While prominent organisations and specialists around the world are helping to demystify neurodivergence and its various profiles, access to the necessary services and support systems remains scarce, especially in developing countries.
In Malaysia, many neurodivergent children and their families struggle without life-changing interventions and support. Existing programmes are riddled with gaps and shortcomings, preventing children on the autism spectrum and those with other developmental disabilities from reaching their full potential and becoming meaningful contributors to society.
In this episode of RYTHM Connect, our host Umayal Eswaran sits down with the indomitable Dr. Tricia Yeoh of IDEAS (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs) to address the ongoing struggle of inclusivity in education and the critical policy-driven interventions that must take place in order to empower neurodivergent children for the future.
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0:00:08-0:02:22 – Introduction
– Introducing RYTHM Connect and Dr Tricia Yeoh
0:03:23-0:06:10 – Equity and Policy Reform
– Dr Tricia’s passion for addressing social injustices and public policy
– Of lasting, impactful, and systemic institutional changes
0:08:22-0:10:25 – Inclusivity in Education
– The IDEAS Autism Centre
– Addressing educational disparities for marginalised communities
0:12:42-0:16:28 – The IDEAS Experience
– The think tank’s policy recommendations
– Dr Tricia on inclusive vs. specialised schools
0:20:44-0:24:23 – Challenging Policy Shifts
– The difficulty in executing changes
– The efforts of the private and third sectors
0:26:01-0:27:11 – Recommended Measures
– Inspiring students to pursue SEN studies
– Short-term stop-gap measures
0:30:09-0:32:08 – The Orang Asli Experience
– Exploring synergy with the Education Ministry
– “Taking what we can get”
0:36:41-0:40:00 – The Role of Parents and Communities at Large
– Managing misunderstandings and expectations
– An All-Party Parliamentary Group on SEN?
0:41:00-0:46:16 – Closing Thoughts
– The “art” of policy advocacy
– Dr Tricia on sustaining efforts
—Indicators of progress
0:46:16-0:48:38 – Outro
– Thank you for tuning in to RYTHM Connect
– Takeaways
– Reminders to subscribe and follow us on social media