Details of the Applicants

Name: PROF DR NOOR INAYAH YAAKUB

Address: Deputy Director (University Performance and Innovation Monitoring

Division), Centre for Corporate Planning & Leadership, Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

Telephone: 603-8921 3856

Mobile Number: 6019-3324036

Email: inayahyaakub@gmail.com

Details of Project/Initiative mplementing Agency

Name of the Organisation: Autism Learning Lab

Address: Autism Learning Lab, Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan

Malaysia

Name of the Head of the Organisation: Hasnah Toran, PhD

Telephone: 6 03 8921 6286/ 6 03 8921 7144

Mobile 6 016 6811 560

Email hasna1@yahoo.com

Web (in construction)

Details of the Programme/Project/Initiative

Brief Description of the Programme/project/initiative:

The Autism Learning Lab implements research and training on effective teaching
strategies for children with autism Currently, there are 18 children with autism
who are receiving educational services from this lab 8 hours per day, 5 days a
week in a model demonstration classroom. This classroom provides the
environment for the research team and graduate students to study effective
strategies to modify challenging behaviours, teach appropriate social and
academic skills. This classroom also provides an opportunity for preservice and
inservice teachers to learn how to teach children with autism in a hands-on
manner. Preservice teachers who are pursuing a degree in Special Education at
the faculty practice teaching in the classroom once a week under the supervision
of the regular teachers there. Inservice teachers are trained by the research
team and visit the classroom to learn how the classroom is set up and how the
teaching strategies are implemented. Research findings are disseminated
through seminars, workshops, articles and books publication, and publication on
web 2.0 applications such as the blog and Facebook. This research team also
strives to heighten the awareness of the local community through events such as
television and radio shows, charity dinner and art exhibition by artists with
autism. The latest project that this team will launch this year is parent education
and support through workshops and consultations.

Why Was the Project Started:

Research has shown that autism in on the rise globally. In the 1990’s, the
reported prevalence rate was 3 or 4 cases for every 10,000 births. However, in
2010, the reported prevalence rate was 1 case for every 110 births. In Malaysia,
a research in 2004 stated that the prevalence rate is 1 case for every 600 births.
Though this statistics is debatable duie to its poor research methodology, it
highlights the fact that in this country where the population is 27 million, there
may be 46,000 people with autism. Using this same statistics, there may be
13,500 school-age children with autism. However, current statistics from the
Ministry of Education shows that there are only 2,600 children with autism
enrolled in government schools. Not only are children with autism not receiving
free appropriate public education, but teachers too are not well prepared to
teach them. The Autism Learning Lab was established to study best practice in
teaching children with autism with the mission to ensure that schools and centers
of learning are equipped with effective teachers so that all children with autism in
Malaysia will be able to have a bright future.

Objective:

Target Group:

Children with autism, their parents/families, special education and mainstream

teachers in government and private schools, teachers in Non-profit Organization
centers.

Date from which the Project became Operational:

3rd January 2009

Is the Project Still Operational:

Yes

10 points that make the Programme/Project Innovative:

1. The current mental health service system in Malaysia is not structured to

meet the needs of children with autism and their parents. This project
demonstrates how this crucial service can be set up through the public
education system.

2. Malaysia is experiencing a shortage of qualified trained professionals to

evaluate, treat, educate and provide services to children with autism. For a
 population of 27 million, we only have 270 psychiatrists and 80
psychologists, with less than 10 them each who are trained to work with
children. It will take a long time for adequate numbers of psychiatrists and
psychologists to be trained. Therefore, this project strives to train teachers
in Malaysia, especially special education teachers to provide services for
these children. Services for children with autism has long been provided by
the educational sectors in more developed countries as it is more cost-
effective.

3. The current education system does not meet the needs of children with
autism. Previously there was no local expert. Teachers training was carried
out on an ad-hoc basis by bringing in international experts who do not
have the knowledge of the local context. Then, trainings was done on a
short-term basis with no follow up. On the other hand, this project has
established the first ever model demonstration classroom in this region to
demonstrate the best practices in teaching children with autism within a
local context. This classroom can then be replicated by teachers after their
training.

4. This project provides a excellent platform for the university to have

community engagement programs. Through the activities implemented by
this project, research team members, parents and teachers are involved.
It is a good example where universities do not remain as mere “ivory
towers.”

5. As the project involve multiple sectors of the community, collaborative

skills are important ingredients for success. This project has been a
learning curve to hone these skills. All parties involved in this project:
university administrators, researchers, teachers and parents have strived
to a greater understanding and teamwork for a better future of the
children with autism. This collaboration is a good example for teachers
who are trained here, so that they too can be exhibit good collaborative
skills when the provide services to childen aith autism and their families in
the community.

6. Creating awareness among our society. For example, a charity dinner this
year has managed to heightened the awareness of autism among not only
the community within the campus but also those outside the campus.
Research team members and parents collaborated to ensure the dinner
was a success. Following this success, an art exhibition by artists with
autism is held on campus and it has garnered a lot of interests by those
who have never heard the word “autism” before.

7. A tax exemption fund has been established under the university foundation
to enable company and corporations to carry out their corporate social
responsibilities get involve in financing the research and training activities.
This fund creates a bigger circle of community members to be involved in
the mission of the Autism Learning Lab.
 8. Research output that can improve the teaching and learning of these
children: modules to train teachers, teaching curriculum, information and
books.

9. The research team is also adapting a screening tool for the early
identification of children with social emotional problems such as autism
and ADHD. Early identification is crucial in order to provide early
intervention. With this screening tool, a national Child Find system could
be set up to proactively identify children with these “hidden disabilities.”

10.Another set back in the system is the lack of assessment tool facilitate the
delivery of services to children with autism. This project is also developing
a curriculum-based assessment tool for educational planning, which is later
planned to be developed for use as a corroborative diagnostic tool.

List 5 achievements of the programme/project?

1. The establishment of a model demonstration classroom for children with

autism.

2. Provided training to 500 teachers who work in Community Based

Rehabilitation Centers through out Malaysia.

3. A module for training teacher on how to teach children with autism.

4. Publication of a book, with 2 more books to be published this year,

research articles and seminar proceedings.

5. Two parent education workshops with a more comprehensive series of

parent education courses on the way this year.

List the 5 key challenges faced while implementing the

programme/project/initiative and how they were overcome?

1. Funding: The lab has been established using a one-off research grant
which has ended in August 2010. Ever since then, the lab has existed on
donations by the public. The research team is now seeking a more
permanent funding.

2. Awareness/attitude: Awareness of autism is low in Malaysia. With this lack

of awareness, follows a negative attitude and apathy towards children and
people with autism and their families.

3. Due to financial constraint, the project is not able to provide more

conducive facilities.

4. Also due to financial constraint, we are not able to employ an adequate

number of research officers. We also could not offer a more attractive
salary scheme to our current teachers. We worry that after they have
 completed their graduate studies in Special Education, they may want to
acquire a position with better pay and we will suffer man power drain.

5. We need to work harder to get buy-in from the government agencies. As

no such organization as ours has been established before, these agencies
are not too sure on how to navigate the bureaucratic system in order to
support us.

List the 5 points how the programme/project/initiative serve a a model

that can be replicated or adapted by others?

1. We have researchers and teachers who can implement training.

2. Sharing of research findings, books, instruments etc.

3. Sharing of teaching materials

4. Sharing of training modules

5. On-line dissemination.

List 5 points to elaborate on the scalability of the

programme/project/initiative:

1. We plan to grow into a national level research and training outfit.

2. We plan to replicate the Autism Lab in each state in Malaysia

3. We are also planning to spread our wings into the region. We have agreed
to collaborate with Mahasarakham University and Luang Prabang Teacher
Training Collge to replicate the lab to these towns and carry out teacher
training. We have written a proposal to apply for an international grant to
implement this plan.

4. We also have future collaborations planns the Universitas Padang, in

Indonesia in December 2011. This university is also planning to set up a
classroom for children with autism.

5. With the knowledge, skills and knowledge through this project, we plan to
develop similar projects with other disabilities, such as an early
intervention project for young children with hearing disabilities and those
with multiple disabilities.