
“Play therapy now is quite new in Malaysia. People are not as aware about play therapy, they often think play therapy is about playing with the child – but it’s not what we do. That’s why I decided to start out on my own, and promote play therapy specifically for special needs children.
Play therapy also promotes mental health. Mental health is something we have become more concerned about, and mental health is something we should work on from young. Sometimes we forget about the child’s mental health in the midst of sending them everywhere for teaching. As a therapist, we have to communicate total acceptance, respect, and care for the child. Children eventually feel better about themselves as they feel understood, they feel heard, they feel accepted as they are. It also promotes emotional literacy, because they are able to express their feelings and thoughts they may have. Emotional health and literacy is vital for special needs children, and it’s something I try to promote in my work. Of course behavioural therapy is important, but the mental health of the child is just as important – they complement each other.
Having a syllabus is helpful as a guide, as we can roughly determine what a child should be doing by a certain age. But for special needs children, we don’t have that because they are all different. Their IQ level is different, their pace is different. Even how autism affects them it’s different – that’s why it’s a spectrum. In determining what works for your child, parents should monitor the progress of their child, if there are any changes from going to a particular therapy. Certain therapists may bond more with a particular child, that could come up with better results. Although think it’s good if a therapist has certain qualifications, I do not think it’s the end-all answer. The way a therapist work, how passionate they are, their commitment, and how they are able to connect with the child – those are more important.
A diagnosis helps the parent to know more about what the child is going through, but diagnosis is not that vital. It’s not as important as compared to overseas. In overseas, you get special state help for intervention, therapy. In that sense, it’s vital as special needs children are taken care of by the state. But in Malaysia, a diagnosis makes no difference. There is an OKU department, but special treatment is not provided. The earlier a parent accepts that their child is different, the faster and better the kid’s progress.
If you are in the more advanced town areas, there is no lack of awareness. The government and Health Ministry have been promoting awareness for special needs. There’s been recent headlines of Sunway Putra Mall being an autism-friendly mall. But if you’re in under-developed areas, there may be a lack of awareness.
A great initiative moving forward is if we could establish an umbrella body that gives you advice on what to do. A young parent who has an autistic child may feel very lost. They might not be sure what to do. A centre where you are able to get a diagnosis, types of therapies to consider, lists of centres. A guidebook on where to get a diagnosis, who you should seek for help, what your child should be able to do by a certain age. Maybe this umbrella body can cater more broadly for all kinds of special needs, as many parents might not know what specifically is wrong with their child. A general centre will help to alleviate the confusion. If that could be done, that would be very good and helpful for parents.”
Part 2/2
Photostory and edited by Win Li
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Ho Nyet Fah is a Therapeutic Play Practitioner/Therapist. Her email address is honf2012@gmail.com. She can also be reached via mobile for enquiries at 017-3676361.
– Humans of Kuala Lumpur
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