ABSTRACT: POSTER PRESENTATION (UCEC 0174)
ENGAGING IN SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY SERVICE IN TRAINING THE TEACHERS OF THE
SPECIAL NEEDS : A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Che Ismail Che Lah*, Hairul Bahara Jais**, Liyana Gan Abdullah**, Zamri Ismail***,
M. ShahrulIkram M. Yasin***, Dinsuhaimi Sidek*,
*Department of Otorhinolaryngology-HNS, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus,
Universiti Sains Malaysia, ** Special Education Division, Ministry of Education, Malaysia
***Speech Pathology Program, School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Course Secretariat: chemae@kck.usm.my. Telephone No.: 609-7676430/28
Since 2002 USM and the Ministry of Education signed a MOU to train the Teachers of the
Special Needs in the field of audiology and speech therapy. The teachers were selected from all
over Malaysia, for a full time 13 weeks (later reduced to 12 weeks) course. In 2005 the MOU
included the training of “Peripatetic teachers for the special needs”. Per year there were two
groups of teachers consisting of 10-15 teachers per cohort.
A holistic program was planned, from the basic anatomy-physiology to the very detail of
screening for different disabilities, community work, communication with the respective
specialities to motivation and conflict management. The training was based at the Department
of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery but involved staffs from other Departments as
well; Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation (physiotherapy and occupational therapy),
Ophthalmology. External lecturers include the Special Education Department, NGOs, Private
Rehabilitation Centres. Community work was a major part of the training, with hands-on
experience in the different specialities.
A total of 162 teachers of 13 cohorts were trained , 8 cohorts (94 teachers) in “hearing and
speech rehabilitation teachers” and another 5 cohorts (68 teachers) in “peripatetic teachers of
the special needs.” Feedback from questionnaire