“There has been more awareness in recent years.
More workshops are held. The government has been doing initiatives as well, such as making places more autism-friendly. It’s a good start. But not as many people are aware of what special needs are. I think acceptance and love is very important. So if you ever see any kids going through a meltdown, understand that it’s a part and parcel of life. Sometimes they just need the space to express it out, we need to accept that.
Social media plays a very important role. Sharing knowledge and general facts will be helpful. If parents and teachers are willing to share their personal experience, I think that would be helpful too. In terms of education, going for internships will definitely help people to learn how to identify special needs children and work around them.
The main concern of most parents is whether their special needs child is able to take care of themselves. For parents whose kids are high-functioning, their concern will be whether their kids are eventually able to work.
The common misconceptions surrounding the capabilities of special needs children is that they don’t know how to communicate or express their emotions. But with proper training, these kids are able to communicate to you even if they may be non-verbal. They may communicate through pulling your hand or showing gestures.
For a special needs educator, it’s not just about behaviour, but also education and many other factors. It’s like you’re taking care of all their needs, to grow as independent as they could. Being a special needs educator requires a lot of hands-on experience. The passion has to be there. The more you are aware, the more you want to help.
The kids are adorable in their own ways. They are lovable. Normal kids and special needs kids are the same in terms of their emotions: they want to be loved. You see them grow and improve over the years. Even though it can be a bit tiring teaching the same things over and over, but seeing them improve is makes it all worth it.
On picking the right therapy, it depends on what the child needs. We look at various things, such as their behaviour and their emotions. If I think a child is unable to learn due to being emotionally affected, I would recommend the parents to work on the emotional aspect first. Some may have an issue with behaviour, which I would advise parents to work on the kid’s behaviour first. Parents have to work closely with the trainers: it will help parents to understand more on what the child needs most.
For us as the public, I would encourage all of us to accept those with special needs as who they are. Being a special needs child’s parents is not easy. Support the parents, encourage them. A lot of parents feel that they are fighting this on their own. Support from the community and society does help to encourage them and remind them that they are not alone in this journey. I also encourage young people to learn how to understand these kids. You don’t have to be a special needs educator, there are different ways to help. If you do have the passion and love, take the time to understand and learn how to guide these kids.”
Part 2/2
Photostory and edited by Win Li
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Amy Kyo is the Principal of Emmanuel Care Centre. Their email address is eccemcpj@gmail.com. Their telephone number is 03-78065660.
– Humans of Kuala Lumpur
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