KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- In effort to support and raise awareness on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the “Autsome” initiative by Sunway Putra Mall was officially launched on 26 February 2019.
“Autsome” short for “
Autism is Awesome” is aimed to educate the public and to advocate as well as celebrate the autism community. This is also in line with Sunway’s commitment to the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) which is to build Sustainable Cities and Communities as well as Reduced Inequalities.
Present during the event were YB Hannah Yeoh, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development; H.C.Chan, CEO of Sunway Malls and Theme Parks; Kevin Tan, COO of Sunway Malls; Phang Sau Lian, General Manager of Sunway Putra Mall; Feilina S.Y. Muhammad Feisol, Chairman of The National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM) and Charlene Marie Samuel, Director of Autism Behavioral Center (ABC)
The event began with an opening speech by H.C Chan and the guest of honour, YB Hannah Yeoh. “We need to be less judgmental and strive to understand more about ASD. It is only through better awareness and understanding, we can collectively have acceptance at multiple levels. We believe this is important in creating a fairer society,” said H.C Chan.
YB Hannah Yeoh also mentioned “I hope that this initiative will be an example to the Management of other shopping complexes and corporate sectors to provide public spaces that are suitable to meet the needs of the community as well as children with special needs.”
Moving on, to officiate the launch, YB Hannah Yeoh, representatives from Sunway Malls, NASOM and ABC were invited to assemble puzzle blocks to form the Autsome logo. The puzzle blocks were in various sizes and each block resembled unique personality of an Autistic individual.
A spectacular choir performance by NASOM Maestro then took the stage, injecting emotion to the event. ‘You Got A Friend In Me’ and ‘Belaian Jiwa’ were the songs performed that touched everyone’s hearts.
The guests were then brought on a tour to visit the
Autsome Bazaar where products such as comic books, paintings, DIY accessories, essential oils, cookies and more specially made by autistic individuals are available for sale throughout the period. Moreover, 10% of the proceeds will be donated to NASOM to help the Autism community in Malaysia.
The tour continued to the
Autism Screening Booth organized by ABC Therapy Centre for FREE, followed by visit to the Calm Room (Lower Ground) and Sensory Walls (Level 2 & 3). The event ended with a movie screening sponsored by TGV Cinemas titled ‘Redha’, a Malaysian film dwelling on the topic of an autistic child.
Autsome Activities Austome BaazarDate: 26th February – 3rd March 2019Venue: East Wing, Ground FloorTime: 11am – 8pm Autism Screening Booth Date: 26th February – 3rd March 2019Venue: East Wing, Ground FloorBook an appointment with the therapists on the below spots;
-26th February from 11am til 8pm (Walk-ins are welcomed)
-27th February – 1st March from 2.30pm til 8.00pm (Walk-ins are welcomed)
-2nd & 3rd March from 11am to 8pm (Pre-registration is required)
DIY Slime WorkshopDate: 26th February, 2nd & 3rd March 2019Venue: East Wing, Ground FloorTime: 2pm – 3pm DIY Sensory Bottle WorkshopDate: 26th February, 2nd & 3rd March 2019Venue: East Wing, Ground FloorTime: 4pm – 5pm Cotton Candy Giveaways Date: 1st – 3rd March 2019Venue: East Wing, Ground FloorTime: 11am - 8pm AUTISM FRIENDLY SHOPPING MALL In Malaysia, there are more than 300,000 people on the autism spectrum and educating public has been the focus of large-scale initiatives over the past few years.
Thus, Sunway Putra Mall has decided to make Tuesdays except Public Holidays as their “
Autism Friendly Shopping Day” from 10am-5pm which started since 8
th January 2019. This is an effort to provide an inclusive and comfortable shopping experience, simultaneously to increase public's understanding and acceptance on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Autism is recognised as a developmental disability that need support from the public. The biggest challenges for autistic individuals in shopping malls are bright lights, loud noises and busy crowds. Most families who have autistic children would avoid visiting the shopping malls as they may find it overwhelming.
The mall is working together with
Autism Behavioral Center (ABC) to be Malaysia’s First Autism-Friendly Shopping Mall where they help to facilitate the initiative by conducting trainings on
Autism Inclusion and Support for the mall management associates and business partners.
It is to equip and educate everyone on the initiative as well as to provide guides that one needs to know in case there is a meltdown in the shopping mall. ABC is primarily a therapy centre that supports individuals with autism as well as children with learning and behavioural difficulties.
Apart from that,
National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM), a Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) supports the initiative as they provide a range of services to assist people living with autism, especially children and their parents.
“Sunway Putra Mall aims to educate the public and advocate for people living with autism. Some members of the public are still in the dark about
autism. Whenever a child screams in a shopping mall, people dismiss it as bad behaviour,” said Phang Sau Lian, General Manager of Sunway Putra Mall.
“To ensure our efforts are heading towards the right direction, we enlisted professional advice from two organizations, namely NASOM and ABC. NASOM highlighted that 1 in 68 people in Malaysia is diagnosed with Autism hence by initiating this, we hope that the public will have a greater understanding on ASD and at the same time, allow families with autistic individuals to enjoy a stress-free shopping experience without feeling uneasy or self-conscious when they visit the mall.” she added.
Every Tuesday, families with autistic individuals can visit the mall and enjoy privileges and services offered such as;
Autsome Kit – A welcome kit that consist of a car sticker, a wrist band for easy identification including useful information on how they can enjoy the autism friendly facilities. Parents can register online and collect the kit at the Concierge Counter, Ground Floor.
Dimmed Lights & Volume Down Music - Lights and music at the common area and participating outlets will be dimmed / lowered down and outlets will have ‘Priority Lane’.
Reserved Parking – Parking bays at Basement 1 are reserved every Tuesday for the convenience of families with autistic individuals.
Shopping Assistance – Customer Care is able to lend a helping hand to carry shopping bags and further assistances when required
Apart from this, there is also Autism friendly facilities that are available daily;
Calm Room at Lower Ground – A room that provides a calming environment with dimmed lights and tools such as sensory toys, weighted blankets, essential oils, bean bags and more. This room is available in case of a meltdown. To use the Calm Room or in case of emergency, visitors may call the helpline at +603-2786 9333
Sensory Wall – Walls with sensory friendly textures are available at Level 3 and Level 2
On Tuesdays, Autsome members can enjoy shopping convenience at participating outlets such as Cold Storage, The Parenthood Playland, C-A-T Playground, The Body Shop, Padini, The Chicken Rice Shop, Dolly Dim Sum, Onde Onde, Kampung Kravers, Swensens, Krispy Kreme and more. Several participating outlets have also gone the extra mile by offering exclusive promotions;
FREE entry to The Parenthood Playland
FREE entry to C-A-T Playground, the 1st Cat Assisted Therapy playground in Malaysia
10% off on all items at Kaw Kaw Burger
10% off on total bill at Pak Jen Gulai Panas Langkawi
10% off on total bill at Juice Works
10% off on normal items at Travel Store and more!
For more information on
“Autsome”, follow Sunway Putra Mall’s official Facebook page at (facebook.com/sunwayputramall), Instagram (@Sunwayputramall), visit website at
https://www.sunwayputramall.com/autsome/ or call 03-2786 9333
The mall is home to international, regional and national retail brands with the likes of H&M, Uniqlo, Mango, Max Fashion, G2000, MONKI, Braun Buffel, Padini Concept Store and many others. Offering more than 60 Food and Beverage outlets including local delights which are popular among tourists such as Dolly Dim Sum, Sepiring, Onde-Onde, Narenj and a food precinct called, ‘
Selera Street’, that promotes local favourites, namely Lorong Seratus Tahun, TeoChew Cendol, Ah Cheng Laksa and more.
SOURCE: RHB Trustees Berhad (As Trustee For Sunway Reit (Pyramid) FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Name: Ms Ng Huay PinHead of MarketingSunway Putra MallTel: 03-2786 9398Email: nghp@sunway.com.my Name: Ms. Arina Syairah Ab RahmanExecutive - MarketingSunway Putra MallTel: 03-2786 9323Email: arinasar@sunway.com.my --BERNAMA 
