SCASFT 2009

INTRODUCTION – I

The Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory (SCASFT) is a charitable organization that was formed over 40 years ago. This association was built with one objective, which is to develop and restore to the fullest the physical, mental, social and economic usefulness of which a spastic child is capable of intensive and comprehensive rehabilitation services.

This centre located at 14, Lorong Utara (A) in Petaling Jaya has fifty-five staff, which comprises of teachers, helpers, drivers and therapists.

It is not a boarding school, hence school hours are normally from around 7 a.m to 1 p.m. There are currently over 200 children enrolled in this centre ranging from ages 9 months to over 50 years old. There is no age limit for enrollment as the caretakers of this centre understand the importance of continuous and consistent guidance for these children to progress.

No fees are collected from the children enrolled in this centre. Money is raised through a number of ways. An example would be The Chinese Opera Group who chipped in to raise funds for the Spastic Redevelopment Programme, the charity musical “Oklahoma” which was a major fund-raising event and the Jogathon event that is held annually. Other then these events, money is obtained from companies and individuals who are willing to provide financial aid.

The centre consists of two main buildings. The younger group of children, who’s ages range from 9 months to 16 years old are housed in one. The other building is specifically for those aged 17 and above. Young adults are employed in the sheltered workshops to work and are paid RM 300 a month.

There are three types of treatment provided for the children; physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Physiotherapy aims to rehabilitate and improve people with movement disorders by using evidence-based, natural methods such as exercise and motivation. Speech therapy is used to help the children communicate via sign language and signals, whereas occupational therapy is for the semi-handicapped children. The aim of this method of therapy is to try to get the children to use both their hands as normally as possible. Self-teaching lessons are also held whereby the children are taught to master simple daily tasks such as changing and feeding themselves.

During our visit to the centre, we managed to ask Mrs Mary Ong, volunteer who previously worked at the centre for 30 years, a few questions.

Q: Other than financial help, what other kind of support or aid is needed here?

A: We need more volunteers to help in the many fields that require assistance such as sewing and drawing. We need people who are willing to teach basic bahasa and art. We also need volunteers to help the children exercise during the hydrotherapy sessions. Malaysian volunteers are few nowadays. Youngsters finish high school and immediately move on to private colleges or work in malls. Many years back it was a very different situation as the number of volunteer’s we had outnumbered the students here.

We also spoke to Mrs. Jaya Rajaratnam, the Head Teacher of the whole centre about the greatest challenge faced by them. She explained to us that their biggest challenge is to try integrating these children into normal schools so that they will be able to have a proper education. She explained that this is especially important as although these children are not academically inclined, should they be able to master our national language and pass an exam, there will be opportunities for employment.

The funds we raise from the JOG FOR HOPE event will be used to replace damaged equipments, renovate old parts of the buildings and provide for the continuous annual expenditures needed for the children. The Tree Huggers club encourages all members of the public to join the cause to provide a better future for the children. Together, lets put a leg forward for charity.

(The committee members of this Jog For Hope charity run visited the children on the 25th of June 2009, the pictures of the visit can be found at the Gallery)

Written by Anitha Y.

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INTRODUCTION – II

The Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory or simply SCAS & FT for short was established in the early 60′s so that parents with children suffering from cerebral palsy could seek help and assistance from trained personnel.

The Association manages a Spastic Centre that provides numerous services, facilities and activities that are used to care and treat these special children. Among them are free transportation, education and various therapies such as physiotherapy and hydrotherapy.

Even till today, the Association is a proud reminder of the kind volunteers and staffs that offer their help and time to care for the children. It continues to give awareness programs to the public in hopes that this disorder is misunderstood and hence break down the barrier of doubts and suspicion that often linger around people with cerebral palsy.

(Taken from the Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory webiste – here)