SEARCHING for materials to help special needs children overcome their sensory and learning issues is like looking for a needle in the haystack. That was my experience 12 years ago when my daughter, Nicole Yap, was diagnosed with a learning disorder. I scoured the country for therapy toys and educational materials.
It was equally frustrating when it came to interventional therapies. There was no centralised information available for parents to make informed choices.
In my daughter’s case, I discovered that occupational therapy worked for her because she had delayed fine and gross motor skills. But when speech therapy did not yield the desired results, I was at a loss.
Schooling was another area that I had to contend with. Nicole had been exposed to both public and private schools but neither catered to her well-being. Eventually, I found a private learning centre that subscribed to a home school-based programme which best suited her.
Today, Nicole, 15, is happily learning and thriving at the centre. Besides school, she had been attending speech and drama classes for the past 10 years. Recently she stopped to focus on her piano and swimming lessons.
To spare other families from going through what I did, in 2005 I teamed up with a like-minded mother to set up a one-stop centre called Senses-At-Play in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur.
Although my partner has since quit due to family commitments, Senses-At-Play, now based in Happy Garden, Kuala Lumpur, continues to serve as an avenue for families looking for therapy tools and teaching aids for their special children.
All the products are carefully chosen to ensure they serve their purpose of enhancing motor skills and stimulating the mind. Purchases can also be made online (www.senses-at-play).
Seminars and workshops are organised regularly. Recently we invited a seasoned occupational therapist, Teo Lee Fun, to conduct a half-day seminar on Enhancing Visual Processing Skills.
Parents must also give equal emphasis to playtime.
All too often, parents with special needs children get so caught up with the academic aspects that they neglect the vital role of play. Children learn a lot through play.
When my son, Jared, was born six years ago, my instincts told me to change my priorities and maximise playtime. By encouraging free play, Jared made good progress in his speech and language development. When he started kindergarten at four and a half years old, he could not read and write, but he caught up in no time at all. Play enriches the child’s imagination and improves his social skills.
Some parents have the mistaken belief that if they place their special needs child in a mainstream kindergarten, it would improve his social skills. Personally, I feel that if you do not engage the child in lots of play, it is unlikely he would know how to interact in a group setting at the kindergarten.
Senses-At-Play is organising a talk by clinical psychologist Dr Alvin Ng entitled Empowering Parents For Their Special Journey on April 17, 9am-1pm. Call Anna Wong (012-3723376 / e-mail: annawong@senses-at-play.com).
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
