Autism centre teaching vocational skills to be opened in Terengganu - Exco

KUALA TERENGGANU, Feb 25 -- The Terengganu government will be opening an autism centre that provides vocational skills training, to help children with autism become independent and build a life for themselves.

State Welfare, Women and Family Development, and National Unity Committee chairman Hanafiah Mat said the autism centre, which is expected to operate from June 1, involves an allocation of about RM2 million.

“We hope when we take in children with autism from the age of three, we will be able to teach them various skills including speaking skills, reading the Quran and so on, so that when they reach their teens they can go out, work and be self-reliant.

“Insya-Allah it will be opened in an old government quarters behind KTS (Kuala Terengganu Specialist Hospital) which has four buildings. For a start, the cost of renovation may be in the range of RM200,000 to RM300,000 and the operating cost including the purchase of learning and teaching equipment may come up to about RM2 million,” he told reporters today.

He said the establishment of the autism centre had also been agreed upon and supported by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun at a meeting in Putrajaya recently.

Hanafiah said based on records from the Social Welfare Department, there were more than 500 children with autism throughout Terengganu.

Meanwhile, he said, a care centre for abandoned children would also be opened at the International Training Centre (ITC) in Kemaman on March 15.

For a start, the care centre named Raudhatul Jannah would accommodate 20 boys and 20 girls, and was also open to children from outside the state, he added.

“These abandoned children comprise abused children, kids whose parents have problems and so on. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 period, there are families who face stress and neglect their children,” he said.

In another development, Hanafiah said the state government would channel cash assistance of RM500 to more than 8,000 heads of households, affected by the floods across the state starting this Saturday.

He said the assistance involving an allocation of more than RM6 million will be paid to the recipients via the State Legislative Assembly service centres in their respective areas, and the payment is expected to be completed by next Thursday (March 4).

“Initially, the payment was scheduled for Feb 15 but due to the enforcement of the MCO (Movement Control Order) last month, it was postponed,” he said.

-- BERNAMA