Commentary: Personal Reflections on Participating in an International Workshop for Carers, Service Providers, and Parents in Malaysia
Angela Hassiotis MA PhD, UniversityCollegeLondon(United Kingdom), ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Background
Both before and after June 2009’s 2nd Asia Pacific Congress in Singapore sponsored by the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID), the IASSID Academy on Education, Teaching & Research ran a series of accredited workshops. The workshops were held in Singapore, Hong Kong, and in Ipohin Malaysia. The process of putting together the materials for the workshop in Ipoh, Malaysia and the local issues encountered provided an interesting ‘lessons learned’ experience. This particular workshop is the focus of my reflections.
The Ipohapplication to the IASSIDAcademyfor a workshop was submitted by Regina Karrapaya, who is the administrator of the Yayasan Sultan Idris Shah Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Centre. She suggested what training might be helpful to the workers and the community and put forth the following topics: supporting families, supporting people with challenging behaviour, specific disabling conditions such as Down syndrome, programs on habilitative therapies, and inclusion programmes. The workshops were carried out by the Academy in cooperation with the CBR Centre and the Perak Social Welfare Department.
Getting started
After the IASSIDAcademyhad asked the various IASSID SIRGs for assistance, I and several colleagues agreed on the workshops that we would be able to conduct. The workshops were designed and presented by Ivan Brown from Canada, Margaret Kyrkou from Australia, Nancy Jokinen from Canada, and myself [Angela Hassiotis – from the UK] in collaboration with the IASSIDAcademy, CBR, and Mitchell Clark from Mount RoyalCollegein Canada.
All of communications we had among ourselves prior to the workshops were conducted via email. We developed and then submitted proposals for our workshops to Prof. Roy Brown, the Academy’s Director, who coordinated the full workshop program. His help was invaluable in steering us through what was required. As part of this process he made useful suggestions regarding the content of our proposals and training materials, and generally advised us about the local situation as well as other practical issues.
The setting
The Yayasan Sultan Idris Shah (YSIS) is a foundation dedicated to helping both children and adults with physical or intellectual disabilities. It was established 26 years ago, emphasising the involvement of the community in helping people with disabilities to lead fulfilling lives. It has an open door policy and has created additional outreach centres across the Malaysian state of Perak, which provides free rehabilitation services to those living in rural and less developed areas. The YSIS has estimated that some 72,000 Malaysians might require rehabilitation services in just Ipoh, Perak’s capital. Countless others require such services in all of Malaysia.
The YSIS services model involves providing training and certification as part of its Skills Training and Development Centre. Parents are welcome take their courses if they are interested.
The workshops
The format of the Academy workshops combined didactic teaching, case discussion in small groups (with an emphasis on local problems and solutions), and an evaluation of the students – as several workers would be using it as part of their professional development portfolio. The size of the workshops ranged from 53 to 96 registered students, including professionals and paid or family carers.
We conducted the workshops in English but we found that several attendees spoke either both or solely Bahasa Malaysia(the local language). Most of the materials that we used, such as handouts and tests, were translated in Bahasa before we arrived; Centre administrators were available to serve as interpreters if needed. Some of the bilingual attendees also mentored those with lesser English skills during the workshops.
Reflections
The overall experience of our team was exceptional and provided us with grist for future similar endeavors.
First, the combination of using the Internet and a highly committed professional group is a great way in which geographical separation can be overcome! Second, I found the participants receptive, enquiring, and welcoming. Personally, I had to think about the cultural equivalence of the concepts I use in my day-to-day practice and how those might relate to the experience of the professionals in the room. It was reassuring to find out, for instance, that what may be considered as problem behavior in the UKis also problem behavior in Ipoh! I also became acutely aware that inevitably, parts of my presentation had a UK-based flavor, particularly when assessment and multidisciplinary frameworks were mentioned.
We also found out that some employees at the Centre had completed their Master’s degrees in the UK(interestingly, UCL featured heavily!) or elsewhere, and others currently were applying to take postgraduate courses outside of Malaysia. We also noted that there was an acute lack of certain professions, such as occupational or speech and language therapists and that the Centre would benefit from interested individuals who might be able to volunteer to work at the Centre.
As probably is the case in most parts of the world, there were not any specific services for people with intellectual disabilities. The CRB Centre facilities were used to support people with intellectual disabilities, irrespective of age, as well as those with a range of other disabilities. We also discovered that many families faced similar challenges in providing supports to their sons or daughters with a disability as do families residing in more countries with more developed market economies; yet they take on the tasks wholeheartedly with limited social services.
Clearly service structures differ among the UK, Canada, Australiaand Malaysiabut I was impressed by what is being achieved. In spite the lack of or limited resources, communities and professionals learn to create alliances with other organisations such as religious groups, charities, international agencies, and NGOs. The YSIS Foundation is such an example.
Given our schedules, the workshops were labor intensive, but the experience overall was very stimulating and of great interest. I am aware that the Royal College of Psychiatrists has a significant international program that fosters educational links with low income countries (although Malaysiahas now moved up the ladder in this respect!). The risk always is that professionals and specialists from such countries as the UK, Canada, and Australiaare seen as “the experts.” However, the most difficult task is to ensure that those receiving the teaching and education are empowered and trained to carry on and apply their skills to their home circumstances. We must also not be blind to successful examples outside of our own countries that can lead to innovation and opportunities in our own practice1.
Acknowledgments
I would like to extend my thanks to Regina, Alfonso, and Katrina who provided significant support and great food during the workshops. Also to my colleagues Roy, Mitch, Ivan, Nancy and Margaret who all provided expertise and assistance during the preparation of the training event and this report
References
1. Dogra N, Omigbodun OO. Learning from low income countries: what are the lessons?: Partnerships in mental health are possible without multidisciplinary teams
BMJ 2004; 329: 1184–1185.
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