by on 26/11/2018 4636
"I wish my child can learn in a comfortable environment and have in the process of learning," said one of the parents. Established in October 2018, THINK Enrichment Centre is a one-stop supportive learning establishment offering various enrichment programmes and assessments for children with special education needs between the ages of 36 months to 12 years old. Conveniently located in the Plaza Akardia development in the heart of Desa ParkCity, THINK strives to provide a child-focused learning environment where its emergent curriculum is based entirely on the interests, strengths and needs of the individual child.
Our mission is to help children with special needs build a foundation for independence, cultivate social and emotional development, and enable academic growth through the cooperation of our team and the family members.explains Ms Shao Mien, one of two directors of THINK apart from Ms Iris
Families whose children with learning differences could have certainly benefited from private special needs centres like THINK. Presently, the government school system still has a long way to go to effect the changes necessary to make its learning infrastructure accessible for students with special education needs. According to Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 (Preschool to Post-Secondary Education), “The current waiting time for the assessment and intervention of developmental issues in Malaysia exceeds six months. This is largely due to limited specialists (such as clinical psychologists, speech therapists, and audiologists), the underutilisation of screening tools (such as MoH’s Health Record Books), and a lack of standardised approaches for detection.
Educational programmes and services at THINK cover the following:
School ReadinessSchool readiness program focuses on promoting independence when a child enters school, allowing him or her to engage and adapt to the mainstream education classroom setting through inclusion. |
Individual Education Plan (IEP)An Individualised Education Program (IEP) is a written education plan designed to meet a child's learning needs. IEP gives parents a deeper understanding of their child’s strengths and challenges. |
Early Intervention ProgramEIP provides solution for parents whose children are diagnosed with delayed development, and can obtain referrals to specialists if required. The program also sets several parental courses for parents. |
Occupational TherapyOccupational therapy (OT) treatment focuses on helping people with a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. |
Speech TherapySpeech therapy is a program used to help children who have trouble with speaking. Treatment is provided by a speech therapist, also known as a speech-language pathologist. |
Psychological AssessmentPsychological assessment is a process of testing that uses a combination of techniques to help arrive at some hypotheses about a person and their behaviour, personality and capabilities. |
Play GroupA safe way for parents to allow children to engage socially with other people and try new things. Playing in a group can broaden the child's social network, through meeting with other children from the same age group. |
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THINK is made up of two teachers, Ms Shao Mien, a Montessori trained educator with an Advanced Diploma in Special Education and a Certificate in Child Psychology - Ms Iris, a certified Early Childhood Education teacher, currently pursuing Advance Professional Diploma in Special Education. To ensure the best assessment of each child's learning needs, THINK works in close partnership with several external health specialists and therapists, such as Clinical Psychologist, Speech Therapist, and Special Needs Teacher who will come to the centre on an appointment basis and work closely with the child individually. A purpose-built establishment, THINK is adequately equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to accommodate children with all sorts of learning differences. Ergo, every detail of THINK facility has been designed with children with special education needs in mind, ensuring each child has access to a programme that best suits his/her needs.
Sensory play is essential for the child to learn how their bodies work and how to process and interpret the world around them. As St. Thomas Aquinas said "The senses are a kind of reason. Taste, touch and smell, hearing and seeing, are not simply a means to sensation, enjoyable or otherwise, but they are also a means to knowledge - and are, indeed, your only actual means to knowledge."
THINK provides several sensory plays which allow children to refine their thresholds for different sensory information helping their brain to create stronger connections to process and respond to sensory information. Through sensory play, it can also help with focusing, both gross and fine motor skills, cognitive development, and sensory development; also, it aids social interaction and helps children engage with their peers.
For example, there is a child who is particularly fussy with being dirty and will never touch anything “dirty” such as sand or paint. Through sensory play, the child develops trust and understanding of texture, and he finally engages with it! Amazing!
Sensory play helps shape what children believe to be positive and secure in the mind. Ultimately, shaping the choices children make and impacting behaviour.
Besides allowing students to learn in the center, THINK exposes students to occasional outreach programmes such as going to the grocery store, dental clinic and more. Therefore, students not only learn the knowledge in the programme but also have the opportunity to practice in real life.
THINK focuses on family-centred practices. The centre conducts the treatment and program procedures with the acknowledgment of parents or caregivers. Because the center firmly believes that the collaborative interaction between teachers and parents can integrate the knowledge and skills that students learn in the center into their daily lives to optimize results. There are also regular parent-teacher meetings so parents can know more about their children's learning progress in the center.
THINK also provides enrichment programmes to parents, teachers, professionals and other interested parties in the field. For example, THINK will hold a series of workshops and professional talks throughout the year, which not only enhances the team's knowledge and professionalism but also allows parents to gain more knowledge to help their children learn and grow.
