Dr Annuar (third left) with (from second right) Azerina, Ong, Lo and others pose for a group photo around the mock ‘scan and donate’ QR code for DASwk. Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The prevalence of dyslexia among primary school children in the city is six per cent, according to a study in 2015, while the international rate is between five and 15 per cent.
The study, conducted by former Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) lecturer Dr Ong Puay Hoon, who is president of Dyslexia Association of Sarawak (DASwk), covered 10 primary schools in and around the city.
“The schools were randomly selected and the study was done on Primary Three children,” she said at a press conference after the groundbreaking ceremony for the DASwk’s Learning and Resource Centre in Desa Wira, Batu Kawa here today.
Assistant Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee represented Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to perform the groundbreaking ceremony.
Ong said 30 children visited the DASwk’s Learning and Resource Centre for assessment in 2017.
“Which means that we had at least two children coming for the assessment a month,” she said.
Before this year comes to an end, she said the centre had already registered 80 children for assessment.
Despite such figures, Dr Annuar said it indicated that the community had become more aware of what dyslexia is rather than reflecting an increase in the learning inability.
“Which is why the study says prevalence. People are more aware of it, which is why the number (of assessment) increases,” he added.
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty affecting a person’s ability to deal with text and numbers. It is characterised by an inability to recognise letters and combinations of them, problems in reading, writing, speaking and listening despite adequate teaching, home environment, motivation, intelligence and senses like vision, hearing and touch.
Dyslexia is not a disease but is a learning difference due to the variation in the structure and function of the brain.
Apart from dyslexia, Ong said the DASwk also reached out to individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
At present, there is only one DASwk Learning and Resource Centre in the state.
DASwk is short of RM2.5 million to meet the project cost estimated at RM3.5 million to build a three-storey building comprising an office, staff room, 10 classrooms and a multi-purpose hall.
The project is scheduled for completion in two years.
Dr Annuar pledged a personal donation of RM60,000 to sponsor a classroom.
He observed that dyslectic individuals can be very creative, citing Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs as examples.
“Early intervention can help children with dyslexia cope with their learning,” he said, calling upon the private sector and the community to render financial support to DASwk.
At the event, DASwk also launched a QR code for Sarawak Pay users to ‘scan and donate’ to help meet the project cost.
Among those present were Batu Kitang assemblyman and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang and DASwk patron Datin Azerina Mohd Arip.