As humans, we cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by thousands of invisible
threads. We are but only a fragile thread. But when we are skilfully woven, we make a beautiful
tapestry. There is this one thing that has been the secret key, the needle that has stitched our
lives together with wonderful moments of joy and laughter. It has woven a grand design that has
taught us about autism, about our children and above all, about ourselves.
This secret key, this special needle is “happiness”. If you want happiness for an hour, I will
recommend that you take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, then you go fishing. But if you
want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.
It has been a long journey for the Centre since 1987. We started out without having much
knowledge on autism. Through the years, we explore and acquire more and more information
about autism and skills to teach these special children.
We currently have around 50 children. A few pioneer students are still with us today and we are very
proud of their achievements. They had been able to complete mainstream education and hold
jobs in the community. The Centre hopes that these achievements can motivate and remind all
parents that there is always hope for these children. We started with one programme and now
under the guidance of Prof. Dato’ Dr. See, we have in total 23 programmes and nine services
provided for the children and their families. In the near future, we hope to be able to provide
appropriate programmes for teenagers and young adults with autism to learn living skills and
hopefully, to blend in with the community.
Through these years, REACh has given me an extended family that I adore. It has enriched my
life with purpose. It has filled my life with much love. It has brought me great happiness. All these
have been made possible by the simple gesture of reaching out to help somebody.
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