All parents have a wish in common - for their children to receive formal education from primary schools to universities, make friends along the way, and become useful members of the society. Unfortunately, due to complex neurological disorders affecting the brain function, children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are different from other children. They are even different from each other. Without help at early age, many may not be able to attend schools. And many, even with help, may never get formal education. And many, may not have friends all their lives.

Autism affects 1 in 68 children (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). That’s nearly 1.5 in 100.  Applying that data to Malaysian population birth rate, as many as 9,000 children may be born with autism in Malaysia every year. The characteristics of autism are very wide and varied. One million children with autism will have one million different stories. Autism lasts a lifetime, the cause is unknown and there is no cure. Raising and caring for children with autism can cause life-changing stress, depression and other health hazards to parents and caregivers.

There is no real place for many children with autism in normal schools, even in special needs classes. The schools are not equipped to teach and care for them. There are not enough places for everyone. Those with severe degrees of autism may not even be accepted anywhere. Many will not finish school. Many will not be able to progress to the next levels in a normal person’s life cycle. Many will not get jobs. Many will be dependent on family members all their lives. Parents cannot help but worry every single day about the future of their children with autism and what will happen when it’s time for them to leave the world.

NASOM gives children with autism and their parents hopes for a better future. We have been doing it for 29 years. Our comprehensive and affordable lifespan services cover screening, diagnosis, early intervention, mainstream school support, vocational, sheltered workshop and therapy programs for children as young as 3 years old to adults over 30 years old. A number of them have been with us for over 20 years. We help parents to manage their children’s needs at home. We don’t pick and choose our students. We don’t turn away anyone, except those with serious medical conditions beyond our ability to handle.

NASOM is the oldest and biggest non-profit, charitable NGO in autism services in Malaysia. Autism services are highly people-intensive, specialised in nature, and require specialised equipment and facilities. Many children with autism require dedicated one-to-one attention from qualified teachers. Hence the cost of providing the services is high. But a large proportion of Malaysian households cannot afford to pay high fees and do not have real alternatives. The cost of similar services provided by private and other centres are way beyond their means. For them, there is no other place like NASOM.

In the current economic scenario, many corporate and business donors are cutting costs and CSR budgets. As a result, the majority of our 20 centres nationwide are facing difficulties to raise funds the traditional way to cover the cost of services at their centres. Without continuous and sufficient donation, contribution and support, we will not be able to continue to provide our services to 500 children with autism under our care and 1,000 parents.

Have a heart. Every Ringgit counts. Your donation will be used to pay the costs of our 170 dedicated and caring teachers at our 20 centres nationwide, rental of centre properties, utilities, maintenance and upkeep, and teaching supplies so that we can continue to give hopes for a better future to our students and their parents. NASOM is non-profit, charitable NGO and a tax-exempt charity. We charge parents affordable fees which are below our costs so that our services will be accessible to a growing number of children with autism in Malaysia especially those who come from low income households.