UNCERTAIN if the movement-control order (MCO) will drag on, families with special needs children are increasingly worried about the toll it is taking on the kids, now that classes and therapy sessions have to be held online.

They are already seeing a lack of progress now that the MCO has prevented in-person sessions. Online sessions are more often than not a struggle instead of a boon, and they do not feel equipped to fill the role of therapist.

Bibi Zafirah Hanfa Badil Zaman, who has a six-year-old child with autism, told The Malaysian Insight that the MCO has severely affected her child’s progress.

“I cannot deny that my child’s progress has been affected by this pandemic as he has not received consistent therapy at the centre.

“He is unable to attend in-person speech therapy classes and the online sessions are not helping him,” the 36-year-old mother said.

All physical therapy classes have been moved online since MCO 2.0, which was earlier this year.

Bibi said in-person classes are better suited for special needs children like her son, especially those that teach motor skills.

She also has to juggle the online class times with her work.

“As a lecturer, I have my own schedule to follow and sometimes it clashes with my son’s online physical therapy lessons.”

Her son finds it difficult to follow the online therapy sessions and is also missing out on socialising with other children, where in-person interactions also teach him how to respond to social cues and hone his speech.

Another parent, Nancy Liew, said her 11-year-old son who is hyperactive and also autistic has had a hard time adjusting to the new normal.

“Ian has been stuck at home when what he needs as an individual on the autistic spectrum is structure and routine.

“No amount of explanation can make him understand the situation right now,” the 38-year-old said.

Routine is important to individuals on the autism spectrum, experts said. A change in their routine could lead to other problems that hamper their ability to learn to be independent.

Ian, who is used to attending physical classes, has found it hard to adjust to his new daily routine since the pandemic. 

This has led to him acting up and throwing tantrums at home, said Liew.

“As a parent, my creativity and patience have a limit. Ian always feels anxious at home and it’s difficult to calm him down. Sometimes, he screams non-stop,” she said.

Liew has shared her experiences on the Malaysia Autism Facebook page, which has been an outlet and place to find solidarity for parents struggling to raise special needs children during pandemic lockdowns.

An individual in the group shared that her child misses riding pillion on a motorbike, while another said her child draws pictures of her teacher whom she misses so much.

Other parents shared that their children have taken to hiding under their blankets because they are afraid of Covid-19.

The parents in the Facebook group also rally together to share tips on activities, exercises and how to conduct therapy at home.

An early intervention specialist for children with autism agreed that while online sessions and therapy are far from ideal, it is the only way right now to provide a semblance of routine for the children.

“The kids still need routine while being protected from the virus,” said Jay Jay, who works at a centre for special needs children and only wants to be known by that name.

As hard as it is for parents, they have to ensure that their children are participating during the online lessons.

“Special needs children find it hard to focus too long at the computer screen but that’s where parents can encourage and help them to follow the classes,” she said.

Another early intervention specialist, Wee Kim Leng, who runs a therapy centre for children with autism, dyslexia and hyperactivity, said the impact of online versus in-person classes for special needs children is rapid and noticeable.

“Most of the time, parents give up as they have a hard time trying to get the children to follow the online classes.

“We encounter 70% of children who suffer from regression after two weeks of online classes,” she said, adding that she is giving therapy sessions online at the moment.

But, Wee added, parents still continue with online classes because they feel that some form of lessons is still better than nothing. 

“There is just more effort required from parents when online classes are being conducted as they will need to wear the hat of the interventionist.”

The country was put under the MCO 3.0 for two weeks from June 1, but the lockdown has been extended to June 28. Some states like Selangor and Kuala Lumpur have been under lockdown for longer, since mid-May, due to the high number of Covid-19 cases.

Under the National Recovery Plan for the country to exit the lockdown, educational activities will only be allowed to reopen in stages in the plan’s third phase, after daily virus cases are below 2,000 and 40% of the population is fully vaccinated. The government expects these indicators to be achieved around the end of August.

It will mean another two months of struggle and worry for parents with special needs children. – June 20, 2021.