| Ishan Ibrahim |
GREAT strides have been made to improve and enhance the lives of people with autism, said Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, the Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the Ministry of Education (MoE), yesterday during the opening ceremony of the 8th National Autism Conference, at the Ministry of Health.
Dr Hajah Romaizah was delivering a speech by Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, the Minister of Education who was unable to attend the event, in which she said that the MoE’s Educational Psychology Services and Speech and Language Therapist sections are continuously working to provide more training on learning strategies designed for special individuals.
She also explained that data compiled by the ministry showed an improvement in social communication and interaction skills, among students with autism in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) programme.
“They can now express themselves better and minimise the challenging behaviour related to communication difficulties, making their learning more efficient,” said the permanent secretary.
She also recommended several primary schools and nine model inclusive schools under the MoE, in which 254 students with autism are receiving specialised learning assistance through the Individual Education Plan.
The primary schools are: Rimba Primary School, Lambak Kanan Jalan 49 Primary School, Keriam Primary School, Pengiran Kesuma Negara Bukit Beruang Primary School and Pengiran Setia Jaya Pengiran Abdul Momin Primary School.
The nine model inclusive schools are: Menglait Secondary School, Sultan Sharif Ali Secondary School, Sayyidina Othman Secondary School and Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Secondary School.
Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, the Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the Ministry of Education (MoE), delivering a speech by Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, the Minister of Education during the event yesterday. – ISHAN IBRAHIM
“Through the Special Education Unit, the MoE is also building human resources capacity with a number of training and professional development courses regularly conducted,” said the permanent secretary.
The courses include the Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-Handicapped Children (TEACHH) approach and PECS, with new teachers being introduced to inclusive education and strategies in local schools.
Currently, 218 new teachers are trained in the Structured Learning Approach (SLA), which includes subject teachers, learning Support Teachers, CfBT teachers and relief teachers.
“In a Muslim society, such as Brunei Darussalam, it is obligatory for able people to support and contribute to the care and development of all special needs individuals,” said Dr Hajah Romaizah.
In the address made by Malai Haji Abdullah bin Malai Haji Othman, the President and CEO of Society for the Management of Autism Related issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER), he called on all parties and members of the public to be more involved in the efforts to increase the awareness on individuals with autism, besides taking the appropriate steps and measures in the strive to improve their lives.
“The theme of this year’s WISE (Welcoming, Inviting, Supporting and Encouraging) Approach is more humanistic, with SMARTER’s curriculum and programmes having evolved and developed according to the needs of each IWA, with the FAST curriculum,” said Malai Haji Abdullah, adding that the conference will also hold discussions on the holistic approach implemented by SMARTER Brunei.
He also called for more support of SMARTER Brunei, saying that the non-government organisation (NGO) might not exist anymore in the near future, without the help and assistance from the relevant parties, organisations and the general public.
Malai Haji Abdullah acknowledged the strong backing from the MoE, Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), but added that more needs to be done.
He concluded his speech by lauding the efforts from the Australian High Commission in Brunei Darussalam, the event’s co-organisers, and the students of Flinders University, for their work attachment at SMARTER.
The 8th National Autism Conference was organised by SMARTER Brunei and Flinders University, through the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan, with an estimated 100 participants, including specialists from the three ministries, academics, teachers and families of individuals with autism.
The two-day conference was the conclusion of a three-week intensive practicum with the SMARTER Brunei, by 10 Australian students who are scheduled to make presentations from their research findings.
The permanent secretary also presented certificates to the students of Flinders University, for their participation in the three-week attachment programme.
The event began with welcoming remarks by Ahmad Hazeeq Fadhillah bin Herman Alfonso Serudin, an Individual with Autism (IWA).
The opening event was also attended by Selina Cho, the Australian Charge d’Affaires.
The keynote address was presented by Debbie Smith, a lecturer from the Disability and Social Inclusion Unit, at the Flinders University in Adelaide.
She said their students had gained invaluable exposure to alternative solutions in autism treatment that are not available in Australia, and attributed this newfound knowledge to the New Colombo Plan.
The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government that aims to lift knowledge of Asia in Australia, by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region.
More than 7,400 Australian undergraduates will live, study and take up internships in countries throughout the Indo-Pacific region next year, under the New Colombo Plan, bringing the total number of students funded over its first four years to more than 17,000.
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