Good News Everyone!

Meet Emma, our new Music Teacher at EAP Malaysia!

That’s right. EAP Malaysia now offers music lessons to our children at the centre.

During these lessons, children are taught various social skills such as taking turns, socializing with friends, and body coordination. All these are taught through interactive games and singing songs with actions.

Children are chosen to join the class based on the evaluation of their skills. There are currently seven children who will be attending Emma’s music classes starting next week!

Classes are conducted every Thursday of the week between 2:30pm and 3:30pm. 

EAP in the Media

While sorting through our files, we stumbled upon a few hidden treasures! It was too good to keep to ourselves and so we've decided to share them with you here!

Early this year our Director, Jochebed Isaacs scored an interview with Capital FM radio station! Unfortunately we were not able to recover the actual recording, but we did keep a photo for memory! Here she is with Capital FM's DJ, Asha Gill!

As for radio interviews which we DO have the recording for... Check out Jochebed's other interview with BFM on The Importance of Early Intervention In Autism, right HERE.

EAP Malaysia is anticipating more media coverage soon as we make preparations for Autism Awareness month that's just around the corner! We'll keep you posted of course. =) 

Preparing For School

Preparing children with Autism for school is an intricate process. There are many things that we can do to help our children overcome their challenges and have positive experiences in the school environment. During the process of getting our children ready for school, it is advisable to start looking for the right school. Here are some tips and guidelines that we share with our parents to help them in making that decision.

1. Think about what kind of structure your child needs
2.  Look at websites for possible schools
3.  Look at the size of school and number of children in a class
4.  Physical aspects of school and playground (playground supervision)
5.  Attend school Open Days
6.  Make an appointment to meet the principal to discuss: 

• Learning goals
• Behaviour Management policy
• Homework policy
• School Shadow policy
• Knowledge of special needs
• Experience with children with special needs
• Learning Support Faculty/ School Counsellor
• Structure of class

7. Sit in a class to see how structured the teacher is, what language is used and what level of visual supports are used
8. Visit school at different times of day or on different days
9. Talk to professionals and parents who may have had experience with schools
10. Consider the feasibility of getting to and from school
11. Consider affordability

It may seem slightly overwhelming but remember to take things one step at a time, and if you should have any questions regarding this topic, do send an email to us at autismmalaysia@gmail.com.

Have a good weekend! 

What does an initial appointment at EAP Malaysia look like?

We have two types of initial appointments at EAP Malaysia - the Diagnostic Evaluation or the Initial Screening. The Diagnostic Evaluation is a 2 hour appointment during which EAP Malaysia's Clinical Psychologist will observe and play with your child, and have an interview with the parents. Our Psychologist will use the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) as a screening tool and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) to make a formal diagnosis. A written report will then be given which is included in the cost. 

The Initial Screening is a two hour meeting for an EAP Malaysia Consultant to spend some time to get to know your child. Our Consultant will discuss your child's development, strengths and difficulties and then give you recommendations on recommended treatment, number of hours, therapists, skills to teach as well as answer any questions you have. A written report with the recommendation will be given to the parents within a week after the meeting. 

Please call us at 03-2094 0421 to make your appointment today.

Did You Know...?

Did you know that our staff at EAP Malaysia are trained in CPR & First Aid? This is because the safety of your children are a priority to us.

Our most recent First Aid and CPR (2010 version) training was held on Saturday the 24th of March 2012 at our Stepping Stones center.



Over a period of 7 hours, 19 of us learned how to give CPR, help choking victims, deal with wounds, burns, snake bites and epileptic fits.



All confirmed full-time members of our team are required to attend this training biannually.







Now you know!

Walk for Autism!

EAP Malaysia proudly announces its first public event: Walk for Autism! That's right, we've gone public! And that means EVERYONE can get involved! 

We admit, its incredibly exciting for us to be involved in this way as April marks the Autism Awareness month worldwide! So call up your family, friends, workmates, and anyone you think would love to be a part of this event. Sign up ASAP as we need the numbers locked in. Lots more goodies and surprises to follow! 

To get the form, email us at autismmalaysia@gmail.com or contact us at 03-20940421. We eagerly anticipate your response! =) 

28 April 2012. SAVE THE DATE!!!

That's right! EAP Malaysia is celebrating Autism Awareness Month with something BIG on the 28th of April!! So save the date on your calendars now and watch this space! We'll keep you posted! =D 

Autism Conference 2012

In the light of the upcoming Autism Awareness month, EAP Malaysia is pleased to announce that Jochebed Isaacs, our Director,  has been invited to speak at Gleneagles' Autism Conference this April! 

Other esteemed speakers will also be present at the conference and will be addressing many important areas of autism. So sign up already and lets start the Autism Awareness month with a bang! 

The event details are as follows:

Jargon and More Jargon...

Q: What is a Progress Review?

A: In addition to our weekly/fortnightly supervision by a Consultant & bimonthly supervision by a Senior Consultant, a Progress Review is conducted by a WEAP Senior Consultant once every 6-8 months to provide additional support & supervision for our kids. Typically a Progress Review lasts 1 and a half hours.

The first 45 minutes, the WEAP Senior Consultant, the child's Consultant & the child's parents observe a therapist working with the child while the next 45 minutes is a parent discussion.

Progress Reviews are a great opportunity to assess the child's progress, the targets & methods used as well as to address additional questions & concerns parents have.

Now you know! :)

All the way from Wisconsin!

From the 27th of February to the 8th of March 2012, Dr. Joseph Perron visited EAP Malaysia to conduct Progress Reviews with 24 of our children. 

This time around, some key highlights of Dr. Perron's recommendations were:

1. That we continue to programme appropriately based on a child's ability & progress. 
2. Continue to look & assess motivation. 
3. Reduce time a child is participating in self-stimulatory behaviours as it is not good for our children. 
4. To reduce opportunities a child has to stim by structuring up their free time. 
5. Gross motor & fine motor development has a correlation with cognitive development. 
6. Treatment for children with autism is a process and takes time.

 

Dr. Perron experiences Malaysia's treasure troves: a tropical rainforest, delicious local food, and true Malaysian hospitality by all of us here at EAP Malaysia!

Highlights of 2011: Parents' Day & Christmas Party!

On the 23rd of December, we organized our first ever Parent’s Day and annual Christmas Party at our Stepping Stones centre. An average of 40 parents and their families were invited to celebrate the festive season together with all our therapists at EAP Malaysia.

The VIP’s who graced us with their presence were the likes of Y.B. Hannah Yeoh, Santa Claus, and of course, the children! We had a scrumptious buffet provided for everyone to feast as the events of the day took place. Following the opening speech by Y.B. Hannah Yeoh, was a choir performance of “Jingle Bells” and an entertaining stage performance of “The 3 Little Pigs”, both done by our very own children who come to the centre on a regular basis.

Little steps that children achieve are always a reason for great celebration here at EAP Malaysia. So to celebrate the milestones, each child was awarded with a cert to recognize their achievements in various skill-based capabilities and positive character traits. This party was a great opportunity for parents, therapists, and children to get to know one another better. :)

Towards Better Understanding

It can be said that therapists at EAP Malaysia make excellent teachers because they are constantly faced with new experiences when working with autistic children on a daily basis. The nature of working with children who display an array of behavioral differences, require therapists to have an in-depth understanding of the children’s’ varied behavior and to constantly improve on their interpersonal skills when working with these children.

As such, the workshop on Understanding Behaviour & Skill Building for Students with Asperger's & High-Functioning Autism, which was held on the 3rd of March, was timely and beneficial to many of our therapists and parents alike. Our speakers for the day were Dr. Joseph Perron, a clinical psychologist at the Wisconsin Early Autism Project, and our very own consultant, Ms. Gan Huey Sien. 

Through this workshop, our 46 participants were reminded that every behavior exhibited by a child has a function, and that there are sometimes multiple functions to a particular behavior. In order for parents and therapists to provide the appropriate strategies in therapy, they needed to understand these multiple functions of behavior. 

Various concepts in therapy were discussed during the workshop such as the use of Task Analysis to teach the Feeling Thermometer, the Mind The Gap strategy by Catherine Faherty that is used to teach children to become aware of their internal state, and Michelle Garcia's Social Thinking with Superflex & the Unthinkables that is used to promote flexible thinking in children. Other concepts that were discussed among participants were A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control by Buron & Kari Buron, and The Problem Solving Template by Jill D. Kuzma.

For anyone who has not yet been to one of these workshops, it can certainly appear overwhelming at a glance. But for those who attended, it was definitely an eye-opening session.