SHAH ALAM, Dec 16 — In Selangor, parental awareness of the importance of early intervention for special needs children is on the rise. Last year alone, nearly 1,000 children underwent developmental screening with Yayasan Insan Istimewa Selangor (YaNIS).
However, the figure also raises questions: do all children in the state have equal access to screening? What about those living in remote rural areas, or families who are still uncertain about the first steps they should take?
These concerns underpin its efforts to expand screening and early intervention programmes throughout the state.
“Our goal is to ensure that every child, regardless of location or family background, has easy access to quality developmental screening as early as infancy,” said YaNIS chief executive officer Kamarul Hisham Yeop Hashim during the recent 'Bicara Semasa' programme by Media Selangor.
The expansion includes implementing screening at health clinics, childcare centres, kindergartens, and community centres, in line with the state government's aspiration to standardise screening instruments across all facilities.
In addition, YaNIS is enhancing continuous training for frontline personnel, including nurses, teachers, and caregivers, as they are often the first to detect signs of developmental delay in children.
Kamarul added that the foundation aspires to build a Selangor-level framework that connects health agencies, early education providers, therapy centres, non-governmental organisations, and the community. The aim is to ensure that a child’s pathway from screening to intervention is straightforward and seamless across sectors.
“This integrated intervention approach is crucial to ensure that every child receives a consistent pathway from screening and referral right through to early intervention,” he said.
First in Malaysia
As part of efforts to strengthen the state’s early intervention ecosystem, YaNIS recently launched two early intervention modules, the first of their kind in Malaysia: the Intervention Guide Module for Educating Children with Special Needs and the Special Needs Parents Module (Manis).
They were developed in collaboration with experts from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Permata Kurnia, drawing on two years of field experience at the AnIS Centre. Special education teachers, facilitators and parents now have detailed guidance on early detection, stimulation techniques, behaviour management, and the holistic development of special needs children.
“These modules are not only intended to serve as Selangor’s standard reference, but also have the potential to be expanded to other states. They provide comprehensive and structured guidance for all parties, from teachers to parents, so that interventions are carried out correctly and consistently,” Kamarul said.
Free workshops
YaNIS also emphasises empowering parents as a key pillar of successful early intervention. Many parents remain uncertain about how to support their children at home or how to access parenting information on child development.
To bridge this gap, it offers regular free workshops that cover both practical and theoretical sessions to equip parents with parent-coaching skills.
“Parents need to be actively and consistently involved at home, as they are the primary intervention partners. The effectiveness of intervention depends greatly on their role,” he said.
