“I’m Anne and the founder of the Inclusive Outdoor Classroom (IOC).
At IOC we want to change mindsets and give families who have children with special needs a platform, to be part of a community.
We also get parents who don’t have children with special needs to be part of this (our programs) and that’s how we encourage maximum inclusion, even from the public.
That way, both parties are learning from each other and contributing towards the well-being of an inclusive society.
It’s important to remember that it doesn’t mean when a doctor says your child has special needs, nothing can be done.
In fact, there’s a lot that needs to be done. The first is educating society that autism is not a disease which can be contracted.
It’s about understanding, stepping into a world that is unfamiliar and trying to discover the best of yourself. At the end of the day, everybody just wants to be accepted and included into society.”
Photostory by Annis Saipul
Edited by Christine Cheah
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(This post was first published on August 16th 2018)