Contents

PREFACE

Welcome Remarks

Opening Remarks

PERSON WITH DISABILITIES: OVERVIEW, PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN ASEAN

Closing Remarks

Introduction

Summary of Regional and National Policy Recommendation

List of Participants

PREFACE

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how persons with autism perceive the world and interact with others. They perceive, see, hear and feel differently to other people. More important, autism is difficult to detect because it is a neuro-developmental disorder which can affect people differently. As a consequence, many persons with autism are not identified and then neglected and excluded from the services designed for persons with disabilities. Some people say that autism is not a disability, it is just a different ability. However, a person with autism is always a person like everyone. We have to understand and find the way to strengthen persons with autism from their own perspectives.

Until now no one can prove what the real causes of autism are. Specialists around the world can say only that it is a combination of 2 factors – genetic and environmental – that may account for autism development. It is estimated that autism affects one percent of the world’s population. That means around 6 million persons with autism living in the ASEAN region. This affects the development of all ASEAN Member States (AMS) in the region. Policy recommendations are vital for organizations of and for persons with autism in developing support services and interventions designed for persons with autism.

The ASEAN Secretariat initiated the Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region with the aim of contributing towards the promotion and protection of the rights and empowerment of persons with autism in the ASEAN region. The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) was assigned to be the implementing agency under the guidance of the Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD) and supported by the Japan – ASEAN Integrated Fund (JAIF) for a period of 2 years from May 2018 to April 2020.

Under this project APCD organized the regional workshop for policy recommendations on autism on 22 October 2019 at the Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok. The objective was to propose and discuss policy recommendations on autism at the national and regional level including important policies, services and programs for persons with autism in AMS. Many leaders of AMS and concerned organizations maximized the opportunity of being at this workshop by sharing their experience for the benefit of persons with autism and their families living in the ASEAN region.

I wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the ASEAN Secretariat and all concerned for the cordial partnership and endless support extended to persons with disabilities. I would also like to invite you all to take the policy recommendations in this report into consideration in the spirit of ‘leaving no one behind’ for the benefit of persons with autism in the ASEAN region.

Dr. Tej Bunnag

President

Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability Foundation

Bangkok, Thailand

Welcome Remarks

By H.E. Dr. Tej Bunnag

President of APCD Foundation

Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD)

Dr. Sita Sumrit, Assistant Director of Poverty Eradication and Gender Division of ASEAN Secretariat, Representing the ASEAN Secretary General

Your Excellency Madam Florita Rubiano Villar, the Vice-chair of Senior Official Meeting of Social Welfare and Development – SOMSWD

Representatives of Government agencies from ASEAN Member States,

Representatives of ASEAN Autism Network,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability or APCD, I have the honor to welcome you all to the “ASEAN Regional Workshop for Policy Recommendations on Autism” under the Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region. Your presence at this workshop today reaffirms our collective commitments and partnership in the promotion and protection of the rights and the empowerment of persons with autism in the ASEAN region.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the ASEAN Secretariat for initiating this project in 2016. It is estimated that 15% of the world’s population live with some forms of disability and 1% of that is identified with autism. So, there are more than 6 million persons with autism in the ASEAN region. That is why ASEAN Member States must take initiatives to take care of persons with autism.

What we are doing here is in line with the principles of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities, as well as the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goals where we strive to “Leave No One Behind.”

The Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region is a pioneering project. Its development and implementation last year is proof of strategic cooperation among 5 key actors; namely ASEAN Secretariat, the Japanese Government through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund, government agencies concerning persons with disabilities of all 10 ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Autism Network (AAN) and the APCD.

Our combined efforts contributed towards the three goals of the project: firstly, raising awareness on autism at the national and regional levels; secondly producing a regional document “Autism at a Glance in ASEAN,” and thirdly proposing policy recommendations in protecting the rights and promoting empowerment of persons with autism in all ASEAN Member States.

Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today this regional policy workshop will propose, share, and highlight the policy recommendations from ASEAN Member States, and find the way forward in promoting and protecting the rights of person with autism to make our community barrier-free and inclusive for all. Persons with autism are actors in development since they can be empowered to be agents of social change. We have to include and empower them to achieve their full potential in life.

Finally, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who has been working so hard to make this workshop possible, as well as to all of you in the workshop today who will make the whole world see our ASEAN’s vision for inclusion and empowerment of persons with autism in our community.

Thank you.

Opening Remarks

Undersecretary Florita Villar

SOMSWD Philippines and SOMSWD Vice-Chair

Dr. Tej Bunnag, Chairman of APCD Executive Board, Dr. Seree Nonthasoot, Senior Executive Vice President of the Institute of Research and Development for Public Enterprises, my fellow SOMSWD Focal Points, partners and distinguished colleagues from the government and nongovernment organizations, development partners, international organizations and civil society organizations, a blessed day to each one of us.

Allow me first to express deep appreciation to APCD for this invitation and at the same time, commend the organization for such dedication, commitment and excellent work in promoting the rights of persons with disability/ies. Today, we are all gathered here in this venue, to impart each country and organization’s policy recommendations and discuss ways on how to further enhance or increase our capacities towards developing and effectively implement appropriate support and interventions that people living with autism needs.

They say that autism is not a disability, it is a different ability. People with autism see, hear and feel the world differently from you and me. But that never does not mean that they are lesser people.

The estimated 6 million people with autism in the ASEAN region are vulnerable because when people do not understand their uniqueness, they are bullied, abused and socially excluded. But how can our society treat them better? We have to understand them and see things from their own perspective. In social work, we call this empathy. In our work in building knowledge on autism, we are contributing to helping build empathy for people with autism. That’s why we are privileged to be in this venue as leaders of our own country and organizations, as we are steps forward in terms of understanding the plight of the sector and taking the responsibility in helping them improve the quality of their lives not just because we are mandated to do so but we are all advocates of human rights.

Allow me to highlight the concerted efforts of the AICHR, ACWC, SOMSWD, Disabled People’s Organizations, and other key stakeholders in developing the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan on the Mainstreaming of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Anchored on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation Persons with Disabilities in ASEAN Community and other important policy milestones, the Enabling Masterplan aims to achieve equality and high quality of life for persons with disabilities, their family members, personal assistants and care givers. It also intends to assist ASEAN Member States in harmonizing local laws and policies.

This workshop is relevant as it contributes to the implementation of the Enabling Masterplan. Hence, on behalf of the SOMSWD Chair, may I encourage everyone to maximize the opportunity of being here and selflessly share your wisdom, expertise and resources for the benefit of the persons with autism and their families living in the ASEAN region. As advocates of human rights and catalysts of change, let us learn together, and build a better ASEAN for persons with autism.

In closing I would like to remind us what Mahatma Gandhi have said, “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”

Thank you and good day to everyone.

PERSON WITH DISABILITIES: OVERVIEW, PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN ASEAN

Presented by Dr. Sita Sumrit, ASEAN Secretariat

In 2015, ASEAN was the third largest by population with more than half under the age of 30 and the urban population is expected to increase to 49.7% by the year 2025. ASEAN economy was named the sixth largest in the world with an average annual growth rate of 5.3% between 2007 and 2015. The social landscape of ASEAN has progressed over the years with different range of achievements. ASEAN has envisioned to achieve an inclusive community in which it is people-oriented, people-centred and promotes high quality of life and fair access to opportunities for all and where the disadvantaged, disabled and marginalized are given special attention where social justice and the rule of law reign. According to World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people in the world live with some form of disability and disability is said to become a greater concern due to its increasing prevalence over the years. The disabilities prevalence in ASEAN region are varies for each country in which in 2015, Vietnam was having the highest disability prevalence of 7.8%, followed by Indonesia with 2.5%, and Myanmar with 2.3% of disability prevalence, while Laos was the country with the lowest disability prevalence of 1.0% among the ten countries. Therefore, in the recent years, most ASEAN member countries have given initiative where they seek to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration in mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities across the three pillars of ASEAN (political-security, economic, and socio-cultural).

Defining Disability

Disabilities are the persons who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on equal basis with others. People with disabilities have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities.

Autism

Reviews estimated a global median prevalence of 62/10,000, where one child in 160 has an autism spectrum disorder and subsequent disability. In the report done by WHO in 2017, it stated that boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls and nearly half of them wander or bolt from safety. Drowning is said to be the leading cause of death for children with autism and accounts for approximately 90.0% of deaths associated with wandering or bolting. However, it is noted that there is inadequate prevalence data on autism, where the available regional estimates of prevalence are for the Europe and Americas region. While, in many parts of the world, including Africa, the prevalence estimates are either unavailable or preliminary. It is however noted that about half of autistics are unemployed and one third of those with graduate degrees may be unemployed. Thus, with the concern in hand, the autism rights movement had been introduced by adult autistic individuals in which it is a social movement within the context of disability rights that emphasizes the concept of neurodiversity, where autism is viewed as natural variations in the human brain rather than a disorder to be cured.

Disabling Barriers

Countries under ASEAN have established their own laws and policies over the years in addressing the rights of persons with disabilities. Despite having relevant domestic legislation, laws, policies and programs, many countries are still facing challenges in properly implementing the programs and legislations. This may due to several issues, which includes the following:

Inadequate policies and standards – Policy design does not always take into account the needs of people with disabilities, or existing policies and standards are not enforced.

• Negative attitude – Beliefs and prejudices constitute barriers to education,

employment, healthcare, and social participation.

• Limited provision of services – People with disabilities are particularly

vulnerable to deficiencies in services such as health care, rehabilitation and

support assistance.

• Limited quality of service delivery – Poor coordination of services, inadequate

staffing, and weak staff competencies can affect the quality, accessibility,

and adequacy of services for persons with disabilities.

• Inadequate funding – Resources allocated to implementing policies and

plans are often inadequate.

• Lack of accessibility - Many built environments, transport systems and

information are not accessible to all.

• Insufficient consultation and involvement – Many people with disabilities

are excluded from decision-making in matters which directly affecting their lives.

• Lack of data and evidence – A lack of rigorous and comparable data on

disability and evidence on programmes that work can impede understanding

and action.

• Under-utilization of innovation and technology in this field.

Progress on Enhancing the Rights for Persons with Disabilities

• ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025 (ASCC)

ASCC is the commitment to lift the quality of life of its people through cooperative activities that are people-oriented, people-centred, environmentally friendly and

geared in promoting sustainable development. The ASCC Blueprint was being implemented from 2009 to 2015 and was seen to be effective in developing and strengthening the coherence of policy frameworks and institutions to advance Human Development, Social Justice and Rights, Social Protection and Welfare, Environmental Sustainability, ASEAN Awareness, and Narrowing the Development Gap. The targets involved were to enhance commitment, participation and social responsibility of ASEAN peoples through an accountable and inclusive mechanism for the benefit of all; to promote equal access and opportunity for all, as well as promote and protect human rights; to promote balanced social development and sustainable environment that meet the current and future needs of the people; to enhance capacity and capability to collectively respond and adapt to emerging trends; and to strengthen ability to continuously innovate and be a proactive member of the global community.

•ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development

(AMMSWD)

AMMSWD with the support of Senior Official Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD), sets the strategic policy direction on ASEAN’s regional cooperation on social welfare and development in the region. The AMMSWD meets once every three years and oversees the overall work under the cooperation. The body specifically focuses on three main areas, which are children, older persons and persons with disabilities, where they are reflected in the Strategic Framework on Social Welfare and Development 2016-2020. There are other priority areas being focused on, which includes to promote social protection policies, to strengthen families and caregivers and to enhance participation and social responsibility of stakeholders.

Regional Commitments on Promoting Social Welfare and Development

• Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of Role and Participation of the

Persons with Disabilities in ASEAN Community

The declaration reaffirms ASEAN’s commitment toward equal rights and opportunities of persons with disabilities in all spheres of ASEAN society. It also ensures the fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life through mainstreaming disability perspective in the development and implementation of ASEAN policies and programmes across the 3 pillars of the ASEAN Community.

•Mobilisation Framework of the ASEAN Decade of Persons with Disabilities

(2011-2020) In respect of established sectoral bodies, mechanisms, and protocol, it is intended to promote implementation of disability initiatives. It is a joint effort of multi-stakeholders, including person with disabilities and their families, Disabled Persons Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, and international organizations, academic institutions, business sector and other related entities towards empowerment and quality of life development of the persons with disabilities.

• ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection

The declaration was adopted by the ASEAN Leaders in October 2013 in Brunei Darussalam. It was mentioned that social protection is a cross-cutting issue, thus the implementation of the declaration requires coordinated and holistic approaches with the involvement of governments, private sector, development partners, civil society, service providers and other stakeholders. Furthermore, social protection shall be adaptive to the different risks in which includes lifestyle and individual risks, social risks, and emerging risks and vulnerabilities faced by the region such as changes in economy, and labour markets and impacts of climate change, disasters and economic crises.

Regional Platform of Collaboration on Social Welfare and Development

There are a few platforms that has been established in promoting the cross-sectoral collaboration and multi-stakeholder engagements on persons with disabilities, which include:

• Strategic Framework on Social Welfare and Development 2016-2020. Two

main strategies have been implemented under the framework, which are the Autism Children in ASEAN: Development of Legislation and Policies, and the Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region.

• Potential collaboration with relevant bodies and entities. The collaboration between the relevant bodies and entities are required to enhance the implementation. Thus, ACWC and ASEAN Social Work Consortium (ASWC) are examples of related bodies. ACWC focuses on setting performance standards on the service delivery for children with disabilities, while ASWC conducts annual conference where it is being attended by practitioners, academics, and government officials in which could widen the collaboration opportunity.

• ASEAN GO-NGO Forum for Social Welfare and Development. The annual forum is in the series of SOMSWD and related meetings are done to allow immediate submission of the Forum’s outcome to SOMSWD for consideration. It aims at strengthening and improving the collaboration between governmental and non-governmental organizations (GO-NGO) and it provides opportunities for dialogue on key regional social welfare and development issues. One of the Forum in 2018 on Enabling Masterplan (EM) 2025, discussed on the recommendations for children, adults and older persons living with disabilities to focus on accessibility, inclusiveness and capacity building.

•Affiliation of the ASEAN Autism Network to ASEAN

It secured the endorsement of SOMSWD in which to be reviewed by Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) for consideration and endorsement Work Plans of ASEAN Sectoral Bodies for Persons with Disabilities Work plans of some ASEAN sectoral bodies have identified specific programmes, projects and initiatives that benefits persons with disabilities. A few examples of the work plans are:

• The ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2016-2020: Under the Sub-Goal 2 it focuses on enhancing the quality and access to basic education for all, including disabled, less advantageous and other marginalized groups.

•AADMER Work Programme 2016-2020: It focuses on protecting economic and social gains of ASEAN community integration through risk transfer and social protection (Priority Programme 4 – Protect). It also ensures the social protection and enhancing social safety nets in the context of disasters (Programme Component 6). It harmonising standards and guidelines on recover (Programme Component 1).

•ASEAN Guidelines for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), adopted by the 24th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting in May 2016 in Vientiane,

Laos: One of the topic being focused on is the employment and employment relationship, in which it stated that policies are designed to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment, and should not discriminate workers based on race, national extraction, social origin, religion, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, political opinion, membership of workers’ organisations, nationality, or due to disability, pregnancy, marital status, parenthood, or HIV status.

•The ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2016-2020: It focuses on the establishment

of the ASEAN Para Games and endorsement of ASEAN School Para Games.

with disabilities in all areas of life. It involves the collaboration and cooperation between ASEAN Sectoral Bodies across AEC, APSC and ASCC, and ASEAN bodies and civil society organizations, particularly organizations of persons with disabilities. The enforcement of the masterplan is guided by the three principles (i.e. relevance, complementary and interrelatedness), in which it ensures that the disability rights pertain to all community pillars and is stipulated in their vision and work plan, it complements existing commitments and aspiration of ASEAN leaders and member states in creating an inclusive community, and all human resources including persons with disabilities are interconnected and interdependent.

Since 2016, the Task Force has convened eight meetings which are being Co-Chaired by AICHR Thailand and the SOMSWD Chair. The meetings aim to include and maximizes the participation of organizations of persons with disabilities to ensure that their voices are amplified in the development of the Enabling Masterplan. Regional seminars were convened to highlight specific thematic issues such as promoting entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, inclusive disaster risk reduction, and the involvement of the private sector. However, in order to properly convey the strategies, below are a few implementation mechanisms that have been done:

• Relevant Sectoral Bodies to operationalize the Enabling Masterplan

• The AMMSWD as the focal point for inter-pillar cooperation to oversee the implementation of the Enabling Masterplan

• The ASEAN Secretariat will report the progress of implementation of the Masterplan for the three communities to the Joint Consultative Meeting

• To have a standing agenda item on the progress on implementation of the Masterplan during the conferences of Coordinating Conference of the APSC (ASCCO), the Committee of the Whole (COW) for AEC and the Coordinating Conference on the ASCC (SOC-COM).

• To employ strategies and approaches to maximise the role of ASEAN Organs and Bodies, encourage participation of Civil Society Organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, to enhance opportunities for stakeholder engagement and partnership. The report on the progress of the implementation of ASEAN Enabling Masterplan has come out a few recommendations to enhance better delivery of the implementation. The recommendations are as follows:

• Proposed priorities of 2020 include human capital development, including attention to social protection. These priorities provide opportunity for activities to be implemented to be more inclusive of persons with disabilities.

• 2020 is a pivotal year where many sectoral bodies will be developing new plans of actions for the 2021-2025 cycle. This provides opportunity for activities being proposed to be more inclusive in nature, should there be sufficient awareness among all relevant sectoral bodies.

• The mid-term evaluation of the ASCC, APSC and AEC Blueprint will also be conducted in 2020. There is opportunity for the design of the evaluation incorporate some of the key action points as listed in the Enabling Masterplan

• The main resource needed is the commitment and determination of Member States to ensure that the Masterplan is well implemented. Guidelines to ensure that persons with disabilities have representation and participation at ASEAN led activities across all sectoral bodies will contribute tremendously to the implementation of the Masterplan

•Expanding partnership and enhancing innovation in the implementation of the Masterplan is crucial. Therefore, strengthening the collaboration with civil society organizations, disabled person organizations (DPOs) along with the private sector.

•Raise awareness on the Enabling Masterplan among the different sectoral bodies of ASEAN to encourage the integration of the rights of persons with disabilities into the different sectoral initiatives. Encourage the sectoral bodies to discuss ways to identify the key action points that apply to their respective measures/initiatives and possible next steps, as applicable.

• Encourage reporting of regular updates of the implementation of the Enabling Masterplan, and for sectoral bodies/committees to provide information on the relevance and applicability of disability on their respective sectors and initiatives

• APSC through AICHR to continue implement activities that promotes the rights of persons with disabilities through conducting an annual AICHR Regional Dialogue on Disability Rights with different thematic focusFurthermore, they have mentioned a few suggestions while addressing the barriers and inequalities of the rights for the persons with disabilities. These includes to enable access to all mainstream systems and services, to invest in specific programmes and services, strengthening national disability strategy and action plan, to promote inclusive communities, and to provide adequate funding and improving affordability. It is also important to increase the public awareness and understanding regarding this issue.

Closing Remarks

By Mr. Piroon Laismit, Executive Director,

Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability

• Madame Florita Rubiano Villar,

SOMSWD Vice Chair,

• Representatives of Government agencies

in ASEAN Member States,

• Dr. Seree Nonthasoot,

• Dr. Sita Sumrit,

• Madam Erlinda Uy Koe,

• Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon, on behalf of APCD, I have the honor to express my appreciation to you for your active participation in the “ASEAN Regional Workshop for Policy Recommendations on Autism” under the Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region

This project could not be implemented without the leadership of ASEAN Secretariat and the financial support from Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund, as well as the guidance of SOMSWD and the cooperation between ASEAN Autism Network members and the government agencies concerning persons with disabilities of all ASEAN member states. So, I would like to take this opportunity once again to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you.

I am pleased to share with you my thoughts as we are closing this workshop. Today, we have learned so much about the current situation of persons with autism in the ASEAN region from the presentations of our distinguished panel of speakers, as well as the rich discussions on the way forward for autism communities in ASEAN.

I would like to echo one of the key messages from Mr. Shri Malai Hj Abdullah Bin Malai Hj Othman, who has just passed away. He was the founder and former President, as well as CEO of SMARTER Brunei, and the founding member and former Chairperson of ASEAN Autism Network, our great partner of development in the world of autism.

He had always insisted that the active and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities was a key ingredient in ensuring the success of all initiatives. “There is nothing about us without us.” They are in a right position to advise us of the different ways of ensuring their access, not just only to the development of policy recommendations, but also to the practical matters such as early detection, inclusive education, health programs and social services. I would like to express my special gratitude to those who represent organizations of and for persons with autism for their valuable contribution.

May Allah make him pass successfully in all the stages of his life after death.

Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I believe that all the participants, including myself, have benefitted tremendously from this workshop. I am confident that the results of today’s deliberations will be widely disseminated, recognized and transformed into the practical public programs and services soon.

In closing, please allow me once again to express my sincere appreciation to the ASEAN Secretariat and the Japanese Government for entrusting APCD for being instrumental in the successful conduct of all activities of the ASEAN Autism Mapping Project including this workshop. I hope this will continue to bring the spotlight on issues faced by persons with disabilities and we look forward to more initiatives and cooperation alike for this project in the second phase in the near future. Furthermore, this activity reflects an advancing partnership for sustainability among person with autism community in ASEAN region.

Introduction

n 2008, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force, reaffirming the fundamental principle of universal human rights for all. Its purpose is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. It is a vital tool to foster an inclusive and caring society for all and to ensure that all children and adults with autism can have meaningful lives.

When world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, the international community reaffirmed its strong commitment to be inclusive, accessible and sustainable development, and pledged that no one should be left behind. In this context, the full inclusion of persons with autism as both agents of changes and beneficiaries is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

In general, autism is considered as an ‘invisible disability’ and it is a lifelong neurological and developmental disorder that manifests during early childhood, irrespective of gender, race or socio-economic status (Ogundele, 2018). The term Autism ‘Spectrum’ is used because how the condition affects individuals differently on the experience difficulties with social communication, interaction and may exhibit restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities. Thus, appropriately support, accommodate, and accept this neurological variation that allows persons with autism to enjoy equal opportunity and effective participation in society.

The current picture of the ASEAN region legal rules and soft law instruments which are directly relevant for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with autism is less satisfying than developed countries. Therefore, The Regional Workshop for Policy Recommendation on Autism 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand has provided an opportunity for professionals and advocacy groups to be equipped with the target key needs in the policy development framework for persons with autism.

The main goals of the workshop are to (i) get a better understanding of the situation of autism at the national and regional level; (ii) showcase and discuss the important policies, services, and programmes for persons with autism in AMS; (iii) obtain policy recommendations on autism at the national and regional level for the target audience; (iv) enhance the capacity of the government agencies and autism networks for the purpose to drive social development innovation and the intervention for persons with autism; (v) build collaborations between the public and social agencies in dealing with autism issues; and (vi) confirm the commitment of ASEAN Secretariat, SOMSWD, AAN and the Japanese Government in advancing and promoting the issue of autism in the region.

In this report, the development of ASEAN autism policy recommendations for the regional and national level is based on the autism policy recommendations from all ASEAN Member States (AMS) during the workshop. At the ASEAN regional policy level, five (5) main key areas are recommended to achieve wellbeing, quality of life and sustainable development for persons with autism, these (5) five main key areas are:

•Recommendation 1: Establish a quality diagnosis and intervention;

• Recommendation 2: Establish interdisciplinary training courses,

vocational education, employment, and research centre;

• Recommendation 3: Establish global partnership;

• Recommendation 4: Enhance community-based engagement and public involvement; and

• Recommendation 5: Enhance capacity development approaches.

A total of 10 national policy recommendations was highlighted.

The national policy framework aims to achieve the quality of life and sustainable

development for persons with autism. Thus, international commitments

which are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, ASEAN Enabling Master Plan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Person With Disabilities, Child Right Convention (CRC), Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and ASEAN Regional Policy Recommendation for Autism are the foundation of the development of National Autism Policy Recommendation Framework. Furthermore, ASEAN National Social Policy or National Policy on People with Disabilities is the next step to complement the foundation of the National Autism Policy Recommendation Framework. Meanwhile, 10 national policy recommendations were identified as the pillar for the framework, which are:

• Recommendation 1: Early Screening and Diagnosis;

• Recommendation 2: Education;

• Recommendation 3: Employment;

• Recommendation 4: Health Care Services;

• Recommendation 5: Family and Community Support;

• Recommendation 6: Adult and Aging Care Services;

• Recommendation 7: Support Facilities, Youth and Sports;

• Recommendation 8: Autism Society or Association / NGOs / International Collaboration;

• Recommendation 9: Research and Development; and

• Recommendation 10: Governance.

In conclusion from Dr. Seree Nonthasoot, Dr. Sita Sumrit, and Mdm.

Erlinda Uy Koe, the way forward emphasis on issues of persons with autism at three platforms, which are (i) rights of persons with autism; (ii) regional priority, and (iii) enhancement of the country’s capacity.

Summary of Regional and National Policy Recommendation

1. Autism and Intellectual Development Disorders Journey Over the past few decades, a rapid increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) causes concern in the region. Many significant strides in increasing awareness of the condition and developing innovative ways have been conducted to improve the lives of children, young people, and adults with autism. Persons with autism represent a group of lifelong neurodevelopmental disorders emerging early childhood and interfering with person’s ability to socially relate to and interact with others. Figure 1 shows the autism and intellectual development disorders journey. Autism is primarily a lifelong condition starts with surveillance and screening, followed by diagnosis, early intervention, evidence-based therapies/co-ordination to transition to adult services and employment as the last stage, it requires a co-ordinated of services across health, education, and social sectors.

Figure 1: Showing the Autism and intellectual development disorders journey (Source: Fein et al. 2013)

The needs of persons with autism are lifelong. Services must recognise this and collaborate to make sure the moving from one stage of a person’s life to another is planned for and managed as smoothly as possible, that transitions are managed better and indeed minimized. It is common for persons with autism have a range of conditions. They should have access to a range of in-home, residential and other community support services, including personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community and to prevent isolation or segregation from the community.

With the aim of this workshop, all information and discussion from the ASEAN countries representatives are compiled, translated it into the regional level (Table 1) and national level (Table 2) of autism policy recommendation to achieve wellbeing, a better quality of life and sustainable development for persons with autism.

2. ASEAN Regional Policy Recommendation

Five (5) key main areas are recommended, which are:

• Recommendation 1: Establish a quality diagnosis and intervention;

• Recommendation 2: Establish interdisciplinary training courses, vocational

education, employment, and research centre;

• Recommendation 3: Establish global partnership;

• Recommendation 4: Enhance community-based engagement and public involvement;

• Recommendation 5: Enhance capacity development approaches.

Table 1 shows some issues highlighted for regional autism policy recommendations by ASEAN countries

representatives during the workshop.

Table 1: Regional Policy Recommended by ASEAN Countries’ Representative

Countries: Indonesia

Regional Policy Recommendation

-Encourage ASEAN to escalate the issue of Autism to be dealt in the regional level; seriously and thoroughly, as stated in The Thimphu Declaration and ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025.

-Encourage ASEAN to develop a forum of communication and discussion amongst its members, so each can contribute and compliment others in promoting and advocating the rights of persons with autism.

-Encourage all ASEAN countries to focus more on the area of data collection and services for persons with autism, as well as their families.

Countries: Lao PDR

-Regional Policy Recommendation

-The government considers giving Association for Autism

-uilding or land to run a vocational training centre or adult centre for autism.

-The Government considers joining Association for Autism with relevant existing vocational schools in Lao PDR.

-ontinual of inclusive education for persons with autism.

Countries: Thailand

-Regional Policy Recommendation

-Government support on hosting AAN Annual Meeting and AAN Congress every two years.

-Government support for AAN Alternate Host Country to

-organize joint activities, such as sports and games, Regional

-Talent Show / Exhibition

-Government support to carry out researches on topics as agreed by AAN members.

-Inclusive society for all.

Inclusiveness in:

• Education;

• Health Services / alternative treatments;

• Employment / self-employed;

• Social and political participation;

• Access to public information.

Countries: Vietnam

Regional Policy Recommendation

-Statistical data for persons with autism.

-Human Resource: training more therapists: ABA, TEACCH, OT, RDI, Floor time, speech therapy and psychomotor. Social housing: The government builds and manage the social house

-to train persons with autism to live independently, and for old people with autism, after their parents pass away.

2.1 Recommendation 1: Establish a quality diagnosis and intervention

It is undoubtedly vital that persons with autism and their families have a clear indication of what can be expected from a diagnostic service. Refer to The Scottish Government (2011), the quality standard makes it explicit that a quality service should:

• Take place within the context of a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency service involving professionals with ASD training;

• Understand that diagnosis ought to be a process which supports the development and progress of an individual;

•Be aware of the need to involve both the persons with autism and parent/carer/partner/independent advocate if applicable, in the assessment and explanations;

•Recognise and acknowledge the cultural difference of all individuals and families;

• Dedicate sufficient time for assessment in keeping with consensus timeframes;

•Give individuals of all ages access to a service appropriate to their needs in their locality;

• Make a diagnosis if appropriate regardless of whether there are statutory services available;

• Use internationally recognised diagnostic criteria and specify which criteria have need used;

•Make a full diagnostic assessment including developmental history. In adults, the developmental history is not always available but every effort should be made to ascertain it;

•Use information drawn from observation, standardised interview and clinical experience in a variety of contexts such as home, school, workplace and the community;

•Identify psychological, physical, social and other needs of the individual as well as making practical suggestions through joint planning of health, education, social work, and the voluntary sector, to ameliorate any particular difficulties the individual is facing;

•Produce a document to state diagnosis, which criteria and tools were used to assess, and describe any co-morbid conditions;

•Give clear sensitive verbal explanations of the syndrome and provide quality written information;

•Refer on for any medical or other assessment as appropriate or relevant genetic counselling;

•Offer a follow-up appointment, preferably face-to-face, for the individual to ask further questions;

•Offer clear explanations if a diagnosis of autism is not made (and any differential diagnosis) and offer the second opinion as appropriate;

•Provide information about post-diagnostic services such as support groups. Provide evidence-based therapies for young people with autism and extend support to teens and adults transitioning into adult-based services that aid in developing coping strategies and accessing community services (Barton EE et. al. 2016). This should include developing skills to access in-home and out-of-home respite services, transportation, employment, and leisure.

The timing of the transition to adult services may vary locally and individually, but should usually be completed by the age of 18. Persons with autism and their families/ caregivers should be involved in the planning of adult services and receive information on available health, employment and social services (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2013).

2.2 Recommendation 2: Establish interdisciplinary training courses, vocational education, employment, and research centre

Provide interdisciplinary education and training in multiple disciplines at undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels regarding ASD across the lifespan (Kerim et. al.).

•Provide cutting-edge research, evaluation and policy analysis in areas of importance to the field of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders (Kerim et. al. 2015).

•Communicate, disseminate and share information and research findings with abroad constituency (Kerim et. al. 2015).

•Direct services and support to persons with autism and neurodevelopmental disorders of all ages, and their families, to minimize disparities in healthcare, enhance educational opportunities, develop work skills, enrich daily living and promote community inclusion (Kerim et. al. 2015).

•Create job vacancy especially for people with autism.

•Use emerging technologies to bolster learning, employment and community participation for all persons with autism.

•Work with schools as well as vocational and employment settings to deliver evidence-based programs in inclusive settings.

•The proper data collection system of people with autism at national scale, data might be from the hospitals, clinics, training centres, NGOs organisations, schools, vocational colleges, colleges, universities, and other related institutions.

•Engage with policymakers who are in charge of setting a future policy to put research into practice and evaluate the impact of services and policies (Kerim et. al. 2016).

•Support individuals and families as they engage in self-advocacy and self-determination (Kerim et. al.).

Disseminate knowledge among educators and primary care clinicians about ASD and the benefits of therapies to create awareness of developmental milestones and how to assess people with autism. Therefore, developmental delays may go unnoticed and childrenmay not be referred for evaluation.

Provide training and knowledge to teachers about autism so they can do not pick up on early signs of autism in the classrooms.Appropriate school curriculum and other educational modifications.School provides Individualised Education Program (IEP) for persons with autism (Autism Society, 2019 & Maryann 2019). The step-in IEP including forming an IEP team, developing a plan, and dealing with any problems that may come up along the way.Educational data: Countries should collect data on the educational outcomes of children with and withoutdisabilities. Tracking these metrics could improve accountability across schools (UNESCO, 2015).

Provide trained clinicians such as paediatrics, psychiatry, neurology and psychology to perform targeted

screenings and evaluations and neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly in some low-resource and rural settings.

Formal training programs are needed for health professionals to develop expertise in evidence-based services.

Create job opportunities for people with autism such as create employment/ self-employed for persons with autism, training centre, job placement, regulations & incentives for the company that hiring persons with autism.

2.3 Recommendation 3: Establish global partnership

Establish a global partnership task force to address persons with autism across the lifespan. To address the significant gaps in the care of persons with autism at a global scale, the formation of a global partnership task is recommended for involving member governments from all ASEAN countries and other regional countries, as well as the private sector and civil society. This partnership will help to coordinate a sustainable response for each country and region in terms of policy reform, service development and delivery, research and dissemination of evidence-based practice. A partnership task force will provide checks and balances for appropriate use of resources and assist in allocating funds to meet specific regional and national needs. Key activities should include:

• Setting global research priorities and a research capacity development agenda (Karim 2016) on autism in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

•Facilitating global and regional collaborations in piloting new, or scaling up existing, evidence-based interventions (Kerim 2016). The global effort should leverage and share regional resources to support public and private sector programs in enhancing services, training, and research;

• The partnership task force should be created for prioritizing local needs and integrate measures of program effectiveness and costs.

•Establishing a minimum standard of inclusive health, education and social services available across the lifespan for children, young people, and adults with autism.

2.4 Recommendation 4: Enhance community-based engagement and public involvement

It is well-known that families whose children are perceived as different feel isolated, alone and stigmatized, and too often taken on self-blame. This is especially true for parents whose children carry autism or neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis. Families’ feelings of isolation, self-doubt, stigma and a general sense of loss of control can be traced to the following;

•Dissemination of information and knowledge to parents and caregivers about autism (Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care, 2019). Where many parents are not mindful of the appropriate timing for certain developmental skills such as speech and language. Some parents may not be aware that developmental delays are present. Further, when parents do have developmental concerns, many may not reach out to healthcare providers.

•The cultural stigma around people with autism in many countries, as for mental illness in general, may discourage parents from seeking attention when a concern arises, or delay further evaluation or treatment even when suggested by a medical professional (Bakare & Munir, 2011).

•Encourage communicating and connecting among families to information and other parents (Elizabeth et. al. 2019).

•Provide continuity of services, children with autism require a lifespan approach that sustains them and supports them as they grow, develop and strive to be included in their communities.

•Create community-based support environments such as volunteer, child care centre, old force home and disability learning centre.

• Enhancing the rehabilitation centres for children with autism with well-trained teachers

2.4 Recommendation 4: Enhance community-based engagement and public involvement

It is well-known that families whose children are perceived as different feel isolated, alone and stigmatized, and too often taken on self-blame. This is especially true for parents whose children carry autism or neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis. Families’ feelings of isolation, self-doubt, stigma and a general sense of loss of control can be traced to the following;

•Dissemination of information and knowledge to parents and caregivers about autism (Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care, 2019). Where many parents are not mindful of the appropriate timing for certain developmental skills such as speech and language. Some parents may not be aware that developmental delays are present. Further, when parents do have developmental concerns, many may not reach out to healthcare providers.

•The cultural stigma around people with autism in many countries, as for mental illness in general, may discourage parents from seeking attention when a concern arises, or delay further evaluation or treatment even when suggested by a medical professional (Bakare & Munir, 2011).

• Encourage communicating and connecting among families to information and other parents (Elizabeth et. al. 2019).

• Provide continuity of services, children with autism require a lifespan approach that sustains them and supports them as they grow, develop and strive to be included in their communities.

• Create community-based support environments such as volunteer, child care centre, old force home and disability learning centre.

• Enhancing the rehabilitation centres for children with autism with well-trained teachers

• Ensuring that services are sustained across the lifespan of the person with the disorder.

• Create a special centre for facilitating family (Azeem 2016; Child Development Center, 2016) with;

- awareness;

- early detection;

- diagnosis;

- interventions;

- school services; and

- transition to adulthood.

2.5 Recommendation 5: Enhance capacity development approaches

• Create an interagency co-ordinating commission to address autism nationally. Establishment of an independent governmental agency is recommended, such as a national Interagency Coordinating Commission or a Division of ASD.

• Get the involvement and consultation among persons with autism, and their representative organizations toward the development and

implementation of legislation and policies, and other decision-making processes concerning issues relating to persons with autism.

• Include ASEAN countries representatives from health, education, social services, employment, family members of those with autism, self-advocates, service providers, public stakeholders and national non-government organizations (NGOs) as well as researchers and universities representing a variety of perspectives from within the autism community as one of the approaches for capacity development.

• Provide guidance and government oversight on broader concerns related to ASD to accelerate and enhance the development of services across the person’s lifespan.

• Establish an independent governmental agency such as a national Interagency Coordinating Commission or a Division of Autism to provide guidance to national governments on issues related to autism.

• Develop capacity-building programs for caregiver, local and central government representatives, voluntary organisations, local community and academics (WHO, 2013).

• Constitute collaborative leadership under the Department of Public Health, Education and Social Services (as chairperson and co-chairs) with government authorization to develop and update national strategic plans, programs and policies for autism, and to monitor national, regional and international activities in research, training and advocacy for autism (Kerim, 2016).

3. Policy Recommendation for National Level

Figure 2 shows the national autism policy recommendations framework which aims to achieve a better quality of life for persons with autism. Thus, international commitments which are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, ASEAN Enabling Master Plan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Person With Disabilities, Child Right Convention (CRC), Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and ASEAN Regional Policy Recommendation for Autism are the foundation of the development of National Autism Policy Recommendation Framework. Furthermore, ASEAN National Social Policy or National Policy on People with Disabilities is the next step to complement the foundation of the National Autism Policy Recommendation Framework. Meanwhile, 10 national policy recommendations were identified as the pillar for the framework, which are:

• Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

• Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

• Recommendation 3 (R3): Employment;

• Recommendation 4 (R4): Health Care Services;

• Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

• Recommendation 6 (R6): Adult and Aging Care Services;

• Recommendation 7 (R7): Support Facilities, Youth and Sports;

• Recommendation 8 (R8): Autism Society or Association/ NGOs/ International Collaboration;

• Recommendation 9 (R9): Research and Development;

• Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance

Table 2 shows the mapping of 10 national policy recommendations for each ASEAN country during the workshop.

Figure 2: Showing the National Autism Policy Recommendations Framework

Table 2: Mapping of Ten National Policy Recommendations

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM:

Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

Prioritizing impairment diagnosis and clustering into categories (asperger syndrome diagnosis clustered intoautism category).

To establish standard format on data collection amongststakeholder.

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

Laws and policies provide for the care and protection of persons with disabilities and ensure their access to education, health, shelter, security and other human rights and are generally in conformity with the principles and articles of the convention.

Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance;

Laws that support persons with disabilities

- Healthcare services for persons with disabilities

- Education (special education system for persons with disabilities)

- Social protection for persons with disabilities.

CAMBODIA

Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

Training of Early Intervention and identify children with Autism in government level to refer them to specialist services.

Children with autism is usually identified by doctors and teachers from NGOs only, they must be trained to diagnose these conditions in order to help children and families receive appropriate resources.

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

Training of teachers to educate children with autism at university/college level or through professional development.

National curriculum for inclusive education training.

Established National Institute of Special Education.

Recommendation 3 (R3): Employment;

Children with ASD are able to learn and take part in society when they have a good quality of education.

Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

Each province have a hub/main centre where people with autism can access information, diagnosis and specialist advice.

Recommendation 8 (R8): Autism Society or Association/ NGOs/ International Collaboration;

Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Recommendation 9 (R9): Research and Development;

Develop a pilot training program for young people with autism.

Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance;

Law on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities.

Incheon Strategy to “make the right real” for persons with disabilities in Asia Pacific.

National disabilities strategic plan 2019-2023.

MoSAVY Strategic Plan 2019-2023.

Inclusive education strategic plan 2019-2023.

INDONESIA

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

Issue policies and regulations which would encourage the application of an inclusive individual-based

curriculum for personswith autism.

Recommendation 4 (R4): Health Care Services;

Mentors/assistants for persons with disabilities and social workers in 34 provinces, have the competency to gather data of persons with autism and assist them for a better quality of life.

Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

Strengthen 350 organizations and institutions under the ministry to provide adequate services for persons with autism and their families.

Recommendation 7 (R7): Support Facilities, Youth and Sports;

Issue a policy that regulates a mentoring program for persons with disabilities and particularly persons with autism at work.

LAO PDR

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

Education should be provided by the government.

Government support in the construction of a building and land where

The building could be served as an education centre for people with Autism to have special education

Recommendation 3 (R3): Employment;

Create more projects in which persons with autism have the opportunity to be trained for future career.

Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

Parents who bring along their children with autism to the local community services will be entitled for some discount.

Recommendation 7 (R7): Support Facilities, Youth and Sports;

Need more financial assistance from the government.

Recommendation 9 (R9): Research and Development;

Lack of expert to work with.

Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance;

Need more land from the government sector to extend the services to ASDs.

MALAYSIA

Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

-Early detection & speedy diagnosis for children with autism.

-Well-equipped & affordable Early Intervention Programs,

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

-Transitioning children to school and create real acceptance.

-Inclusive & appropriate education for children with autism.

-Support & protection for children with autism in school.

-Finishing school & clear pathways to adult life.

-Inclusive vocational/ TVET programs linked to employment.

-The specific curriculum in many levels for children with autism.

-specific schools or classrooms for multiple disabilities with the lesson plans suitable for children with autism.

Recommendation 3 (R3): Employment;

-Transitioning youths to employment or alternative options.

-Job placement, regulations & incentives for hiring persons with autism.

-Job, mobility support & protection for persons with autism in employment.

-Inclusive employment, fair pay & employment allowance.

-1% quota employment for the private sector as part of evidence-based policymaking.

Recommendation 4 (R4): Health Care Services;

-Needs-based individualised education, health & care plans.

-Sustainable sheltered workshops for persons with autism with high support needs.

-Financial support for low-income families to access services.

Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

-Post-diagnostic support for person with autism & their parents/families.

-Social funding for independent & supportive living facilities.

-Social funding for working & living on social/care farms.

-Comprehensive & affordable respite care services & programs.

- Fund & support national awareness & acceptance campaigns.

-Training program & support for parents & caregivers.

-Insurance coverage/scheme for persons with autism.

Recommendation 6 (R6): Adult and Aging Care Services;

-Detection & diagnosis for youths & adults with autism.

-Trust/contributor fund for senior care services.

Recommendation 8 (R8): Autism Society or Association/ NGOs/

International Collaboration;

-Enable & empower a national autism anchor organisation

Recommendation 9 (R9): Research and Development;

-Maintain comprehensive, reliable & up-to-date data.

-Fund & support national autism research & implement findings.

Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance;

-Establish National Autism Council & inter-agency coordination.

-Formulate a National Autism Strategy, Action Plan & policy.

-Proposed changes to the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.

-State & local authority regulations to support person with autism.

MYANMAR

Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

-Early Invention Centres and Transitional Centres across the country for special needs.

-Diagnosis team to identify ASD (pediatric psychiatrist, neuro-developmental pediatrician,

nutritionist, occupational/speech/ behavioural therapist).

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

-University to train professionals in the areas of special education/disability studies.

-Quality control team for the institutions such as special education schools and training centre.

Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

-Establish a Trust Fund of which all people with intellectual disability will be benefited.

-Family members with autism are entitled with tax reduction by government.

Recommendation 7 (R7): Support Facilities, Youth and Sports;

-Youth Centres to youth with ASD or ID who are unable to continue schooling.

Philippines

Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

-Institutionalize community-based rehabilitation to support early intervention.

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

-Inclusive education for the elementary, secondary, tertiary and vocational levels.

-Accommodations for national tests, board exams, and professional accreditations.

-Sensitivity training/ disability education for school and government

Recommendation 3 (R3): Employment;

Inclusive employment (law requiring public and private sector to employ persons with disabilities).

Recommendation 4 (R4): Health Care Services;

-Equitable government funded for therapy services.

Recommendation 6 (R6): Adult and Aging Care Services;

-Accessible adult intervention and residential care.

Recommendation 7 (R7): Support Facilities, Youth and Sports;

-Disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness.

-Barrier-free to transportation (accessibility).

Recommendation 9 (R9): Research and Development;

Budget for government-sponsored prevalence study for autism (population research).

Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance

-Policies and protocols on legal accommodations for persons on the spectrum.

Singapore

Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

-Early intervention must be systematically planned & developmentally appropriate.

-To ensure that children and students receive quality early intervention.

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

-Awareness & knowledge of teachers and school leaders about autism

How schools accommodate the learning needs of students with autismUtilizing an individual’s strengths and interests across the curriculum.

-Education, professionals involved must be systematically trained, coached, and supported in autism pedagogy.

-Capacity and capability building of autism professionals in Singapore.

Recommendation 3 (R3): Employment;

Create work opportunities for persons with autism.

Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

-The key concern of many aging caregivers is who will look after their adult children with autism after they pass on.

-Caregiver training opportunities tend to wane after the early years.

Recommendation 6 (R6): Adult and Aging Care Services;

-“Future readiness” of adults may be threatened by tech disruptions (e.g., automation).

Recommendation 7 (R7): Support Facilities, Youth and Sports;

-Limited range of residential options.

Recommendation 8 (R8): Autism Society or Association/ NGOs/ International Collaboration; Building and sustaining positive relationships between families and schools.

Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance

-An autism-specific enabling masterplan .

-Access to public information.

Thailand

Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

-Health services and alternative treatments.

Recommendation 3 (R3): Employment;

-Create employment / self-employed for persons with autism.

Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

-Create awareness in society.

Recommendation 9 (R9): Research and Development;

-Government Support to carry out the research.

Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance

-Social & political participation.

VIETNAM

Recommendation 1 (R1): Early Screening and Diagnosis;

-Training more developmental pediatrician who can screen, early detection and diagnosis.

- Cooperate with others therapist for biomedical intervention, early intervention.

Recommendation 2 (R2): Education;

-Special education school.

-Training special education teacher.

-Allow children with autism enter the mainstream school

-Build vocational centre for adult persons with autism.

Recommendation 3 (R3): Employment;

-Encourage all company, factory, enterprise accept people with autism.

Recommendation 4 (R4): Health Care Services;

-Health Insurance covers part of the cost of intervention in hospital.

Recommendation 5 (R5): Family and Community Support;

-Develop guide book for family and community .

Recommendation 6 (R6): Adult and Aging Care Services;

-Social housing which are built and managed by government

(purpose: to train the persons with autism to be able to live independently).

Recommendation 8 (R8): Autism Society or Association/ NGOs/ International Collaboration;

-Collaboration with other countries.

Recommendation 10 (R10): Governance

-Remark ‘Autism’ in certificate of disability.

-Department of Taxation will reduce tax for the company which accept persons with autism.

-The government conducts national statistics on the number of children with autism so that they can establish relevant policies.

3.1 Recommendation 1: Early Screening and Diagnosis (R1)

Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be difficult, since there is no medical test, like a blood test, to diagnose the disorders (Pierce et al., 2019). Therefore, doctors look at the child’s behaviour and development to make a diagnosis. Early diagnosis of autism is important, given the potential for improvement with intervention (Zwaigenbaum et al., 2015). Early screening and diagnosis require efficient process, adequate numbers of competent practitioners for early screening and diagnosis, and affordable services of early screening & diagnosis. ASEAN CountriesBrunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore

Recommendation 1: Early Screening and Diagnosis

-Efficient process of early screening and diagnosis.

Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam

-The adequate number of competent persons for early screening and diagnosis.

Cambodia, Philippines

-Enhance the capacity of community-based organisation and NGOs to be competent in early screening and diagnosis for ASD.

Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand

-Affordable and reachable of early screening and diagnosis facilities and services.

3.2 Recommendation 2: Education (R2)

Children and youth with autism are nonetheless at heightened risk for poor academic outcomes, including conflictual relationships with general education teachers and more restrictive classroom placement (McDonald et al., 2019). Education support is very important for children with autism in terms of facilities, and the school community. Many ASEAN countries have highlighted the need for facilities like a national institute of special education, transition school for special education, and special classroom for special education. Besides that, the support from the school community is required to give a comfortable environment for children with autism to learn in school. Hence, awareness and knowledge of the school community on autism need to be enhanced. In fact, the need for competent teachers that capable to handle children with autism would give advantages for the school. Special curriculum like vocational that suit children with disabilities such as autism is vital to enhance the skill and capability of the student to be an autism professional. Children with autism have different cognitive levels as compared to normal children. Thus, they are vulnerable to be bullied by the peer which make parent reluctant to send their autism children to school. A policy that provides care and protection of children with autism in school is important to encourage them to enroll in school

ASEAN Countries Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam

Recommendation 2: Education

-More opportunities for children with disability including autism enrol in school.

Cambodia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam

-Adequate facilities for special education including autism.

Myanmar, Singapore

-Enhance awareness and knowledge of the school community on the needs of students in special education including autism.

Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand

-The adequate number of competent special education teacher in school.

Malaysia

-A special curriculum that suits all type of children with disability including autism.

3.3 Recommendation 3: Employment (R3)

The employment rate for people with autism is significantly lower than that for people with intellectual disabilities (Wehman et al., 2019). Developing pathways that help autistic adolescents and adults to obtain and maintain employment should be a government and societal priority. Employment quota for persons with disabilities in ASEAN countries is low as compared to developed countries. Increasing the employment quota for persons with disabilities including autism into 2% in private and public sectors will give more opportunities for them to be more independent. Besides that, capacity building for the potential people with Autism to be self-employed is a good initiative for them to explore the entrepreneurship world. Furthermore, using corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform to encourage the private sector to create more job opportunities for people with disability including autism will significantly increase their rate of employment.

ASEAN Countries Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam

Recommendation 3: Employment

-Increase employment quota for persons with disabilities including autism in public and private sector.

Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore

-Encourage the private sectors to create more job opportunities for persons with autism including autism by using the CSR platform.

Malaysia, Thailand

-Developing the transition centre for autism youth employment.

Thailand

-Enhance the capacity of potential youth with autism to be self-employed.

3.4 Recommendation 4: Health Care Services (R4)

Persons with autism are vulnerable which has higher rates of co-occurring medical and mental health conditions (Zerbo et al., 2019). Hence, it requires more intensive use of health care services where it is costly (Robinson et al., 2019). Therefore, there are several recommendations to ensure persons with autism get sustainable or continuous health care services such as equitable financial support from government, comprehensive individual health care plan, and affordable health care insurance.

ASEAN Countries Indonesia

Recommendation 4: Health Care Services

-Affordable health care service for persons with autism.

Malaysia

-Equitable financial support from government and agencies for health care service.

Malaysia

-A comprehensive individual health care plan from cradle to grave.

Malaysia, Vietnam

-Reasonable healthcare insurance for persons with autism.

3.5 Recommendation 5: Family and Community Support (R5)

An autism diagnosis can be overwhelming for families. Parents are often unsure of the next steps to take and can spend countless hours making phone calls, researching and interviewing service providers, and trying to understand the diagnosis, employer plan benefits, and treatment options (autism speaks.org, 2015; Ayub et al., 2017. Understanding these challenges, family support services should help families navigate the delivery system, providing meaningful consultation and valuable resources for families. Families and communities should have valuable resources and supports (Autism Speaks, 2016; Goldstein, Tager-Flusberg, & Lee, 2015; National Autism Center, 2015) such as:

-Support groups

-Educational information

-Community programs and local events

-Online educational information

-Financial and legal resources

-Treatment resources and therapies

Parents often seek out family and community support to help them develop skills, learn problem-solving approaches, or receive support because of the challenges they face in carrying out the type of parenting they wish to provide (Autism Speaks, 2016; Ayub et al., 2017). They recognize that their child’s characteristics may demand special skills in addition to the general knowledge, attitudes, and practices needed by parents. Family systems programs should follow a systems approach in that they most commonly focus on parents’ internal variables, such as stress, depression, or coping, based on the assumption that changes in those variables will affect the quality of parenting. Family support services should provide an effective solution to address the special challenges parents face, and also help to reduce related work absences and productivity issues (Autism Speaks, 2016; Shorey, Ng, Haugan, & Law, 2019). Most importantly, parents, caregivers, and other family members would get assistance to become stronger advocates on the child’s behalf.

ASEAN Countries Recommendation 5: Family and Community Support

Cambodia

-Each province has a hub/main centre where persons with autism can access information, diagnosis and specialist advice.

Indonesia

-Provide adequate services for persons with autism and their families.

Lao PDR

-Special discount at community services.

Malaysia

-Social funding for independent & supportive living facilities/working/ care farms.

Malaysia

-Training program & support for parents & caregivers

Malaysia

-Establish insurance coverage/scheme for persons with autism.

Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand

-Create awareness in society.

Myanmar

-Establish a trust fund.

Singapore

-The key concern of many aging caregivers is who will look after their adult children with autism after they pass on.

Singapore

-Caregiver training opportunities tend to wane after the early years.

Vietnam

-Develop guide book for families and communities.

3.6 Recommendation 6: Adult and Aging Care Services (R6)

The problem with this lack of understanding of autism in older people is that if mental health professionals don’t know what autism looks like in older people, they can mistake autism traits such as repetitive body movements as other disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or even psychosis. Therefore, adult and aging care service should provide consumers of any age with benefits counseling, person-centred planning to help identity available long and short term services and supports, application assistance and general information and assistance. Furthermore, autism in older adults means rehabilitative care by speech-language pathologists for older adults with autism, cognitive aging in individuals with ASD, psychotherapy and psychological functioning in older adults with autism, and high comorbidity levels of autism and psychiatric disabilities, specifically depression and anxiety.

ASEAN Countries Recommendation 6: Adult and Aging Care Service

Malaysia

-Detection and diagnosis for youths & adults with autism.

Malaysia

-Trust/contributory fund for senior care services.

Philippines

-Accessible adult intervention and residential care.

Singapore

-“Future readiness” of adults may be threatened by tech disruptions (e.g., automation).

Vietnam

-Social housings which are built and managed by the government

(purpose: to train the persons with autism to be able to live independently).

3.7 Recommendation 7: Support Facilities, Youth and Sports (R7)

There are many activities for autistic adults of all skill levels. Educational and recreational activities that can enhance persons with autism’s life quality are available in many communities.. Like everyone else, persons with autism enjoy a range of recreational and educational activities depending on their tastes. However, certain sensory processing issues or social impairments may limit some activities involving a sensory trigger or negative social encounter. A person’s tastes, interests and level of impairment all play a part in determining what type of activities he prefers. Activities for persons with autism generally falls within the categories of educational, social interaction and recreational. Some activities serve multiple purposes. For example, some group games can increase communication ability and help improve social interaction skills.

Some examples of activities for adults with autism are:

-Art classes

-Singing

-Music class

-Martial arts

-Drama club

-Storytelling

-Card games and board games

-Online computer games

-Swimming

-Basketball

-Gymnastics

Inclusive activities for both autistic and nonautistic people as well as activities designed for those with special needs are beneficial (Autism Speaks.org, 2015; Hossain et al., 2017).

ASEAN Countries Recommendation 7: Support Facilities, Youth and Sports

Indonesia

-Issue a policy that regulates a mentoring program for persons with disabilities and particularly persons with autism at work.

Lao PDR

-Need more financial assistance from the government.

Myanmar

-Youth Centres to youth with autism, who are unable to continue schooling

Philippines

-Disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness.

Philippines

-Barrier-free to transportation (accessibility).

Singapore

-Limited range of residential options.

3.8 Recommendation 8: Autism Society or Association / NGOs / International Collaboration (R8)

Persons with autism are often subject to humiliation and discrimination, including unfair deprivation

of health care, education and opportunities to engage and participate in their communities (Goldstein et al., 2015; Rahman et al., 2016; Ying, Browne, Hutchinson, Cashin, & Binh, 2012) parents do not have ready access to autism related information. This paper makes the case for offering a Vietnamese language information resource/booklet for parents to be distributed at the beginning of the diagnostic process and evaluating its usefulness. In developed countries autism has been recognised since the 1940s (Kanner, 1943. Therefore, self-advocates and parents play a central role in the communities to ensure that the views and interests of persons with autism are adequately reflected in our society. Moreover, society needs to be aware and form a group of support for persons with autism. Furthermore, persons with autism are vulnerable to develop chronic noncommunicable conditions because of behavioural risk factors such as physical inactivity and poor dietary preferences and are at greater risk of violence, injury, and abuse.

Autism Society or Association/ NGOs/ International Collaboration can create a connection with others not for profit organizations worldwide but are also dedicated to provide resources, information and/ or support to the autism community. It should complement the work that other groups do while creating and building programs and services that tie in with the needs for autism community.

ASEAN Countries Recommendation 8: Autism Society or

Association/ NGOs/ International Collaboration

Cambodia

-Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Malaysia

-Enable & empower a national autism anchor organisation.

Singapore

-Building and sustaining positive relationships between families and schools.

Singapore

-Social and political participation.

Vietnam

-Collaboration with other countries.

3.9 Recommendation 9: Research and Development (R9)

According to Fletcher-Watson et al. (2019), research and development are important for further improvement of persons with disabilities (PWD). The recommendations to improve research and development of autism are through collaboration between experts in ASEAN countries, a comprehensive database of autism, and equitable funds and support from government and agencies to do research on autism. There are very limited numbers of autism experts in some countries in ASEAN like Lao PDR. Therefore, a collaboration between countries in terms of autism research definitely would benefit the ASEAN community as a whole. Most of the ASEAN countries have experienced the issue of limited data of autism which is difficult for the authority to plan for improvement. Thus, extensive data collection of ASD in every country is crucial.

ASEAN Countries Recommendation 9: Research and Development

Lao PDR, Malaysia

-A remarkable collaboration between experts in ASEAN countries.

Malaysia

-A comprehensive database of autism.

Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand

-Equitable fund and support from government and agencies to do research on autism.

3.10 Recommendation 10: Governance (R10)

Approximately one in 68 children with autism were identified according to Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and Autism & Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012, 2016). Systematic reviews around the world estimated different prevalence rates of autism. In Asia, the Southeast Asia region represents more than 20% of the world’s population, yet the prevalence of autism in this part of the world is still largely unknown. In relation to that, the governance refers to all processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market, or network, whether over a family, tribe, formal or informal that have principles designated to enable the related board and executive management to operate within a clear governance framework. The principles describe the related board’s relationship with shareholders and executive management, the conduct of board affairs and the tasks and requirements for board committees.The governance should outline the board’s focus on activities that enable it to promote shareholders’ interests, including the active consideration of strategy, the monitoring of executive action and ongoing board and executive management succession. The governance is a useful contribution in identifying the evidence gap and has important implications for government and NGOs working towards the betterment of issues and problems of autism (Autism Speaks.org, 2015; Douglas, 2010; Venerosi & Chiarotti, 2011). The governance should be able to review and identify the number of studies on ASD conducted in this part of the world thatcan contribute to handle the alarming increase in the prevalence of ASD in recent years. To know the extent of ASD as a public health problem, there is an urgent need for all countries of this region to have good governance using uniform and appropriate tools. Knowing the prevalencecould help to choose screening and diagnostic tools that are applicable, culturally acceptable,and cost-effective to identify individuals who can benefit the most from early diagnosis and intervention.

ASEAN Countries Recommendation 10: Governance

Brunei Darussalam

-Laws that support persons with disabilities:

-Healthcare services for persons with disabilities;

- Education (special education system for persons with disabilities);

-Social protection for persons with disabilities.

Cambodia

-Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of persons with disabilities.

Cambodia

-Develop national strategy plan for persons with disability and education.

Lao PDR

-Need more land from the government sector to extend the services to ASDs.

Malaysia

-Establish National Autism Council & inter-agency coordination.

Malaysia

-Formulate a National Autism Strategy, Action Plan & Policy.

Malaysia

-Proposed changes to the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.

Malaysia

-State & local authority regulations to support persons with autism.

Myanmar

-Government to support families with persons with disabilities, particularly, autism or ID by tax reduction.

Philippine

-Policies and protocols on legal accommodations for persons with autism.

Singapore

-An autism-specific enabling masterplan.

Thailand

-Access to public information.

Vietnam

-Remark ‘Autism’ in certificate of disability.

Vietnam

-Department of Taxation will reduce tax for a company that hiring persons with autism.

Vietnam

-The government conducts national statistics on the number of children with autism, so that they can build relevant policies.

List of Participants

ASEAN Regional Workshop for Policy Recommendations on Autism under Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region 22 October 2019 at Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

ASEAN Secretariat

Mdm. Florita Rubiano Villar, Vice Chair, Senior Official Meeting on Social Welfare and Development

Dr. Sita Sumrit, Assistant Director (ADR) & Head of Poverty Eradication and Gender Division, Human Development Directorate, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department

Ms. Ajeng Purnama Pratiwi, Officer, Poverty Eradication and Gender Division, Human Development Directorate, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department

Dr. Seree Nonthasoot, Former Representative of Thailand to ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights

Brunei Darussalam

Ms. Norzaridah Haji Zainal, Community Development Officer, Department of Community Development, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports

Ms. Nurul Aziemah Haji Morni, Senior Instructor, Department of Community Development, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports

Cambodia

Mr. Yeap Malyno, Director of Disabilities Welfare Department, Ministry of Social Affairs Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation

Mr. Mom Virak, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation

Indonesia

Mr. Indra Gunawan, Representative of Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for PWD, Ministry of Social Affairs

Ms. Ema Widiati, Representative of SOMSWD Focal Point Indonesia, Ministry of Social Affairs

Mr. Taufiq Hidayat, Person-In-Charge of Autism Mapping Indonesia, Autism Foundation of Indonesia

Ms. Hanni Darwanti, Staff, Autism Foundation of Indonesia

Lao PDR

Ms. Vilayphone Xaysongkhame, Technical Officer, Department of Policy to Devotees, Disability and Elderly, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare

Ms. Viengsam Indavong, Managing Director, Association for Autism

Ms. Thongkham Vongsay, Member, Association for Autism

Malaysia

Ms. Junaina Binti Johan, Principal Assistant Secretary, Policy and Strategic Planning Division, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development

Ms. Norasnida Nordin, Principal Assistant Director, Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development

Ms. Feilina S Y Muhd Feisol, Chairman, National Autism Society of Malaysia

Myanmar

Ms. Khin San Yee, Director, Social Welfare Mandalay Region, Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement

Ms. Win Win Aye, Deputy Staff Officer, Department of Rehabilitation, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement

Mr. Nay Myo Naing, Chair, Myanmar Autism Association, Myanmar

Philippines

Mr. Mateo Acuin Lee, Jr., Officer-In-Charge / Deputy Executive Director III, National Council on Disability Affairs

Mr. Dandy Victa, Project Development Officer IV, National Council on Disability Affairs

Mdm. Erlinda Uy Koe, Honorary Chairperson, ASEAN Autism Network

Ms. Cecile Sicam, Co-Founder and Board Secretary, Autism Society Philippines

Singapore

Mr. Dennis Ang, Chief Executive Officer, St. Andrew’s Autism Centre

Thailand

Mr. Siripong Sriarkha, International Relations Officer, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security

Ms. Onanong Kumhang, Director, International Cooperation Division, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security

Dr. Samrerng Virachanang, First Vice President, International Relations, The Association of Parents of Thai Persons with Autism

Vietnam

Ms. Nguyen Bich Ngoc, Deputy Head of Social Protection Policy Studies Division, Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs

Ms. Trinh Thi Nguyet, Officer, Social Protection Department, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs

Ms. Pham Thi Kim Tam, Chairperson, Viet Nam Autism Network

Thai Agency

Mrs. Jitkasem Tantasiri, Former Deputy Director General, Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand

Ms. Wirattinee Vatanyootaweewat

Ms. Jiraporn Unkasem, Development Cooperation Officer, Thailand International Cooperation Agency

Ms. Unchalee Pattarapongsin, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security

Mr. Samart Ratanasakorn, Special Education Bureau, Office of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education

Mrs. Ananya Sinrachatanant, Deputy Director of Yuwaprasart Waithayopatum Hospital, Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health

Mrs. Intira Wongnikorn, Educator, Professional Level, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation

Mrs. Apinya Pohbumrung, Project Coordinator Officer, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation

Acting Sub Lt. Tita Duangsawat, Educator, Practitioner Level, Office of the Vocational Education Commission, Ministry of Education

Dr. Suchada Sakornsatien, Advisor, Autisticthai Foundation

Mr. Wasan Saenwian, Executive Director, Christian care Foundation for Children with Disabilities

Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD)

Dr. Tej Bunnag, President, Foundation of Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability

Mr. Piroon Laismit, Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability

Mr. Pongwattana Charoenmayu, Project Manager, ASEAN Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region

Mr. Tran Van Ninh, Project Coordinator, Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region

Ms. Supaanong Panyasirimongkol, Autism Expert, Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region

Mr. Somchai Rungsilp, Community Development Manager

Ms. Nongnuch Maytarjittipun, Executive Secretary to Executive Director

Ms. Nongluck Kisorawong, Administrative Manager

Ms. Kularb Gaysornsri, Accounting Officer, Administrative Department

Ms. Wileilekha Somprach, Administrative Officer, Administrative Department

Mr. Panya Pitawanik, Financial Officer, Administrative Department

Mr. Watcharapol Chuengcharoen, Chief, Networking & Collaboration, Community Development Department

Ms. Flora Gurung, Networking & Training Officer, Community Development Department

Ms. Siriporn Praserdchat, Logistics & Training Officer, Community Development Department

Ms. Nongnart Sutheerawattananont, Chief, Information & Knowledge Management

ASEAN Autism Mapping Project in the ASEAN Region

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seow Ta Wee, Leader, ASEAN Autism Mapping Project Consultant Team

Dr. Muhamad Azahar bin Abas, Member, ASEAN Autism Mapping Project Consultant Team

Mr. Sulzakimin Mohamed, Member, ASEAN Autism Mapping Project Consultant Team

Member, ASEAN Autism Mapping Project Consultant Team

Ms. Nutnicha Limboonngam, Facilitator

Mr. Pooh Pakwilaikiat, Facilitator

Ms. Rapee Pakwilaikiat, Facilitator

Ms. Kukasina Kubaha, Facilitator

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu My, Facilitator

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Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability

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