KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor today attended the Blue Kids’ Fun Zone (BKFZ) programme in support of effort to change the people's stigma against autistic children.
Rosmah, who is also Permata programme patron, said BKFZ can serve as a place for children with autism and their families to integrate with normal people and not feel isolated from society.
“I am delighted to see parents who brought their children to take part in our programme today. We have prepared different types of activities to help them go outside of the ‘autistic’ box,” she told reporters at the BKFZ programme at Paralympic Games' Centre of Excellence in Kampung Pandan here today.
She said the purpose of BKFZ was to allow autistic children to play and integrate with normal children.
“It is our hope that they (autistis children) will be able to enrol to normal school without experiencing any form of stigma. We have prepared activities that can improve their communication skills and self-confidence,” she said.
Rosmah spent about an hour an a half with the participants, comprising mostly autistic children and their family members.
BKFZ was organised for the first time by Permata in conjunction with World Autism Awareness Day.
Among the activities held included finding bubbles, down the wonder hole, magic mirror and safari gym which were all designed to improve the children's communication and social skills, stimulate their adaptive and cognitive functioning, and improve their mobility and sensory integration techniques.
The programme was attended by about 2,000 autistic children and their families.