KUCHING: The Dyslexia Association of Sarawak (DAS) will not let any constraints hinder children with learning difficulties from getting a proper education.
Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah who is DAS advisor said the state was found lacking when it came to intervention to help dyslexic children.
“We are facing various kinds of constraints in handling children with learning disabilities such as acute shortage of doctors to examine such student, and even after being diagnosed with dyslexia, there are no qualified teachers to teach in special schools,” she said, adding that such shortcomings should not be an excuse to delay intervention.
She told the media this at a news conference after chairing the first meeting for DAS, State Education Department and State Health Department to find ways and means to overcome constraints.
She said interim measures had to be worked out so those with dyslexia could be identified without further delay.
To achieve the objective, DAS, Education Department and Health Department in their meeting yesterday agreed to work together and do their best. Fatimah revealed that among others, the Health Department had agreed to make their doctors available in clinics to examine children with learning difficulties.
“This was among the things we agreed on in today’s meeting, and with this kind of arrangement, we believe children with dyslexia can be identified earlier. As we all know, dyslexia is different from other learning difficulties as it requires very specific intervention method,” she said.
DAS president Associate Professor Ong Puay Hoon said a statewide roadshow would be conducted from January to June next year on workshops for teachers dealing with dyslexic students.
“The workshops will be free of charge and teachers from special schools and those interested can contact our association at tel. 242900 to check our schedule. This is a small contribution by DAS towards the education of students with special needs,” she said.