Entry on Articles

Hullo! Hmm... (this is lm) I came across a couple of articles in a Malaysian newspaper recently, which were about the intellectually disabled. The paper is called “The Star”, and it’s quite popular on this side of the Causeway. So... I’m taking a page out of YY’s book in terms of sharing quotes/citations from media sources (though these probably aren’t nearly as heart-warming as hers, but hopefully they’re somewhat useful).

One of the articles, “Hand in hand with autistic kids” (8 June 2009) was about a group of youths with autism who will be performing at a concert “to raise awareness and funds for Parents’ Resource for Autism (PR4A)”. The concert, “Hand in Hand with the Stars”, will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Plenary Theatre in July.

The article highlighted an autistic youth who plays the banjo, as well as a group of autistic youths who will be drumming at the concert. According to the article, “the lights in the theatre will be switched off and all the audience will see are the white gloves worn by the performers and the fluorescent drumsticks”.

Furthermore, the article states that “because people with autism are very reliant on routines, helping the youngsters rehearse meant being very precise and detailed in the instructions”. (Maybe it’s just me, but I think this is an insightful tip...) In addition to that, “at the concert venue, there will also be an art exhibition by 15 autistic artists” featuring “about 60 pieces of art”, including paintings and clay sculptures. (Wow... all that sounds pretty cool, no?)

The proceeds from the concert “will go towards PR4A’s plan to set up centres in the Klang Valley, Ipoh, Penang and Malacca and to train parents in various forms of therapy”.
I think the idea of a fundraising concert/art exhibition is pretty good, because apart from raising funds for the organisation, it also enables the autistic youths to discover and develop their musical/artistic abilities and talents, as well as helps to increase awareness within society about the true potential of the intellectually disabled.

Maybe we could try to organise a similar event in future, albeit on a smaller scale, to start with? Hmm... probably easier said than done, heh... And yea... the abovementioned concert/exhibition involves only youths with autism, but it might be more challenging to do something like that with beneficiaries who have various types and degrees of disability, such as the residents at MV. Still, I just thought it was something that could be thought about? In any case, if anyone’s planning to come up to KL 3-5 July, maybe you’d like to check out the concert/exhibition, while contributing to a good cause! (Visit Malaysia, Truly Asia! *lm shamelessly promotes tourism in her home country*)

The other article I encountered was “Behaviour expert” (7 June 2009), which was actually featured in the “Education/Careers” section of “The Star”. This article was about a woman, Mary Anne Joseph, who found her calling in life as “a professional therapist in modifying behaviours”. More specifically, “she runs a centre where she works with people who are mentally challenged like those with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other learning difficulties”.

I found some of these excerpts somewhat insightful, so I figured I’d share them, in case you’d think so, too:

Mary Anne Joseph says, “We are all working towards one goal, which is to make a special needs child independent, because an adult with autism, for example, would be a great burden to the family if not trained.” (Brings to mind something Shan Yan wrote when she “hit the lottery” a few months back.) In the article, she explains that most of the work done at her centre concerns behaviour modification, which she says is something that can be applied to anyone, not just children with mental disabilities.

She also says, “We also work on fine motor skills, play, and communication skills, but it is important that parents are involved in whatever we teach because at the end of the day, the child is theirs.”

From the article: “She says that parents are also high on her priority list because while it may be difficult to change a child’s behaviour, it is even more difficult to change the parents’ mindset, and sometimes, parents may be in denial of their child’s disability”.

She was quoted as saying, “Asians generally view any form of disability as taboo and are reluctant to discuss their thoughts openly. It is important for parents to empathise with the child, in order to fully understand their offspring, because if they do not put themselves in their child’s shoes, they will never understand.”

Hmm... I can’t say that I’ve had any first-hand experience interacting with parents/family members of the intellectually disabled: is there really such a taboo? Well, I guess she’d know better, since she’s been working closely with the intellectually disabled and their families. But yea... I can imagine that it must be very challenging to raise a special needs child, and it’s not so hard to imagine how difficult it must be for some parents to come to terms with the condition of their child.

Another excerpt: “She adds that all parents want to give the best to their children, and in the case of parents with a special needs child, the guilt factor is there, often making the child the “king” or “queen” at home. Many parents give in to the demands of the child, unaware that it is not doing the child any good”.

Well, I think this reiterates what some of our seniors/peers have been telling us about interacting with the residents, namely, don’t pamper them! Hmm... yea, as a senior or two said, treat them like ordinary people. I reckon that’s the best way to help them towards ultimately integrating into society – treating them like everyone treats everyone else.

Erm... yea, that’s all... this time. I hope you found the excerpts insightful (I did, anyway). Happy hols! Or... if you’re not on holiday... erm... have a nice day!