What is Autism?
Understanding Autism
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life due to a neurological condition that affects the functioning of the brain. It is more prevalent in boys than girls.
Autism shows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries — it cuts across family income, lifestyle, and educational levels. In Malaysia, a total of 58,708 children diagnosed with autism were registered with the Welfare Department (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat, JKM) as of December 31, 2024.
Globally, prevalence rates suggest that approximately 1 in 100 children may be on the autism spectrum.
Parents usually notice symptoms between the ages of two and six. Autism affects the normal development of the brain in areas of social interaction and communication skills — making it hard to relate to the outside world.
Autism affects brain development, particularly in social interaction and communication. Individuals may have difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication, show repetitive behaviours, and experience sensory sensitivities. Speech may be delayed, limited, or involve repeating words or phrases. While there is no cure, treatments and interventions can help manage symptoms.
Common Symptoms
Needs Same Routine
Avoids Eye Contact
Hand Flapping / Rocking
Sensory Sensitivities
Delayed Speech
Social Interaction Difficulty
Unusual Attachments to Objects
Lack of Awareness of Danger
Echolalia (Repeating Phrases)
Frequent Emotion Outbursts
Awareness of Autism
Why The Sudden Interest in Autism?
Autism is one of the fastest growing disorders with a great amount of studies being put behind it. With is vast amount of different signs and symptoms, different forms, how its treated and arguments about how exactly the disorder came to be. Autism can very well be one of the most confusing and researched disorders that stirs up a lot of questions but yet gets hardly any answers.
According to Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in United States, the incidence of autism are at 1 in 68 children. That would mean that approximately 9000 children in Malaysia are born with autism every year. In a few short years the kids will be looking for autism intervention programs and that is likely to increase every year by the same number. This will be a challenge for education services authorities to meet the needs of this growing group of Malaysians with autism. All the NGOs combined today do not handle more than 1500 children. Hence we need to at least double and triple our resources in the country to develop facilities and programs to cater for this anticipated increase in demand for services.
Are There Any Studies On The Subject That help Us Understand Better?
There have been several studies on the behavior and development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), mostly about how autism affects communication, socialization, cognitive development, and other areas in children’s development.
The majority of this research also focuses on verbal use, repetitive movements, assessment, and behavioral responses in children with ASD. Each study focused on a different aspect of the development of children with ASD, but they all reached the same conclusions in the study’s results. Children with ASD develop differently in many areas than typical children.
Has Public Awarness Of Autism Increased And How Has Helped?
Public awareness of autism has increased, and more and more children are being identified as having ASD at an earlier age. Increased awareness has helped autistic children have access to equal education similar to a normal child. Awareness also means early diagnosis, treatments and positive behavioral support which is crucial for children on the Autism Spectrum. increased awareness translates into increased acceptance. In the process we hope that Malaysians will realize that not all people are born the same and that some people are more challenged and have special requirements. We have to ensure that such people get all the help they need in order to succeed.
What Wil Happen To People With Autism Eventuallly
The long-term question for all parents of people with autism is who would look after their children when they are gone? To address this issue NASOM has embarked on a program to help young adults with autism live independently, away from home. We have set up group homes, where these young adults live together with a supervisor. It is an important program because it helps the adults with autism get on the path of living independently. Besides this it is also necessary to teach them skills which will allow them to be gainfully employed or self employed so that they will have a degree of financial independence as well.
How They Can Be Helped
Although there is no known cure, children with autism have emerged from their autistic disabilities to function like a near-normal child. This is achieved through early intervention and rehabilitation program, which til today, offers the best hope for children with autism. Intensive early Intervention in optimal educational settings results in improved outcomes in most young children with autism, including speech in 75% or more and significant improvements in rates of developmental progress and intellectual performance (Dawson and Osterling 1997; Rogers 1996, 1998)
There are instances of children with autism in the west being able to achieve Ph. Ds and masters, such as Dr. Temple Grandin, an American woman with autism who graduated with a Ph. D and is now an Associate Professor. Jean-Paul the son of Dr. Julie Donnelly, the author of ‘Emergence from Autism – Is there Hope?’ managed to obtain two Master degrees and now has a steady job. Donna Williams, an Australian woman who had been diagnosed as severely autistic is now a lecturer.
Given the appropriate early intervention program and education, children with autism have the chance to improve themselves and contribute to society.
What are the future challenges for NASOM?
In recent years, NASOM has seen a 30% increase across all age groups — meaning more families, more needs, and more responsibility on our shoulders.
Growing Community Needs
As an NGO run by volunteers, our greatest challenge is continuing to meet the needs of a rapidly growing number of autistic individuals. Serving people from all backgrounds and all walks of life requires significant resources — especially in remote and under-served districts across Malaysia where access to support is limited.
Sustainable Funding
Raising funds to keep our centres open, operational, and affordable is an ongoing challenge. As a charity dependent on public generosity, our resources are limited. We strive to keep our fees accessible to all families — but to do more, open new centres, and reach more people, we need continued support from the community.
Get Involved
& Make a Difference!
With the right support at the right time, people with autism can live rewarding and fulfilling lives. They can achieve great things — but only with people who believe in their potential. We need all kinds of resources from land, buildings, equipment, money and volunteers like you!