Need to detect autism at early stage

By SALINA KHALID
Photos by GLENN GUAN

ALTHOUGH more people are now aware of autism, there are no statistics on how many are affected by the condition in the country.

National Autism Society of Malaysia chairman (Nasom) Teh Beng Choon said without statistics, it was difficult for the society to assess the real situation locally.

“We have been going around to various organisations, including the relevant autho-rities, to gather information on prevalence of the condition yet nobody has the statistics.

“So we have to rely on the international figures and make an assumption about the local scenario,” he said.
He added that according to the international statistics in the 1980s, the incidence of autism in children was one in every 500.

Professional help: Professionally trained teachers teaching a child about numbers.

Locally, there are about 3,000 cases of autism, with about 500 new ones diagnosed every year. The degree of autism ranges from mild to severe.

“Autism is a neurological disorder, not a psychological one, so it does not have anything to do with behavioural problems or those affected being naughty,” he added.

Autism is a complex developmental disorder that manifests in the first three years of life. It affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills.

Yet, in most cases, especially in this country, the condition is not diagnosed until much later.
Common features of autism include impaired social interaction, impaired verbal and non-verbal communication, problems with processing information from the senses, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour.

The symptoms, however, may vary from moderate to severe.

Some autistic children are withdrawn and unable to follow complicated instructions, which leads to them becoming outcasts or considered as stubborn children.

Among the symptoms of autism are inappropriate laughing, no fear of real danger, apparent insensitivity to pain, difficulty in socialising with other children, crying tantrums, unusual eye contact, a tendency to spin objects and resisting changes in routine.

Teh added that autism was four times more common in males than in females. It is not a problem associated with poor parenting.

Trained personnel: A teacher handling a crying child.

“Autism is a life-long condition. It affects every aspect of a person’s life and there is no cure,” he said.
He called on the relevant authorities, including the Health Ministry and Welfare Department, to set up a registry for autism so that every child could be screened to enable early detection of the condition. More awareness programmes should also be organised for the public, he said.

Nasom is a non-profit, non-government welfare organisation that aims mainly to boost awareness of autism together with well-established and newly-developed approaches in the diagnosis, assessment, education and treatment of people with autism. Established in 1986 by a group of parents and concerned citizens, the organisation also aims to improve the quality of life for people with autism.

With 17 centres throughout the country, the organisation offers life-long services to people with autism.

“However, what’s lacking is the sense of urgency when it comes to autism.
“Knowledge about autism is still low in the country and a lot of people do not know about the condition.
“That is why autistic children are often thought to have behavioural problems or to be simply naughty,” said Teh during an interview at the Nasom centre in Subang Jaya 3C’s (Children Creative Centre) complex.

To boost awareness of the importance of early detection of the condition, the association has organised a series of campaigns that includes talks and seminars on the subject for parents and the public.

“We try to provide basic training for the children, including academic and daily routine that we take for granted.
“Our teachers are professionally trained to teach autistic children.
“We are glad that most of the children have shown tremendous improvement over the years,” he said.

Teh added that Nasom depended on donations from the public to support its cause.
It needs at least RM2.5mil per year to fund all the centres.

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