A Malaysian woman's dedication to teaching children with autism for 32 years

Rageswary (left) and Siti Mariyam have touched the lives of countless students with autism by helping them learn and grow. Photos: The Star/Sheela Chandran

When Rageswary Karuppiah was hired as a teacher with the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom), her family members challenged her, saying she didn’t have the skills to handle children on the spectrum.

That was 32 years ago, and today, she is still attached to Nasom as one of its pioneer teachers and serves as the coordinator for Nasom (Teluk Pulai) in Klang, Selangor.