By Maizatul Jamny Muhammad Rosli
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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Genius Kurnia, an early intervention centre for autism children below the age of seven, has stepped-up its standard operating procedures (SOP) in preparation to resume operation once the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in the Klang Valley is lifted.
Genius Kurnia acting director Dr Nil Farakh Sulaiman said the centre had prepared an SOP as advised by the National Security Council, Education Ministry (MOE) and Health Ministry to ensure smooth and effective intervention sessions.
“We are in close communication with the MOE’s top management and we are making early preparations as we foresee that the centre will be reopened in one or two weeks’ time.
“We have conducted separate virtual briefings for intervention officers, assistant officers, parents and facilitators to explain on the SOP to be adhered to once the centre opens. We have also invited representatives from the Fire Department to give a special briefing to the security guards, canteen operator and cleaners,” she told Bernama in an exclusive interview at the Genius Kurnia Centre, recently.
She added that other preparations include cleaning and sanitising of all equipment and areas in the centre, arranging classrooms accordingly to ensure physical distance and making parents and children declare their health prior to coming to the centre.
Nil Farakh said for early intervention classes, which is a one-to-one session between child, parent and intervention officer, the maximum number of children for each session remained at six but the class layout had been rearranged to maintain physical distance.
While for pre-school classes, she said parents can only send-off their children at the main gate and intervention assistant officers would help bring them to their respective classes.
“During the Recovery MCO, to limit the number of children at one time we schedule the children to take turns to attend two or three classes a week.
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“We also shortened the intervention session period, for instance, a two-hour class was shortened by half an hour because we have to sanitise the class after each session. Same goes for the gymnasium. These children are very special and they are among the high-risk group,” she explained.
Meanwhile, an intervention officer at Genius Kurnia, Shahrizal Selamat said class activities were the same as pre-COVID-19 but during the RMCO emphasis was on the children’s cleanliness and safety.
He said before the children entered their classes, they had to undergo three screenings, namely, having their temperature recorded at the main gate, administration door and classroom door, to ensure they were healthy to begin intervention sessions.
“Besides that, we teach them how to take care of their own safety such as wearing face masks, using hand sanitiser and maintaining physical distance.
“For autism children, these are not part of their previous routine, so we have to let them get used to the routine as a change in routine will disrupt their daily lives,” said Shahrizal.
Meanwhile, in terms of physical distancing, he admitted that it was quite hard to manage because the children are very active.
Hence, he said parents have an important role to assist the teachers in ensuring that their children adhere to the physical distance rule in the classrooms.
“We also limit the number of children in one area. For example, if there are six students in a class, we will divide them into two groups to minimise risk. We will stick labels for the children to know that they cannot sit together but may still communicate with one another from a distance,” said Shahrizal. – BERNAMA