Early intervention services for special needs children: An exploration of the effectiveness of early special education in Malaysia
Zhooriyati Sehu Mohamad, UCSI University Kuala Lumpur (South Wing), Malaysia
Abstract
Early intervention programme (EIP) are a range of different programmes included different types of therapy and education that aimed to help and support children with developmental delays or other specific health conditions. The programmes are helpful to improve children development and adaptability, enhance family capability in handling the special needs children and increase family and children participation in society. This research aims to discover the effectiveness and importance of the early special education in Malaysia. To meet the objectives of this study, a qualitative research using phenomenological approach has conducted on five special needs teachers who work in a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) early intervention centre in Johor, Malaysia by using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. This research found that improvement in attention and behaviours, self-care skills, social interaction skills of special needs children are the effectiveness of early intervention services. Besides that, providing knowledge and happiness to the parents and preparing for integration into kindergarten and future schooling are also some of the effectiveness. The implications of this study consist of contributing significantly to the community by making people understand the effectiveness and importance of sending special needs children to the EIP. It is important for the parents to realise the importance of sending their special needs children to the EIP as earlier as possible as learning occur effective before six years old and behavior more likely to be trained.
Keywords: early intervention services, early special education, special needs children
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Ahmad, K., Ibrahim, H., Othman, B. F., & Vong, E. (2013).Addressing
education of speech-language pathologists in the World Report on Disability: Development of a speech-language pathology program in Malaysia. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 15(1), 37-41. doi: 10.3109/17549507.2012.757709
Bari, S., Abdullah, N. A., Abdullah, N., & Yasin, M. H. M. (2016). Early intervention implementation preschool special education students in Malaysia. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, 4(6), 139-155.
Batool, I., & Ijaz, A. (2015). Effectiveness of speech and language therapy for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Pakistan Psychiatric Society, 12(1), 14-17.
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). The
Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2010/05/Foundations-of-Lifelong-Health.pdf
Coyle, S. (2011). A qualitative analysis: “The effect of Music Therapy on a person with intellectual disability” (Master’s Thesis). Retrieved from https://esource.dbs.ie/handle/10788/312
Hussin, S., Quek, A.H., & Loh, S. C. (2008). Policy into Practice: The
Challenge for Special Education in Malaysia. Retrieved from
http://eprints.um.edu.my/10347/1/106_Paper.pdf
Kiyuba, J., & Tukur, S.Y. (2014). CHALLENGES OF PROVIDING
SPECIAL EDUCATION TO CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES View of teachers and education officials (Degree’s Thesis). Retrieved from http://www.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:764634/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Loh, S. Y., Boniface, G., Mackenzie, L., & Richards, L. (2017). Professional autonomy and progress of occupational therapy - A case study on a neglected health profession in Malaysia. Journal of Hospital and Healthcare Administration, 2017(1), 1-6. doi:10.29011/JHHA-105. 100005
Maguire, M., & Delahunt, B. (2017). Doing a thematic analysis: A
practical, step-by-step guide for learning and teaching scholars. The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 8(3), 3351-33514.
Mensah, F. A., & Shayar, J. B. (2016). Identification of special educational needs for early childhood inclusive education in Ghana. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(11), 1-8. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1099548.pdf
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2013). MALAYSIA EDUCATION
BLUEPRINT 2013 - 2025 (Preschool to Post-Secondary Education). Retrieved from https://www.moe.gov.my/images/dasar-kpm/articlefile_file_003108.pdf
Moore, R. (2012). Defining Support: Families of children with special
needs and the role of the speech language pathologist. Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado, 2(2), 1-20.
Retrieved from https://digscholarship.unco.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1041&context=urj
Nasir, M. N. A., & Efendi, A. N. A. E. (2016). Special education for children with disabilities in Malaysia: Progress and obstacles. Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 12(10), 78-87.
Raspa, M., Bailey, D. B., Jr., Olmsted, M. G., Nelson, R., Robinson, N.,
Simpson, M. E., Guillen, C., & Houts, R. (2010) Measuring family outcomes in early intervention: findings from a large-scale assessment. Exceptional Children, 76(4), 496–510.
Schaaf, R. C., Hunt, J., & Benevides, T. W. (2012). Occupational therapy using sensory integration to improve participation of a child with autism: A case report. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66(5), 1-9. doi :10.5014/ajot.2012.004473
Roulstone, S., Wren, Y., Bakopoulou, I., & Lindsay,G. (2012).
Interventions for children with speech, language and communication needs: An exploration of current practice. Child Language Teaching and Therapy,28(3), 325-341. doi: 10.1177/0265659012456385
Schaaf, R. C., Hunt, J., & Benevides, T. W. (2012). Occupational therapy using sensory integration to improve participation of a child with autism: A case report. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66(5), 1-9. doi :10.5014/ajot.2012.004473
Singh, A. (2008). Meeting the needs of children with disability in
malaysia. the medical journal of Malaysia, 63(1), 1-3. Retrieved
from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23399309
Singh, A. (2013). Screening & Diagnosing Learning Disabilities. Forum on the Right of Education for Children with Learning Disabilities, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). Retrieved from www.necicmalaysia.org/view_file.cfm?fileid=95
Sridevi, G., & Arya, S. (2014). Effect of early intervention in autism: A case study. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 4(4), 2250-3153.
Sukeri, S., Bakar, R. S., Othman, A., & Ibrahim, M. I. (2017). Barriers to unmet needs among mothers of children with disabilities in Kelantan, Malaysia: A qualitative study. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 12(5), 424-429. doi:10.1016/j.jtumed.2017.05.002
United Nations Children’s Fund. (2014). Children with Disabilities in
Malaysia. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/UNICEF-Children_with_Disability_in_Malaysia_2014_lowres.pdf
United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization. (2009).
Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education. Retrieved from
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0017/001778/177849e.pdf
World Health Organization. (2012). Early Childhood Development and Disability:A discussion paper. Retrieved from
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/75355/1/9789241504065_eng.pdf
Zucker, G. H. (2010). Intervention Strategies for Pre-School Students with Special Needs. Forum on Public Policy, 1-11. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ912980.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/pri.v2i1.24526
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2019 Elaine Hui Fern Tan, Zhooriyati Sehu Mohamad
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Our Journal is Indexed by:
Psychological Research and Intervention is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/pri.