George town: The Perak state government, through Yayasan Perak, has provided a multisensory room at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Coronation Park as part of the implementation of the Autism Care Programme, an educational support initiative to assist the development of students in the Special Education Integration Programme (PPKI).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Yayasan Perak general manager Dr. Nasreen Khanum Nawab Zadah Khan stated that the provision of multisensory rooms in schools is a practical approach to supporting the learning needs of students with autism spectrum disorder in a more conducive and student-friendly environment. She emphasized that students with autism spectrum disorder require educational support tailored to their specific needs.
Dr. Nasreen highlighted that providing multisensory rooms in schools enables this essential support to be accessible to students in a controlled and safe environment. She made these remarks during the handover of the multisensory room in conjunction with the Perak State Autism Touch Programme at SK Coronation Park.
Nasreen Khanum mentioned that the programme, in collaboration with Pertubuhan Wanita Prihatin Perak and the Perak State Education Department (JPN), focuses on providing continuous learning support at the school level. This initiative demonstrates Yayasan Perak's commitment to ensuring that special needs students continue to receive appropriate learning opportunities, irrespective of their socio-economic background.
She further explained that through this joint effort, Yayasan Perak hopes that facilities like multisensory rooms can provide lasting benefits to PPKI students, particularly in managing their emotions, focus, and learning well-being. Nasreen Khanum also noted that her team is currently in discussions with the Perak State Education Department to identify additional needs that can be supported to assist PPKI students.
Meanwhile, SK Coronation Park headmaster Fazli Mohd Zairy expressed that the facilities and equipment provided by Yayasan Perak not only enhance the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process but also alleviate the burden on teachers regarding existing facility constraints. He observed that it becomes easier for teachers to teach when there are sufficient facilities, and the students are excited with the new tools, which increases their interest and motivation to learn.
Fazli added that there are 86 Students with Special Educational Needs (MBPK) at the school, with approximately 68 percent of them being autistic students.