SHAH ALAM, July 24 — The state government will introduce specific guidelines for early intervention programme centres following the registration of around 300 operators across the state.
State executive councillor for women empowerment and social welfare Anfaal Saari said the intent is to curb the provision of unqualified therapy services for special-needs children.
The initiative also aims to prevent individuals or organisations from claiming to offer specialised therapies or expertise without proper accreditation.
"The proposed guidelines are currently being reviewed by the (state) Legal Adviser before they are finalised. There are about 300 private early intervention centre operators in Selangor.
"Some of them are also listed as vendors under the state government's assistance scheme, enabling special-needs children to access early intervention services. We want to ensure that quality standards are consistently maintained.
"We do not want parties claiming to provide therapy when they are not actually qualified. That is why we need a dedicated set of guidelines for early intervention centres," she told Media Selangor.
The guidelines will establish minimum standards that all operators must comply with, including therapists' qualifications, training, governance, and the quality of services provided to disabled children and those with learning differences.
Anfaal added that the initiative will not only give parents greater confidence when selecting an early intervention centre but will also complement the Selangor Care Economy Policy.
"The Selangor Care Economy Policy places emphasis on developing a high-quality, standards-based care system. Accordingly, the state government will continue to seek feedback from relevant agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, and the community before the guidelines are finalised and implemented," she said.
For the record, all of these early intervention centres are registered as vendors under the Bantuan Rahmah Insan Istimewa Selangor (BRAIS) 2026 programme, which has been allocated RM800,000 to support the development and education of disabled persons.
BRAIS replaces the Bantuan Khas Anak Istimewa Selangor scheme and is expected to benefit 1,800 recipients.
