A DESIRE to do something that can make a difference to the lives of families impacted by learning disabilities prompted Dr Eric Lim to set up Kits4Kids in Singapore six years ago.
Lim, 36, is an engineer by training and an educator with a social agenda by choice.
Registered with the Singapore Ministry of Education, the founder of the privately funded enterprise has set up 10 centres in the island city.
As a well-heeled businessman – having been instrumental in listing two companies in Singapore – Lim came to know that there were families outside of Singapore which were also crying out for help and intervention. So he opened centres in Madagascar, Bostwana, Nigeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Australia and the United States.
With its motto, “We Believe All Children Can Learn,” Kits4Kids offers a team of teachers and therapists who are trained in Early Childhood and Special Education.
The centre opts for a curriculum that includes hands-on activities, behavioural modification therapy and structured teaching, using ample visual supports to help students make sense of their tasks and daily routines.
The latter is based on University of North Carolina’s module called TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-Handicapped Children).
In March last year, Lim opened a centre in Bangsar, KL, offering early intervention programme for preschoolers.
As there is a growing demand by parents with children who are within the 7-12 age group, Kits4Kids in Kuala Lumpur has started a class to cater to them, based on the Singapore education syllabus.
Other services such as consultation, assessments, training and a diploma in special education are also available.
While Kits4Kids positions itself as a school for children with special needs, Lim believes that classifying or labelling children according to specific categories does not help in addressing the problem.
“We don’t need to build walls to put people in,” he stresses. Moreover, in many cases there are common symptoms from different classifications. As such, Lim contends that rather than be fixated by categorising the children, time is better spent on finding solutions. Identify the needs and treat accordingly, he advises.
>For more details, contact Sarine Tan of Kits4Kids at 31, Jalan Penaga, Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur ( 03-2093 8815/016-360 8815). E-mail: . .
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