(Malaysia) Nearly 60,000 kids diagnosed with autism as of 2024

May 1, 2025, New Strait Times: Autism in Malaysia: Nearly 60,000 children diagnosed, registered as of 2024 | New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 58,708 children diagnosed with autism have been registered with the Welfare Department as of December 31 last year.

Over one-fifth (12,905) of the children diagnosed with autism are in Selangor, followed by Johor (6,879), Kuala Lumpur (6,876), Sabah (5,210), Sarawak (4,563), and Kedah (3,687).

In Perak, there are 3,642 children, followed by Penang (2,914), Pahang (2,785), Kelantan (2,520), Melaka (2,025), Negeri Sembilan (1,974), Terengganu (1,797), Perlis (488) and Labuan (443).

These children are among the 751,421 individuals registered with the Welfare Department as persons with disabilities.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said there is an upward trend in the number of children diagnosed with autism compared to other categories.

"Without support, these children will face challenges in being independent, integrating into society, and gaining access to education or employment," she said.

She added that early intervention is critical for children with autism.

"This situation could also lead to increased dependency on government aid and social welfare, which would ultimately impact the country's overall development," she said.

Nancy said various initiatives, including the Early Intervention Programme and the Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme (PDK), have been introduced to provide training and early education to children with special needs.

She added that her ministry is also working with the Education Ministry to ensure children with special needs receive inclusive education suited to their needs.

Nancy said the ministry, through the Welfare Department, runs seven institutions catering to different categories of disabilities and works closely with NGOs such as the National Autism Society of Malaysia to run PDKs and Independent Living Centres (ILCs).

As of 2024, a total of 19,909 people with disabilities have received training at 573 PDKs and six ILCs nationwide.