I thought he had fallen asleep on the bottle. Looking back now, perhaps he just got tired of sucking because he had poor muscle tone, a common feature of babies born with chromosomal disorders.

Back then it was a constant experiment for me. Was the teat too hard? I changed to a softer one. It didn’t work. Was the hole too small? I made it bigger, but my baby started choking, so

I had to make a series of graded holes to find the one he was most comfortable with. Some mothers advised me to tickle his chin so he would not fall asleep on the bottle. That helped a little. Others told me to feed him in a certain position. I tried everything I knew to find the perfect feeding position, but there was none.

Feeding time during the day was not too bad. It was the night feeds that exhausted both of us. Each feed took half an hour at the least, and even then he finished only half the bottle.

Initially I kept the other half in a warmer, and tried to feed him half hour later. By the time he finished the bottle, it was only a short respite for me because he would be restless within an hour, and it was time to change his nappies. Cloth nappies were the norm then.

That was the routine – naps, cries, feeds, nappy change, water – for the first six months.

“Some babies are more fretful,” “he is not feeding well, that is why he is not growing,” or “you have a difficult baby.” These were some of the comments I received when I asked around.

In those days, we did not have the Internet, so a Google search was unheard of.

Sleep deprivation does strange things to one; I searched for advice everywhere. Even the best paediatricians in the Klang Valley said there was nothing wrong with him.

I was gripped by loneliness and helplessness. Twenty years ago, the doctor was always right.

“When the doctor said there is nothing wrong with your son, why are you looking for problems?” That was the feedback I got from family members when I told them I felt something was not quite right with my boy. I was plagued by doubts: Was I paranoid? Maybe I was not doing a good job of looking after this baby who was always crying, restless, and a little “floppy”.

When I took him to see a general practitioner for flu one day, the doctor told me: “Your child has Mongoloid features. I think you should see a paediatrician.”

But I had already seen three paediatricians, and all of them told me there was nothing wrong with my child.

The GP recommended a paediatrician he knew, and this time I was hopeful of an answer.

I saw the paediatrician and he confirmed that my child had “special needs”. However, he was not able to offer any guidance or direction. All he could say was to take the child home and treat him with lots of tender, loving care. I knew then that I was not just being paranoid. It was time to move forward. Of course, the journey and search for the next stage is another long story.

What I wanted to share is that the early years of infancy are crucial years for special babies and their families.

I wonder what is available for new parents today? Do they still go through this constant search for answers and resources? There is a great need for services and facilities for infants with disabilities. The Government must step in to take up this responsibility.

Based on various statistics and computations, we already know the expected number of potential needs. Last year 500,000 births were registered. Even if just 1% of this number has special needs, that would be 5,000 infants and families in need of support.

Is the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development working together to provide emotional, medical and interventional support for this group in question?

If we look at the current budgetary practice in public service, there is a lag of at least two to four years before the service can be provided to this group. Why? Correct me if I am wrong but the normal practice is, when there is a need for a particular service and that need has been assessed, the procedure is to file an application to start a service for this group. If the application is approved, the request will be included in the next budget allocation.

So instead of us constantly chasing services and funds that would come too late to serve this particular need, we need a paradigm shift to ensure that such services are integral to the maternal care and childcare provided today. And this should be readily accessible to new parents anywhere in the country.

One Voice is a monthly column which serves as a platform for professionals, parents and careproviders of children with learning difficulties. Feedback on the column can be sent to onevoice4ld@gmail.com.

For enquiries of services and support groups, call Malaysian Care ( 03-9058 2102) or Dignity & Services ( 03-7725 5569). E-mail: onevoice4ld@gmail.com

http://parenthots.com/features/Parents-urgently-need-support-services.aspx

A Celebration of Persons with Learning Disabilities - MOVING FORWARD

2010-06-16T11:59:00.004+08:00

25th June 2010

Dear Friends

Persons with Learning Disabilities – MOVING FORWARD

We are delighted to invite you to a very special event, the 2010 Dignity & Services High Tea at the KL Convention Centre on 31st July.

Conceived by the family of our late chairman, Datuk Dr. Sam Abraham, the event will be a major fundraiser for Dignity & Services, where we help disabled young people to help themselves.

Our fundraising target is RM 100,000 from sponsorship of tables at RM 2,000 and RM 5,000. We already have the generous support of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and we hope that you will also support us.

The funds raised will help develop our principal project called OPTIONS for Supported Living. This gives young adults the chance to live in sheltered accommodation in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur and learn to look after themselves.

At the High Tea, there will be a chance to meet the youth and families we are supporting. We will also be launching a book entitled “Sam’s Story” which is a biography of our late chairman, the most remarkable Datuk Dr Sam Abraham.

Sam, as he was universally known, was his own Facebook long before social networking was invented.
A pioneering peadiatrician, he was at ease with the high and mighty, and the poor and disadvantaged. From his student days in Australia and post graduate training in the United Kingdom, he built a network of friends all over the world, and was a particular champion of those without a voice. Empowering disabled children and young adults In Malaysia was a concern very close to his heart.

We do hope you can join us at this special High Tea and thank you for your support that enables us to continue our work with individuals and families with learning disabilities.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Young
Chairman, Directors of Dignity & Services

Supported Living Program 29-30 May 2010 (Sat - Sun)

2010-06-03T11:20:00.006+08:00

Activities:
i) Art Project: Art pieces for hanging in the house or for sale & Making costume jewellery

Objectives: To enable the OPTIONS members to be part of the fundraising event on the 31st July by making their own items for sale with help from Monash students.

Supported Living Program 22 May 2010

2010-06-03T11:14:00.006+08:00

Activities:
i) Art Project: Black & White Art

Objectives: Teaching our SL group members to create a simple detailed black & white art piece.

Supported Living Program 15-16 May 2010 (Sat - Sun)

2010-06-03T11:09:00.007+08:00

Activities:
i) Art Project: Blowing Technique with water colours.

Objectives:
Teaching our group on how to create a "blow-art" piece,using straws to blow different colors in different directions on art paper.

Supported Living Program 8 May 2010 (Sat)

2010-06-03T11:05:00.007+08:00

Activities:
i) Making bookmarks for the High Tea Fundraising Event.

Objectives: For S.L members to participate in the high tea fund raising event .

DIGNITY & SERVICES

Supported Living Program: 9-10-11 Feb 2012

Supported Living Program: 2-3 March 2012

Supported Living Program: 24-25-26 Feb 2012

Supported Living Program: 17-18 Feb 2012

Supported Living Program: 14 Feb 2012

Supported Living Program: 10-11-12 Feb 2012

Supported Living Program: 3-4 Feb 2012

Supported Living Program: 27-28-29 Jan 2012

Supported Living Program: 13-14 Jan 2012

Supported Living Program: 6-7-8 Jan 2012

Supported Living Program: 9-10 Dec 2011

Supported Living Program: 25-26 Nov 2011

Supported Living Program: 18-19-20 Nov 2011

Supported Living Program: 11-12 Nov 2011

Dignity & Services - 20 years on. A fund raising event

Supported Living Program: 4-5 Nov 2011

Supported Living Program: 29-30 Oct 2011

Supported Living Program: 22-23 Oct 2011

Supported Living Program: 15 Oct 2011

Supported Living Program: 7-8 Oct 2011

Supported Living Program: 1-2 Oct 2011

Supported Living Program: 23-24 Sept 2011

Supported Living Program: 16-17 Sept 2011

Supported Living Program: 9-10-11 Sept 2011

ONE VOICE: Sept 2011

Wednesday September 7, 2011

Hope in the face of autism

By ALEXANDRA JUNG

ONE VOICE: Aug 2011

Wednesday August 3, 2011

Music to the ears

One VoiceBy PANG HIN YUE

Supported Living Program: 2-3 Sept 2011

Supported Living Program: 26-27 Aug 2011

Supported Living Program: 19-20 Aug 2011

Supported Living Program: 13 August 2011

Supported Living Program: 8 August 2011

Supported Living Program: 29-30-31 July 2011

Supported Living Program: 22-23 July 2011

Supported Living Program: 15-16-17 July 2011

ONE VOICE: July 2011

Wednesday July 13, 2011

Walk with faith

One VoiceBy PANG HIN YUE

Supported Living 1-2-3 July 2011

I, CAREGIVER: Walk of hope

Supported Living Program 24-25-26 June 2011

Supported Living 17-18 June 2011

ONE VOICE: JUNE 2011

ONE VOICE: MAY 2011

Supported Living 10-11 June 2011

Supported Living Program: 3-4-5 June 2011

Supported Living Program: 27-28 May 2011

Supported Living Program: 20-21-22 May 2011

Supported Living Program: 13-14 May 2011

Supported Living Program: 6-7-8 May 2011

Supported Living Program: 29-30 April 2011

ONE VOICE: MAY 2011

ONE VOICE: APRIL 2011

Ball and sandbag therapy for kids

Supported Living Program 22-23-24 April 2011

Supported Living Program 15-16 April 2011

Supported Living 8-9-10April 2011

Supported Living 1-2 April 2011

Supported Living 25-26-27 March 2011

ONE VOICE: MARCH 2011

What is typical speech and language development?

Supported Living Program 17-18-19 March 2011

Supported Living Program 11-12-13 March 2011

Supported Living Program 4-5-6 March 2011

Supported Living Program 18-19 Feb 2011

Supported Living Program 11-12-13 Feb 2011

Supported Living Program: 29 Jan 2011

ONE VOICE: Feb 2011

Coping with the news of disability

Supported Living 22-23 jan 2011

ONE VOICE: January 2011

Family-centred solutions for the learning disabled

Supported Living Program 14-15 Jan 2011

One Voice
By PANG HIN YUE

One Voice
By PANG HIN YUE