Zhi Hong's Mum

I asked for a referral letter from the doctor when I brought my son, Zhi Hong, for vaccination when he was 18 months old. I wanted to have further medical investigation on his symptoms of lack of interest towards his environment, not responsive to his name and appearing withdrawn all the time. A doctor in a private hospital reported that Zhi Hong had speech delay problem and referred him for speech therapy. Nevertheless, I still felt doubtful and uneasy as there was no major improvement in my son. Hence, I actively looked for better intervention program for him. I read an article about learning difficulties written by Ms. Lee Li Li. Immediately, I made a call to A ZonEducare Advisory for consultation appointment with Ms. Lee. Through the consultation, we knew that Zhi Hong had learning difficulties and we decided to enroll him in the intervention program provided by A Zon.

For the first 2 years of intervention, Zhi Hong received 2 lessons of intervention per week. We realized that he started to be aware of his environment. There were some people who asked me not to continue with the intervention as it’s time consuming and a waste of money. However, I never thought of giving up as Ms. Lee told me that intervention takes time to see its effect. When he was 5, we increased his intervention from 2 lessons to 3 lessons per week. To suit our timetable, A Zon and Ms. Lee even arranged lessons for Zhi Hong on their off days. I was deeply moved by their sincere intention to help Zhi Hong. Gradually, we noticed great improvement in Zhi Hong’s speech and communication with others. He could speak single words, then short sentences, and then even initiated conversations with others. It was such a great encouragement and excitement for us. In addition, his learning ability and self-help skills have improved.

The intervention and training has enabled Zhi Hong to attend primary school like other normal children. Although he still needed special assistance and arrangement in class, his learning performance was not affected by his difficulties. For example, he scored 80 to 90 marks in spelling, English and Science, but he still needs to work more on comprehension and writing. In addition, his self-help skills are getting better (i.e he could manage his pocket money, he could pack his school bag, etc.). Teachers and other parents were surprised by his performance.

Although Zhi Hong has stopped receiving intervention now, we still keep in touch with A Zon to update them about Zhi Hong’s progress. This year, in which Zhi Hong is 9, I enrolled him and his elder sister in A Zon’s Life Education program. I hope they can learn to communicate and interact with others more effectively. Those who showed objection to my decision of sending Zhi Hong for intervention previously has now agreed with my decision and determination. I really feel blessed and thankful to meet A Zon and Ms. Lee.

Words for other parents…

I would like to encourage parents to look for solutions when encountering problems. Parents must never assume that their child would get better automatically as they grow up. Looking for professional help is the way to help our children develop and progress. The most important key is to be patient and determined throughout the intervention process. I remember once, Ms. Lee encouraged me to be determined and persistent as it took time to see the fruit of intervention. We had tried for 2 years to notice great improvement in Zhi Hong. On top of that, parents could apply for an OKU card （Orang KurangUpaya, Masalah Pembelajar）if that is necessary and recommended by health care professionals. The OKU card helps to facilitate special arrangement and assistance especially in schooling e.g. parents could apply from the Ministry of Education for longer exam time for children with learning difficulties so that they have more time to do their exam.

Interviewee： Zhi Hong’s Mother