Occupational Performance of the Primary Schoolchildren with Special Education Needs in Malaysia: Exploring the Needs of School-based Therapy Service

Children’s occupational performance are activities of daily living, play/ leisure, social participation, education, and work. In developed countries, school-based therapy services being provided for schoolchildren with special needs. The importance these in Malaysia is timely to be explored. This exploratory cross-sectional study identified levels primary needs integrated education programmes Malaysia; children intellectual disability, autism, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, Down syndrome, speech impairment, visual hearing specific learning disorder. Researchers conducted Motor-Free Visual Perceptual Test Third Edition (MVPT-3), Beery-Buktenica Developmental Visual-Motor Integration Fifth (Beery-VMI), Gross Motor Development – 2 (TGMD-2), Hand Writing Skills-Revised (THS-R), School Function Assessment (SFA) 121 students. Results showed that 69.5% the students scored very low average MVPT-3 (median standard score = 70.0, Std. IQR 37); 69.4% were below Beery-VMI (mean 78.8, deviation 20.5); 73% age level raw TGMD-2; 72.8% THS-R 74.0, 27.0); 81% criterion cut-off school function. below-normal MVPT, VMI, TGMD2, THS scores, compared normal scores tests had significantly lower (p < 0.001). All impairment occupation at least one area. recommends other rehabilitation system Malaysia.