A GROUP OF seven Universiti Teknologi Brunei students doing Masters in Management and Technology visited the Society for the Management of Autism Related issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER) Brunei as part of their outreach programme recently.
The students met with the President of SMARTER Brunei, Malai Haji Abdullah bin Malai Haji Othman to know more about the functions and facilities available and experience first-hand on how students learn in their classroom at the centre.
The group noted that the students were well-behaved and acquired knowledge well. Malai Haji Abdullah believes in nurturing individuals with autism through gentle guidance and treating them with empathy and compassion. With this mindset, SMARTER Brunei has met the International Standards under APQI (Autism Program Quality Indicator, New York) in 2001 and the Colorado Autism Task Force in 2010. SMARTER Brunei has also obtained the gold stars (the highest score) in all 14 areas of APQI.
SMARTER Brunei students were exposed to basic skills including cooking, cleaning after themselves and social interactions to prepare them for life as young adults.
In conjunction with the World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, the group and their classmates raised awareness on autism by wearing blue outfit. They also delivered a presentation on their experiences and how to help SMARTER Brunei achieve its goals to create acceptance and remove discrimination and marginalisation on individuals with autism.
The group believed it will make a huge difference if the society stops creating barriers between themselves and individuals with autism. Society needs to be their heroes, that is by being humanistic, empathetic, resourceful, optimistic, engaging (enabling) and supporting to produce a CURE – namely understanding, respecting and embracing.
With this in mind, it will help create a world where everybody accept one another.
