Fadhlina urges parents to screen children early for autism, ADHD and learning difficulties

Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said the screening programmes are crucial to ensuring children with learning difficulties receive appropriate intervention and support. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

First Published: Tuesday, 15 Sep 2026 1:38 PM MYT

GUA MUSANG, Sept 15 — The Ministry of Education (MOE) is encouraging parents to bring their children for screening programmes aimed at detecting learning difficulties, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), at an early stage.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said the screening programmes are crucial to ensuring children with learning difficulties receive appropriate intervention and support.

“Today, we are here to observe the intervention preparations put in place by the MOE to enable early detection of children with learning difficulties.

“Conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and others can be identified through these screening programmes. Therefore, these programmes are vital,” she told a press conference after attending the 2026 Parliamentary Follow-up Programme (Series 3) at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Gua Musang here today.

She said parents who noticed developmental delays or suspected undiagnosed learning difficulties in their children are encouraged to seek assessments from specialists provided by the ministry.

“We invite them to come to the Ministry of Education Malaysia, where we can conduct these assessments with the specialists available,” she said.

Fadhlina said the services include speech therapy and psychological assessments to evaluate children’s overall development.

“There is speech therapy, and psychologists will assess the children’s overall development and provide guidance and recommendations to parents on how to support their children’s learning process,” she said.

She stressed the importance of parental involvement, noting that the government provides the screening services free of charge.

“It is important for parents to take an active role, as the government provides these services for free.

“We therefore invite all parents to participate in these screenings so that our children can continue to receive the support they need,” she said.

Meanwhile, Fadhlina said the ministry is prioritising literacy and numeracy proficiency among students, with efforts being strengthened at various levels through interventions and support from teachers and parents.

“We do not use the term ‘illiteracy’. Instead, we focus on strengthening literacy and numeracy proficiency at various levels,” she said.

She said the approach also covered Orang Asli children to ensure they did not fall behind and continued to receive priority and attention in education. — Bernama