Tengku Amir Shah taking a tour of PDK Damansara Damia, with Izhar highlighting its early intervention programmes for underprivileged children.
RECENTLY, the Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah officiated a centre for autistic children in Kota Damansara which was co-founded by his friend Izhar Moslim.
Izhar, who had worked closely with Tengku Amir Shah in his capacity as the chief executive officer of the Selangor Youth Community (SAY) and Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor (YRMS) some years ago, set up the centre to help autistic children from B40 families.
Izhar said he was motivated to set up the centre after his eight-year-old daughter, Danielle Damia, was diagnosed with mild autism at the age of three in 2020.
“We found it is very costly to provide effective therapy for an autistic child, so my wife and I planned to start a centre for the underprivileged for this purpose,” said Izhar.
Aptly named PDK Damansara Damia, after Izhar’s daughter, the centre is supported by the private sector and the Welfare Department.
It currently serves 40 children from the B40 community.
PDK (Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti) is a community-based rehabilitation programme initiative by the government to rehabilitate, integrate and provide opportunities for the disabled community.
According to Izhar, families with autistic children face many problems and roadblocks.
Tengku Amir Shah inaugurating the PDK Damansara Damia last month, opening a new chapter of autism support for B40 families. With him are founder Izhar and his daughter Daniella Damia. — Photo from Selangor Royal Office Facebook page
“Firstly, conventional kindergartens and schools are not suitable for neurodivergent kids as their environment, teachers and other children are not equipped or knowledgeable on how to manage such children.
“Secondly, government facilities are limited and parents can only get one 30-minute session every six months if they are lucky.
“Thirdly, private therapy centres are very expensive, with hourly rates ranging from RM150 to RM250, which can add up to thousands of ringgit each month,” said Izhar.
His centre’s early intervention programmes currently cater to children aged seven years old and below.
Families are not charged to enter the programme.
Once the children receive the RM300 allowance they are eligible for from the Welfare Department, they pay a mere RM100 monthly commitment fee.
According to Izhar, the Raja Muda has been very supportive of the initiative from the moment he first learned about it.
Izhar said he was inspired to establish the centre after his daughter was diagnosed with mild autism at age three in 2020. — Photo from Selangor Royal Office Facebook page
“I did not tell Tuanku about the centre when I set it up last year, but told him about it early this year during a casual chat.
“The Raja Muda not only consented to officiate the centre, but also expressed that he would be happy to support the initiative,” Izhar recalled.
At the end of the event, the Crown Prince congratulated Izhar and his team on doing something impactful and critical for the community.
“Tuanku also told me privately that he was very proud to see what I have done – starting from something small, expanding organically and bringing in both the private sector and the government to support and make the initiative a success,” said Izhar.
