THE Association of Resource and Education for Autistic Children (REACh) is a Lions community service project located in Penang, Malaysia. The centre was set up in 1987 to provide free services to autistic children/adolescents and their families.

This was where I had my 7-week internship earlier on this year; conducting individual therapy sessions on weekdays and group sessions on weekends. It was a joy and a lifetime of experiences – working with the children, their parents, the dedicated team of teachers and volunteers… as well as immersing in the local Penang culture.

Occupational Therapy Student Interns

It’s been 4 months since our return flight from Penang. Proud to know that the centre has recently achieved yet another significant milestone since their inception!

The Little REACh Shoppe is the first of its kind in Malaysia, to be run by persons with Autism in collaboration with a hospital. It aims to equip the children/adolescents with independent living skills and vocational skills by participating in part-time jobs such as serving customers and managing the store. The store sells an array of handicrafts, gifts, health products as well as Gluten and Casein-free products. The following video showcases a young man involved in the project:

The Little REACh Shoppe is located at the following address:

LSC Heritage Building
Level 2, Shopping Gallery
(Next to Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre)
240 Macalister Road
10400 Penang, Malaysia

For more information on the association and its projects, visit their website or Facebook page!