News : Snozelen at Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped Selangor and Federal Territtory

Excerpt from STAR ONLINE

Kids benefit from charity draw
By BAVANI M

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Tan Ji Teck's angelic face lit up with a smile that would have melted the hardest of hearts as he touched the cushioned walls blinking with pretty little lights.

The darkened room, which had a cosy feel to it, had glowing fibre optic strands and was filled with soothing coloured lights, while music played and a fragrance pervaded the room.

It was his favourite time hanging out in the Snoezelen therapy room at the Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped Selangor and Federal Territory in Petaling Jaya.
Costing RM50,000, the Snoezelen room helps stimulate the senses of the home's special children.

Tan (right) and Adam Firdaus, seven, hanging out in the snoezelen room of the Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped Selangor and Federal Territtory.Tan suffers from Cornelia De Lange Syndrome, a growth defect.

Although he is 15, he looks more like a five-year-old child.
The centre's head teacher, M. Mangamah, said the room gives the kids the ability to experience the five senses – sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing.

“Children lacking certain senses, are encouraged to play with equipment that helps stimulate those senses,” she said.

The Snozelen room helps stimulate the senses of the children.“The room certainly has a calming effect on them each time they come here.”

About 13 special children suffering from various mental disorders such as Cornelia De Lange Syndrome, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome and epilepsy come here on a daily basis to learn to be independent.

“They come here totally dependent on everyone and we try to teach them to become as independent as possible,” Mangamah said.

“Ji Teck, for instance, is able to communicate with us and tell us if he wants to go to the bathroom and he can easily recognise people,” she added.

A similar Snoezelen therapy room has been set up at Bethany Home in Taiping, Perak.
The Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities Fund of Malaysia (RMCC) set up both facilities; the one at Bethany Home cost about RM100,000.

“The facility has done wonders to benefit the severely handicapped members of the home,” RMCC president Fadillah Yakin said.

The funds for the second room, at Bethany Home, came from the Malaysian Charity Draw I held last year, Fadillah Yakin said, adding that without the funds it would not have been possible.

“We received RM250,000 from the last charity draw and, of that, RM100,000 went towards setting up the Snoezelen room in Bethany Home, while the balance was channelled to the Give a Gift of Smile campaign, which aids children born with cleft lip and palate undergo corrective surgery that helps them lead a normal life,” said Fadillah.

According to Fadillah, through this campaign, RMCC had helped restore the smiles of 60 children from all over Malaysia since 2003.

“Cleft lip and palate is the fourth most common birth defect, and is the most common facial defect in the world.

“In Malaysia, it is estimated that 600 babies of the total average of 570,000 born every year are born with this defect.

To date, there are almost 12,000 babies born with cleft lip and palate. These children need surgery as without it, the defects affect their appearance, speech and dental condition.

For details on the centre, call 03-7874 6703.

[tags : seic epilepsy seizures children pediatric neurology]