PETALING JAYA: Autism diagnosis and treatment remain a major challenge in Malaysia, say families with relatives on the spectrum.
“I waited for more than a year to get an appointment for my two-year-old son to get a diagnosis,” said an administrative worker who wanted to be known only as Jay.
He said he went to a government facility as he could not afford private care, with his income just RM3,000 a month.
“The wait was over a year. Appointments were given at six-month intervals,” said Jay, 35.
His long journey to seek treatment for his son began when he noticed that something was amiss with his boy.
Eventually, his wife had to stay at home to care for their son.
“I did try private therapy, but it costs around RM600 and I certainly cannot afford it,” said Jay in an interview in conjunction with April being World Autism Month.
The diagnosis was just the first hurdle. He then had to look up ways to raise his son and train him for day-to-day life.
Content writer Aishah Zainal also had a hard time trying to get a diagnosis and appointment for her daughter to see experts.
Early intervention at a private rehabilitation centre costs her between RM2,400 to RM3,700 a month, in addition to a diagnosis from a child psychologist at a private healthcare facility, which billed her RM550.
Visits to a developmental paediatrician also set her back RM550 each time.
This is in addition to her daughter’s school fees, therapy and education fund, which amount to almost RM2,000 per month, she added.
“We are a two-income household with just one child, yet these bills are already quite a lot for us. Imagine a B40 household – there is no way they can afford this,” said Aishah, 30.
She called for more proactive measures on the government’s part to facilitate early diagnosis and to set up more government-operated autism learning centres nationwide.
Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said the wait time for diagnosis would depend on the availability of specialists.
Not every hospital has doctors and allied health experts who deal with autism, he said.
Dr Rahima Dahlan, a medical lecturer and child and adolescent psychiatrist at Hospital Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, Universiti Putra Malaysia, said the wait time for an appointment in Malaysia depends on factors such as the availability of specialists, location and whether it is a public or private healthcare facility.
“In the public health system, the wait time can be longer due to high demand and limited resources. Today, it can take several months to get an appointment with a specialist, such as a paediatrician, child psychiatrist or clinical psychologist with experience diagnosing autism,” she said.
The wait times, she said, could be shorter in private healthcare.
