AIU BECE Students Reach Out to Autistic Children

ALOR SETAR, 6 February 2024 – A group of 25 students enrolled in the Bachelor in Early Childhood Education (Honours) (BECE) Programme at Albukhary International University (AIU) participated in a collaborative initiative with the National Autism Society Malaysia (NASOM) Alor Setar held, yesterday. 

The programme which took place at the NASOM Centre Alor Setar aimed at fostering an inclusive learning environment that encourages the participation of all children, regardless of their abilities, and promotes a sense of belonging. 

The BECE students were tasked to use practical inclusive teaching strategies and implement suitable assessment strategies from classroom lessons to address the individual learning needs of autistic children. There were 7 stations of activities targeting a variety of children’s developmental domains.  

The Coordinator of NASOM Alor Setar, Teacher Yana highlighted that the centre provides an early intervention programme for children with autism, with a range of services. She mentioned that while awareness about autism is on the rise, there remains a challenge in obtaining financial assistance, particularly for NGOs catering to special needs children in Alor Setar.

The participants conveyed their admiration for the special needs educators who demonstrate dedication and a willingness to wholeheartedly engage in the education of autistic children, despite the difficulties associated with managing their abilities and behaviours.

The programme ended with a discussion of future community engagement projects such as the Charity Run which is expected to take place in May this year. 

The aspiration for this programme is to provide BECE students with hands-on experience in implementing inclusive teaching methods besides taking an initial step towards fostering a more inclusive community.