Labuan International School 1st Swimming Championship

The First Labuan International Swimming Championship was successfully organised by Labuan International School on 19 & 20 November 2016 with 318 swimmers from Borneo region participated in this championship! 

There were 20 swimming teams/clubs from Labuan, Sabah, Sarawak, West Malaysia, Brunei and Philippines arrived Labuan on 18 November for this first ever international meet organised by the school since its swimming pool launched earlier this year. The turns-out rate with approx. 400 swimmers, parents and officials was very encouraging. 

The championship started from 8am on 19 November and ended at 2pm on 20 November with 150 events and the total of 270 heats conducted within that 2 days. This championship was supported by Labuan FSA, followed by Gold sponsors: TOS Logistic and Shipping Sdn Bhd, Mariner Hotel Labuan, Aewon Garment & Embroidery, and Thirteen K Trading Sdn Bhd. Other contributors were: 

Alpha Testing Services Sdn Bhd, Shermadef, CIMB Bank Berhad Labuan Offshore branch, AMS Trust Company Limited, Labuan Liberty Port Management, Fast Global Link Services Sdn Bhd, and Anonymous Art. The organiser would like to acknowledge each and every sponsors, LIS staff, parents, students, officials and volunteers that made this event successful.

1^st Labuan International Swimming Championship results:

Overall Champion:

Category	Team	Resuts
1st Place Overall Champion	MASUM	29G, 13S, 8B
2nd Place	PREPS	25G, 16S, 19B
3rd Place	PJMS	16G, 16S, 16B

Individual Best Swimmers:

Category	Boys Best Swimmers	Results	Girls Best Swimmers	Results
Open	Ng Kee Nain (MASUM)	2G 3S	Tham Khai Xin (MASUM)	7G
Group 1 (15-19)	Alex Tiong Sie Hung (MASUM)	8G 3S 4B	Heng Khor Jin (MASUM)	6G 1S
Group 2 (13-14)	Gerard Tsen Xiang Zh (PJMS)	5G 2S	Ilyani Shairah (PREPS)	8G 1 S
Group 3 (11-12)	Jeremy William (PREPS)	4G 2S 1B	Lee Wei Len (VSA)	3G 2S 1B
Group 4 (9-10)	Jay Lo Vui Seng (PJMS)	8G 2S	Sharifah Destinee Dickerson (PREPS)	3G 4S 1B
Group 5 (8 & under)	Tom Parrot (RBRC)	4G 1S	Kayley Goh (RBRC)	4G 2S

Labuan International School as the host also bagged 2 Golds, 9 Silvers and 13 Bronze. This is the first time the swimming team participated in this international meet since the swimming team established this year under Head Swimming Coach Clement David. This result is very significant and meaningful for the young swimmers.

Abbreviation:

MASUM – Malaysian University Sports Council, Penang

PREPS – Persatuan Renang Penampang, Sabah

PJMS – Kelab Renang Akuatik PJMS, Sabah

RBMC – Royal Brunei Recreation Club, Brunei

VSA – Victoria Swimming Club, Labuan

For more information, please contact Kimlee Choy (Labuan International School) at 014-9292820.

A Family-Oriented Event with Borneo Surf Festival 2016

From left: Ronny Rizal (BSF's head judge), Mohd Yunus (Rip Curl representative), Charles Mawan (Vice president of Sabah Surfing Association), Ivan Tan (President of Sabah Surfing Association), Rizal Ikhwan (BSF organizing chairperson) 

Sabah Surfing Association is proud to announce the third installment of Borneo Surf Festival. This yearly anticipated event is slated to be held on it's home ground venue at Nexus Resort & Spa Karambunai Kota Kinabalu for 2-days from Dec 17th through Dec 18th 2016 and is open to the public to attend. As with the previous years, this year the event promises an exhilarating surf competition open to local and international surfers alike.

This year Borneo Surf Festival is presented by main sponsor Rip Curl alongside Happy Plugs and supported by The Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Tourism Malaysia and Sabah Tourism Board.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Rip Curl again this year and getting strong support from tourism agencies like MOTAC, Tourism Malaysia and Sabah Tourism Board. We are also delighted to have Happy Plugs to be a part of Borneo Surf Festival”, says Ivan Tan, the president of Sabah Surfing Association.

This year will see the event being graced yet again by Rip Curl's PRO surfers from Bali after the success and overwhelming response from the previous event. They will be having a demonstration to impress the crowd with their surfing techniques and skills over Sabah's very own local waves.

Apart from the competition, the public can expect many fun and family oriented activities to be enjoyed with their family and friends at The Borneo Surf Festival. Among others is Tamu Pantai bazaar that offers varieties of local sourced products and services ranging from clothing, arts and crafts, food and drinks, self-pampering and family fun activities.

There will also be chill beach music performances by local talents throughout the 2 days event. Sabah Surfing Association is looking forward to a larger crowd this year seeing that there has been a healthy growth and awareness towards the local Sabah surfing scene locally and internationally fuelled by the recent acknowledgement and inclusion of surfing as part of the upcoming Olympic 2020 in Tokyo.

The Association also hope to be the catalyst to the potential of surfing a as a sustainable tourism product and growing Sabah as a surf touristic destination.

Borneo Surf Festival coordinates the following surf categories:

- Men's Open 

- Local Men's Closed

- Women's Open 

- Grom's Open (below 16 years old) 

This festival is a family-oriented event concept to the community with varieties of family activity you can enjoy such as horse riding, surf lessons, games, and even go on a picnic and many more. It would be a fun family weekend getaway - if the weather permits of course and preparing your family with the dry-and-wet-event essentials are necessary.

This event is supported by Kementerian Belia Dan Sukan (KBS) 

Do follow them on Facebook for more updates. Click HERE to view their Facebook Page.

SUGAR & AGEING

BY DR. CHARLES LEE
CONSULTANT PLASTIC, COSMETIC & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON
KPJ SABAH SPECIALIST HOSPITAL

IT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD

Before and After Treatment

Anyone who is familiar with the wrinkle-free, blemish-free, perfect even complexions of Japanese women will be unsurprised that the key to redefining beauty in Japanese skin care is what you put inside the body. Traditionally, in Japan, beauty is natural, simple, and edible! The theory is that appearance reflects the food you eat and women should not apply anything on their skin that is toxic to the body because skin is porous.

Hence natural, plant-based skin care is of utmost priority in redefining beautiful skin. The secret to natural Japanese beauty is all in the ingredients of a well-balanced Japanese diet which is full of vitamin-rich vegetables like broccoli and lots of fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids and extremely low in meat and sugary foods. This helps to reduce the body’s production of the inflammatory chemicals involved in the ageing process.

ADVANCED GLYCATION END PRODUCTS (AGEs)
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) are a complex group of compounds formed when sugar reacts with amino acids, proteins or lipids. This occurs in everyone’s body and skin cells. Along with oxidation, glycation is one of the major causes of cell death and ageing because it affects the molecular and cellular mechanisms that promote and restore cell growth and development. Restriction of dietary intake of AGE’s and exercise safely reduces circulating AGEs with further reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers thereby delaying the ageing process.


TOXIC SUGAR AND THE SKIN AGEING PHENOMENON
Of all the molecules capable of inflicting damage in our body and speeding up the ageing process, sugar molecules are probably the most damaging of all. The older we get, and the more sugars we consume, the more glycation damages our skin.

One of the most damaging AGE’s as a result of this metabolic process is the creation of 3-deoxyglucosone (3DG) which is responsible for much of the skin damage seen in ageing. Most of the 3DG gets sweated out of the skin during exercise but the residual product causes:

• Inflammation
• Decreased collagen production
• Collagen and elastin cross-linking
• Formation of further Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs)
• Oxidative stress and free radicals

IT’S ALL ABOUT SKINCARE
The most important beauty secret of Japanese women is a multistep skin care ritual that is as important to beautiful skin as the product themselves. The ritual of applying each product, from cleansing to face and neck massage allows the skin to detox the toxic effects of AGEs and de-stress the damage caused by free radicles. This helps you to beautify your skin from the inside out and at the same time allowing the body to restore and heal from the damage caused by the external environment.

A customized Anti-Glycation Therapy (AGT) will include: deep cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, toner, lymphatic detox, antioxidant mesotherapy, sheet mask, serums, moisturizer, and finally sunscreen.

The relationship between sugar and fine lines can be life changing. Esthe Twin’s Anti-Glycation Therapy harnesses the antioxidant and collagen-restoring powers of plant stem cells which activates the enzyme processes in the skin that restore flexibility and suppleness to glycated collagen fibers.

For more information, please contact KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital at 088-322 000. 

Find them at Lorong Bersatu, Off Jalan Damai, Luyang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. 

Website: www.kpjsabah.com

For the complete article about this subject can be read on this October to December 2016 issue of Parents Avenue Magazine. 

*Disclaimer: All information is for your general reference only. We (Parents Avenue) do not accept any responsibility whatsoever in respect of such information. 

FAQ About VACCINATIONS

By Dr Mohd Iqbal Iyen | Consultant Paediatrician | Jesselton Medical Centre

INTRODUCTIONS

Immunization is one of the most effective preventative health measures and has saved countless children from death or serious disability. However, misinformation may lead parents to hesitate or refuse to immunize their children. 

In the early stages of life, your child may be susceptible to various bacterial & viral infections which could affect their vital organs and bodily functions. Some of these pathogens cause mild complications while others may be terminal if left untreated.

WHAT IS VACCINES?

Vaccines provide pre-emptive immunity; while vaccination is the process of administering the vaccines into the body which can be done via injection, consumed orally, or through aerosol inhalation.

HOW IT IS WORKS?

Immunity is the body’s way of preventing disease. The immune system recognizes germs that enter the body (called antigens) and produces proteins called antibodies to fight them. Most of the time, the immune system isn’t able to work fast enough to prevent the antigen from causing disease, so the child still gets sick.

Nevertheless, the immune system “remembers” that particular antigen and if it reappears, the body will be ready and respond much faster next time round to prevent any infections. This protection is called IMMUNITY. Vaccination, on the other hand, helps your child develop immunity WITHOUT him/her getting sick in the process. Here’s how:

1. A weakened form of the disease germ is injected into the body

2. The body makes antibodies to fight these invaders

3. If the actual disease germs ever attack the body, the antibodies will return to destroy them.

TYPES OF VACCINES AVAILABLE IN MALAYSIA (LATEST IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE 2016)

ARE VACCINES SAFE?

YES. In fact, experts agree that vaccines are even safer than Vitamins.

The most common minor side effects from vaccines are: swelling or tenderness at the injection site and fever; in which will resolve spontaneously within 48 hours post vaccinations.

IS IT SAFE TO HAVE MULTIPLE SHOTS?

YES. Getting vaccines is no extra burden to the immune system; even for babies. Scientific data shows that vaccination with multiple vaccines at the same time has no harmful effects on the normal childhood immune system.

WHAT ABOUT AUTISM?

Scientific studies have concluded that there is no link between vaccines and autism.

While the rates of autism continue to rise around the world, autism rates are no different in vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

Recent studies on autism suggest that children with autism have too many cells in a key area of the brain needed for communication, social and emotional development. This type of brain development occurs during the second trimester of pregnancy; LONG before a child gets any vaccinations.

WHAT ABOUT HOLISTIC MEDICINE AND BREAST-FEEDING? IS IT ENOUGH TO PROTECT YOUR BABIES?

Holistic medicines may be helpful for some conditions, but only vaccines provide specific immunity to diseases. Only vaccines have been scientifically proven to protect against whooping cough, measles, mumps, and other diseases. 

Breastfeeding is very healthy for your baby, but breastfeeding alone cannot fully protect babies from diseases like whooping cough or measles. Also, antibodies passed on from moms to babies during pregnancy do not last beyond infancy.

WHAT ABOUT “NATURAL IMMUNITY?

Some people think getting a disease is the “natural” way to trigger the body’s immune response, but this comes at a risk; many vaccine-preventable diseases can have dangerous complications, like pneumonia, blindness, brain damage, and even death. 

Vaccines safely trigger a natural immune response; but not the disease. Most vaccines are over 99% effective in preventing illness.

CONCLUSION

Having your child immunised; helps to protect them from many serious childhood infections, some of which may be life threatening. There’s no doubt that vaccines are the best option for both your child and the population at large. Com-pared to the risks of vaccinations, the complications of actually suffering vaccine-preventable diseases are much worse. 

Don’t wait, make the right decision and see your doctor to have your child immunised today. Don’t neglect booster shots, as they must be completed in order to effectively protect your child.

For more information, please contact Jesselton Medical Centre at 088-366 333 or 
for Emergency at 088-366 399. Find them at Metro Town, Off Jalan Lintas. 

Website: www.jmc.my

For the complete article about this subject can be read on this October to December 2016 issue of Parents Avenue Magazine. 

*Disclaimer: All information is for your general reference only. We (Parents Avenue) do not accept any responsibility whatsoever in respect of such information. 

What Is Cord Blood and Why Is It So Special?

CORD BLOOD BANKING

You have decisions to make, should saving Cord Blood be ONE of them?


What is cord blood and why is it so special?
The term "cord blood" is used to describe the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and the placenta usually discarded as medical waste after the birth of the body. It was not until the 80's that is was discovered the baby's umbilical cord is a rich source of potentially life-saving stem cells. The stem cells available in the umbilical cord are in the purest form and thus inherently superior.

Some of the diseases that can be treated.
Stem cells can develop into blood cells that fight infections, carry oxygen around the body and help with blood clotting. Currently, stem cells can be used in the treatment of some cancer, blood disorders and immune deficiencies. Among these are leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, thalassaemia, Hodgkin's disease, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

What can the best gift for your baby? Should saving cord stem cells be one of them?
The decision to save your baby's stem cells is an important one. Why? They are genetically unique to your baby and other family members. Banking them is one-of-a-kind opportunity that can open up new treatment possibilities.

Today, cord blood stem cells have been used in the treatment of more than 80 diseases, most of these diseases are genetic disorders and typically require a transplant. A sibling's cord blood is often the best match for a transplant.

Can your baby use his or her own cord blood?
Your baby can be treated using his or her own cord blood for a small number of non-genetic diseases like anaemias, bone marrow failure disorders and cancers. Leukaemias and lymphomas that develop later in life may also be treated with his or her own cord blood stem cells.

Currently, there are a number of clinical trials to study treatments for diseases like cerebral palsy, type 1 diabetes and autism, which require the use of a child's own cord blood.

Just like organ and bone marrow transplant, cord blood stem cells must "match" a patient before they can be used for treatment. Cord blood banking can greatly improve your family's chance of finding a match.

• Your baby is a perfect genetic match to his or her own stem cells

• Siblings have potential chance of being a match for each other

• Studies show that using matched cord blood from a relative will double the chance of transplant success

Best gift for the baby
If you are pregnant, your family and friends are probably wondering what to give you for a baby shower gift. Why not let your wishes be known? Your loved ones can contribute the cost of cord blood banking - help you take advantage of a truly amazing gift.

How cord blood can be collected
Umbilical cord blood is collected after your baby is delivered and the cord has been clamped and cut. The collection process involves stringent cleansing of the cord prior to collection of the cord blood. The blood is then drawn out of the umbilical cord via a closed, gravity bag system, which is the preferred method of collection in order to minimize contamination.

Easy, safe and painless

Why Stemlife?
Stemlife is the first and largest stem cell bank in Malaysia; Pioneering Malaysia’s stem cell banking industry since 2001. Over 50,000 families have trusted their precious baby’s cord blood with us. Internationally recognized establishment; Largest network in Asia with affiliation to Cordlife Group – in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Philippines, China and Thailand. Licence granted by Malaysia Ministry of Health, under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (PHFS) Act, to process and cryopreserve all cord blood stem cell units. 

They are the only public listed stem cell bank in Malaysia. Rest assured the stem cells stored with them are safe and secured should the need arises for therapeutic usage/s.

Get your FREE info pack HERE. 
Follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/StemLifeBerhad



Call 03-2166 3636 to speak to StemLife Customer Care Specialist or speak to your local Consultant at 016-832 9392 to learn more about the benefits and value of cord stem cell banking.

Their website: www.stemlife.com

Launching of Sebangga Excellence Development Programme (SEDP) Website Portal

Kota Kinabalu, 11 November 2016: Sebangga Auto Sdn Bhd, the sole authorised Subaru dealer in Sabah and Labuan is the automative division under AA Capital Group of Companies, whose core business activities include security, education, properties, agriculture and livestock, hotel and event management as well as insurance and financial programme.

On May this year, the esteemed company launched a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project – Sebangga Excellence Development Programme (SEDP) to The Land Below The Wing with Nur Ain Osman, or better known as Ann “Athena” Osman as their Talent Director and Sabah Ambassador. SEDP plans to promote and develop Sabah home grown individuals in their respective area of expertise, whether it is in arts, technology, academic or even sports.

"The Sebangga Excellence Development Programme is very dear to our hearts as we aim to help Sabahans where we will groom talented Sabah individuals to enhance their talent and skills,' said Mr Muhamad Syahrin Ahmad Masri, the CEO of Sebangga Auto Sdn Bhd.

By channelling support and providing individually tailored learning programmes for potential candidates’ skill enhancement, participants will be provided with the exposure needed to succeed in their relative field, both locally and internationally. This programme too, drives human capital excellency in Sabah for a better future as well as motive more young Sabahan talents to pursue their dream and passion. This programme also provides opportunities for talented young people to make their dreams come true, SEDP will also hire successful and influential individuals to inspire its trainees, making sure they are each step closer to make their country and themselves proud.

SEDP has launched the website portal www.sedpsabah.com as the tool for individuals from all parts of Sabah to submit their application. Led by Ann Osman herself, applications will be deliberated among all SEDP committee members where then candidates are shortlisted and final selection will be made. SEDP welcome all young Sabah talents to start applying now as they will make their first selection for this year and will be announced later this December, making aspirations become reality.

For more information, you are welcome to interact with their committee memebrs via Facebook www.facebook.com/sedpsabah or visit their website www.sedpsabah.com

Indoor Play Areas Guide

Get your socks on, IT’S PLAYTIME!

A parent’s guide to indoor play areas in and around Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

By Judy James Lewis

Let them play! Maria Montessori called play ‘the work of the child’! Yes, play is an essential part of childhood and the numerous benefits of active play are invaluable to the successful development of our precious children. Playing with peers enables them to develop social skills, and this in turn helps children to learn moral values such as empathy and kindness, invaluable life qualities!

Using their vivid imaginations in role playing games has been proven to be vital for cognitive development in children. In fact Einstein once called play the ‘highest form of research!’. Do your little ones love to climb and run? Let them! Physical exertion and ‘testing one’s limits’ builds strength which can lead to high self esteem as well as self confidence and reliance.

Are you convinced?? Ready to head out the door to the nearest park to do a bit of ‘work’? Let’s go! Oh... hang on!

We live Sabah and it’s a scorching 31 degrees outside!! The little ones will be worn out and sun frazzled after half an hour in this heat, and let’s not even mention the dreaded haze! Don’t reach for the remote control just yet, Kota Kinabalu has several fantastic indoor play areas for you to choose from. Let me introduce them to you.

KIDZOONA, 1 BORNEO HYPERMALL RM10 
(RM17 on weekends and public holidays, 11th visit free)
Kidzoona is a Japan-based company and has play areas in three of the malls around KK. Kidzoona 1 Borneo is a large play area, it boasts a huge ball pit and a bouncy slide.

Fancy working in a sushi bar? Or playing doctors and nurses? Kids have hours of fun in Kidzoona’s model play shops. My pre-schooler likes to load up his car with ice cream cones and then go on to sell them to passersby! The sand pit is an unusual idea and has a helpful ‘Do Not Eat the Sand’ notice, although my toddler doesn’t heed the command (which is why I avoid the sand pit like the plague!). The staff here are friendly, helpful and stick to a rigid but reassuring cleaning and tidying routine. Toys are disinfected weekly, including all the balls in the ball pit (it’s true- I’ve seen them do it!).

To their credit, Kidzoona has attempted to make the play area safe by softening hard corners with foam bumpers, although to my dismay there are still open plug sockets scattered along the walls at the perfect height for dainty little baby fingers! There’s a nice seating area for parents and although there’s a sign that says ‘Not Allowed to Eat Inside Here’, I always sneak in my Starbucks mug and a snack (now you know where my little one gets his flagrant disregard for the rules from!!).

There’s seating outside too from where you can observe the kids through a long glass window. Some enterprising soul has even opened up a little snack shop with seating area there too, perfect!

Cost of entrance is RM10 (RM17 on weekends and public holidays) for unlimited play and
you get one free play after 10 visits. Get your money’s worth by heading there in the morning for a play followed by lunch and then back for more! Your little munchkins will be worn out after a full day of ‘work’!

MOLLY FANTASY, IMAGO SHOPPING MALL
RM5 per 30 minutes, RM6 on weekends and public holidays.
This particular outlet has a stricter entrance fee timing system, charging you RM5/6 for the first half hour and then RM1 per subsequent 10 minutes. Smaller in size, this play area has a ball pit and bouncy slide as well as several play shops and puzzles. To be honest my two kids tend to get bored quickly here and are more attracted to the arcade games surrounding the play area.

KID’S WORLD, CAPCOM STATION, CITY MALL
RM7 Monday-Friday, RM8 Weekends and school holidays
Situated at the back of a small amusement arcade, Kid’s World is small but great fun! It consists of a rabbit warren style climbing frame and a bouncy castle. There are also several small rocking horses, seesaws and balls of various sizes. My preschooler loves the huge balls here and has ample fun trying to carry them around the climbing frame! The only downside for me personally is the irritating music from the arcade games, although it doesn’t bother my kids!

OCEAN PLAY, OCEANUS MALL
RM10 weekdays, RM15 weekends and public holidays
For my four year old boy this is hands down ‘the bestest play area ever’!! It covers a huge area and is equipped with a multi levelled playground, slides, a ball pit, a trampoline, a bouncy castle, a spherical roundabout cage, a squidgy pond and a rotating octopus to name but a few! OK- so you’ll have to check them out yourself to see what I mean!

Parents can sit along the outer wall and watch, for the privilege of entering and taking care of your kids you have to pay RM5, which always seems peculiar to me- perhaps a ploy to keep away those pesky helicopter parents!

So, get your socks on and head out the door to let your little tykes do some ‘work’ while you chill out with a coffee and the latest edition of Parents Avenue!!

Which is your favourite play area, and why? Follow me on Instagram and share your thoughts @judyjameslewis. I’d love to hear what you and your little ones think!

Any potty training mums out there? When you’re in Oceanus Shopping Mall check out the baby change area next to the toilets on the first floor in the North Wing, it’ll blow your mind! (Well, it blew mine but then again I don’t get out much and this kind of thing excites me!) As well as a diaper changing area and a hot water dispenser there’s also a room set out with chairs, a separate room with a comfy chair for breastfeeding in private, and a dinky little itsy bitsy toilet for toddlers! So cute!! I was so excited when I first saw it, it was the first time I’d seen one since I was in reception class in the UK!

AUTISM: Intervention & Treatment Options

By Dr. Fauziah Zainal Abidin
Consultant Paediatrician with Special Interest in Developmental Paediatrics
Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital


Most parents would welcome a therapy that would alleviate all the challenges that make life difficult for their child with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Unfortunately, there are not any magical pills or herbal concoction remedies to swallow in one go. Just as a child with Autism faces challenges which can’t be summed up in a word, they can’t be remedied with one therapy. Each challenge must be addressed with an appropriate therapy. No single therapy works for every child. What works for one child for a period of time may stop working.

Some therapies are supported by research showing their efficacy, while others are not. However, early intervention does work and increases the likelihood of a favourable outcome. Thus, regular screening of infants and toddlers for signs and symptoms of autistic disorder is crucial because it allows early detection of these children.

Individualised intensive interventions, including behavioural, education and psychological components, are the most effective treatments of autistic disorder. Prior to this a thorough assessment of all symptoms must be done. The evaluation must examine the behaviour, currents symptoms, communication patterns, social competence and neuropsychological functioning are usually done by a Developmental Paediatrician, Child psychiatrist or a child psychologist. These professionals will guide the parents with the options of treatment based on their child’s needs. Its important to look at the strength and weaknesses of each child in all areas.

An effective treatment programme may include parents as part of the treatment process, build the child interests, promote self-esteem, and offer predictable outcomes. Such programmes also teach task as a series of simple steps, this actively engages the child’s attention, helps include the child in a typical social environments and provides regular reinforcement of behaviour.

OPTIONS OF TREATMENT INCLUDE:

1.) Social Skills training and Speech-Language Therapy
Therapist teach social skills using visual techniques such as social stories or using exercises that involve the children in various social situation. Speech and Language therapy helps children to speak better, correct awkward methods of speaking such as monotone, help them understand better and interpret the speech and communication signals of others such as humour, eye contact and hand gestures. They may also learn Assisted communication by using keyboards, letter boards and other devices (eg Picture Exchange Communication System-PECs)

2.) Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA)
Since the early 1960s, Applied Behaviour Analysis have been used by therapists to teach communication, play, social, academic, self care, work, community living skills and to reduce problem behaviours in children with autism. There is now numerous literature that proves ABA is effective at improving children’s outcomes especially their cognitive and language abilities.
Over the past several decades, different models using ABA have emerged, all of which use behavioural teaching. They all use strategies that are based on the work of BF Skinner. ABA methods use the following three step process to teach:

1. An antecedent, which is a verbal or physical stimulus such as a command or request. This may come from the environment or from another person or be internal to the child.

2. A resulting behaviour which gouverns the child’s response or lack of response.

3. A consequence which depends on the behaviour. The consequence can be positive reinforcement for the desired behaviour or no reaction to the incorrect response.

ABA targets the learning of skills and the reduction of challenging behaviour. Most ABA programmes are highly structured and based on establish curriculum. Each skill is broken down into small steps, and taught using prompts which are gradually eliminated as steps are mastered.

Each time the child achieves the desired result, he will receives positive reinforcement such as a verbal praise or something that the child finds very motivating. Its is also important to apply these programmes in school settings or the home so that the child learns in a natural environment. Facilitated play with peers is often part of the intervention and success is measured by direct observation, data collection and analysis. If the child is not making satisfactory progress, adjustments are made.

3.) Sensory Integration/Occupational Therapy
Many children with Autism have problems with motor skills or issues with their senses. In sensory integration therapy, occupational therapists work with the children to stabilise their senses and their reactions to external stimuli. This therapy can help children gain better control over their bodies and thus reduce clumsiness, instability and improve hand eye coordination. SI Therapy can also reduce anxiety in children with autism by improving their responses to particular sounds or touches. They have better control of their senses, they are better able to control their movements, sounds and emotion. This leads to reduced awkwardness and improved social skills.

4.) Medications
No medications is effective in the treatment of the core behavioural manifestations of autistic disorder but drugs maybe effective in treating associated behavioural problems for example hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, depression and anxiety. These associated conditions can often be more debilitating than the core problems of austism especially in older children.

Lastly, parental education and training is often beneficial to the improvement of children with Autistic Spectrum disorders. If caregivers such as parents, grandparents, siblings, babysitters are fully aware of and understand the strengths and deficits of the child, they will be able to incorporate aspects of treatment options like social skills training into the child’s life at home, treatment then becomes consistent and routine for these children and they are more likely to improve. This itself promotes better bonding, reduces the feeling of helplessness, gives a sense of pride and accomplishment for the parents and caregivers in their effort to give the best for their children.

Should you need more information about this topic and other related information, you can call Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital at 088-518888 or to book an appointment call 088-518810.

Website: http://gleneagleskk.com.my/