Leaving no disabled child behind: Autism numbers are only part of the story

DEPUTY Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying recently reported in Parliament that 93,000 out of 850,000 persons with disabilities registered with the Social Welfare Department (JKM) as of last June are autistic. This has created concern, with calls to upscale services.

It is important to view this data in a wider context. The number of children with disabilities in the country is huge, with the majority being underserved and our government initiatives lagging behind those of our Asean neighbours. This is not a problem only for children with autism, but for all children with disabilities.