To All the Special Needs Children: You Matter | By Tay Yee Shien
 |
| Official poster for You Matter. Source: Taylor's International Student Society on Facebook. |
“The doctor told me that the child was in his little world. But he held me in my hand and took me with him—his world is beautiful.”
-Ms. Zarghoona Khan
In light of Autism Awareness Day, a virtual community service workshop named “YOU MATTER” was passionately organized by Taylor’s International Student Society (TISS), in collaboration with The Inclusive Outdoor Classroom (IOC), Taylor's SHINE Ambassadors, and Taylor's African Society. This workshop was held to advocate for the special needs community.
IOC is a community project that promotes and fights for inclusion. Ms. Anne Suvanathan, the founder of IOC, addresses the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. She raises awareness about their equality and supports non-discrimination, especially among disabled children. She also advocates for their well-being and participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sports.
 |
| Speech by Guest of Honour, Mayor Noraini Roslan of Subang Jaya City Council. |
 |
| Playing with children at IOC. |
A volunteer at IOC, Yovisha Vijayakumar, shared that she not only had fun with the children, but also learned a lot from their parents.
“I’ve learned about struggles that I wouldn’t even have thought were struggles for the special needs community]. For example, certain children need specific dietary restrictions or even contemplate on whether to start a new medication for their child,” she explained.
One experience in IOC that stuck out the most to her was when she saw the kids helping each other out. “Even in sporting activities like football, you’d see them pushing another kid on the wheelchair just so they get the same experience,” said Yovisha.
Justina Camelia, who is also a volunteer, got the opportunity to join in some of the activities with IOC in 2017. Later, she officially became a volunteer in 2019. “Even until today, it’s a great feeling,” Justina shared.
 |
| Justina and the children in 2007. |
Zarghoona Khan, a committee member of TISS, told us a personal story about a young girl diagnosed with slight signs of Autism spectrum disorder. Her name is Maria Gul, and she is seven years old. She is Zarghoona’s niece.
“When we found out that she has autism, we were so scared. We were not scared of her being diagnosed as a child with autism, but we were worried about her future and her place in the world,” said Zarghoona.
“Her parents started visiting therapists after therapists, and the most painful part was when she was rejected from school after school. And it has been one of the most difficult journeys of my family’s lives, but at the same time it has been the most meaningful as well.”
Zarghoona also mentioned how her niece changed her as a human being. “She taught me not to be angry and how to love. Because with a person with autism, whatever you do, they will mirror you. If you hit them, they will hit you back. If you ignore them, they will ignore you back. But if you love them, they will definitely, definitely love you back.”
Zarghoona also shared a beautiful quote from a parent whose child was diagnosed with autism. “The doctor told me that the child was in his little world. But he held my hand and took me with him—and I saw that his world was beautiful,”
Later, she ended her story with a sweet and heartwarming note. “I want to say: embrace autism. If you embrace autism, it will open up new homes and a new world to people with autism.”
The president of TISS, Towfiq Jamil also expressed his pride in the bravery of the children who approached him and made him feel welcomed at IOC when he felt nervous volunteering for the first time.
 |
| Towfiq has been working with IOC since 2018. |
“If you think that the kids expect you to pity them or to feel sorry for them, you’re wrong. All they truly need is your love, support, and encouragement. You just have to be there and tell them that you believe in them,” he said.
Furthermore, another participant, who is also a mother of a boy with autism, advised everyone with a simple, yet impactful message: “We don’t say ‘autistic person’, we say ‘an individual with autism’, because we don’t want to attach the disability to the person. But treat the person as a person.”
Later, there was a story-telling session by Carmen from IOC. She read to us from a children’s book titled Maisy, Charley and the Wobbly Tooth. It was very wholesome.
 |
| Story-telling session! |
Then came the fun part where participants enjoyed a series of games joined by two children from IOC, Yu En & Richard! There were four breakout rooms that the participants could switch between, and each one consisted of a different activity. The activities included a scavenger hunt, a guessing game, a dance-along and a paint-along.
 |
| Zoom selfie! |
All in all, the whole workshop was filled with so much love and laughter for the special needs children. Being able to spend time and do fun activities with them was an extraordinary moment to remember!
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at IOC, hit them up on their Facebook page! There, you can speak to the families, listen to their stories, and say hello to the children. You can also help spread awareness by sharing this article with your families and friends.
“Embrace autism. If you embrace autism, it will open up new homes and a new world to them,”-Ms. Zarghoona Khan
0 comments