Abby was standing beside the swing at the playground, looking at the kids that happily swinging on the swing with their friends. “It looks fun,” she said. She walked away from the swing and look around at other children that were playing on the slides. “When can I join them,” thought Abby. She wanted to have friends but do not know how to approach them. Looking around at the playground, she saw a colourful unique bench that can be moved, and she sat at the bench. 

“Hi, what is your name?” said a boy that suddenly came by her side. “My name is Abby,” said Abby. That boy looked at her and took a seat beside her on the bench. The bench that Abby sit were balanced when the boy sits. He suddenly mentioned, “My name is Alex. I saw you sit on this bench and thought you might need a friend”. They keep on talking and finally, they became friends.

This is story is not a miracle story for other children, but it is for special needs kids, it might be common for them to be in this situation when they are at playground or in public. Finding friends can be a hard task for them because of the stigma and just because they look, and act differently compared to others. It is indeed the same for Autism kids. Coping with new surrounding and at the same time, trying to find a friend to play can be a difficult task for them. We decided to help reduce their difficulties with our new event +A Friend Bench.

[艾比站在游乐场的秋千旁看着小孩子们正和朋友们快乐的荡着秋千。她说道：“看起来好好玩哦。” 她离开了秋千旁，然后看着周围的小孩子们玩着秋千。艾比心想：“什么时候我才能加入他们呢？” 她很想要交朋友但是又不知道该怎么接近他们。她环顾游乐场四周，突然，她看见了一个会移动的彩色长凳。于是，带着好奇的她坐了上去。

突然，一个小男孩来到艾比的身边，说道：“嗨，你叫什么名字？”艾比回：“我的名字叫艾比。”那个小男孩看着艾比然后坐在了她的凳子旁。他突然说道：“我的名字叫亚历克斯，我看你自己坐在这里心想你或许需要一个朋友。”他们开始聊起天然后成为了朋友。]

这样的故事或许不是一般孩子们的奇迹故事，但这对于特殊儿童就像奇迹一般，在游乐场或在公共场所遇到这样的情况对于特殊儿童们其实是很常见的。交朋友对于他们来说可以说是非常困难的，因为他们面对着很多来自大众的偏见，很多时候仅仅因为他们的样貌和异于常人的行为。这对于自闭症儿童是一样的。他们需要适应环境，与此同时，要找到能够一起玩乐的朋友对于他们来说是一件极具挑战的事。我们决定通过+A Friend Bench（友谊凳子）来帮助这些儿童们减低他们的困难。

+A Friend Bench for Autism Kids

According to Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in US, 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with autism and applying this prevalence to Malaysia, it means, approximately 9,000 children in Malaysia are born with Autism every year and the numbers will increase every year. Although the prevalence is increasing each year, we, A+ for Autism noticed lack of autism-friendly public space for children with autism and their families. Family with autism children often reluctant or must prepare a lot before going out in public with the child because they usually have trouble adjusting and easily overwhelmed when facing new surroundings.

Autism-friendly space in public will help autism children to adjust slowly and more relax when their family take them to the public such as shopping malls and public park. This space also can be used for autistic children to socialize with others while still in their comfort zone. Hence, we are taking initiative to help the children and their family to sponsor them with +A Friend Bench, hoping that families and children with autism are more comfortable when out in public.

However, our funds are limited, and we need your help to provide more for autism people. Your donations will be made to A+ for Autism to help improve the quality of life for people with Autism and their family in Malaysia. Let’s work together to show some love and care towards autism and to show support for families with autistic children. 

针对自闭症儿童的项目：+A Friend Bench

根据美国的疾病控管中心（Centre for Disease Control-CDC)，每54名孩子就有1人患有自闭症，当这个比例应用在马来西亚的自闭症的发病率上就代表每年大约有9000个马来西亚儿童一出生就患有自闭症，而且数目正在逐年增加。

虽然发病率正在逐年增加，但我们发现社会仍然缺乏自闭症人儿童友好的公共环境。有自闭症儿童的家庭时常抗拒或者必须在出门前做非常多的准备工作，因为自闭症儿童们通常有适应困难而且很容易在陌生的环境里感到非常的不知所措。

公共的自闭症友好空间能够帮助自闭症儿童在公共场所例如，购物中心和公园，慢慢的自我调适并感到更轻松。这个空间也可以让自闭症儿童在一个感到舒适的区域与他人社交。所以，我们正在努力通过赞助A+ Friend Bench（友谊凳子）来帮助这些孩子们和他们的家人，希望他们能在公共场所的时候感到更加地轻松舒适。

然而，我们的资金非常的有限，所以我们非常需要大家的帮助以便能够给予自闭症人士更多的援助。您的捐款将会成为A+ for Autism的资金，以此帮助提升马来西亚自闭症人群与他们的家人的生活品质。让我们一起努力，用爱与关怀来表示对自闭症人群与他们的家人的自支持。

+A Friend Bench

Menurut Pusat Kawalan Penyakit (CDC) di Amerika Syarikat, 1 daripada 54 kanak-kanak disahkan mengalami autisme dan mengikut peratus tersebut, lebih kurang 9,000 orang kanak-kanak dilahirkan dengan autisme setiap tahun di Malaysia dan sudah pasti angka tersebut bertambah saban tahun.

Walaupun angka kanak-kanak autisme sentiasa meningkat setiap tahun, kami A+ for Autism merasakan masih kurang tempat awam yang mesra Autisme untuk kanak-kanak autisme dan keluarga. Kebanyakkan ibu bapa yang mempunyai anak² Autisme gusar untuk membawa anak mereka ke tempat awam kerana anak mereka agak sukar untuk menyesuaikan diri dan sangat sensitif apabila berada di tempat yang baru.

What is +A Friend Bench and how it can help Autism kids?

This +A Friend Bench is inspired by Buddy Bench/Friendship Bench that aims to help children that feel lonely, they can go to the bench as a signal that they need someone to play with. Other children that see them on the bench can include them in their game. For this event, we decided to upgrade the buddy bench to +A Friend Bench that is more suitable for Autistic children. Most people with autism have problems communicating and socializing with others.
Other than that, there is another reason why this bench is different from other benches in public. This bench is designed to provide comfort for autism children when they are out in public. The see-saw design for the bench will rock them up and down. Any children would love to sit on a see-saw with their friends. There are also many benefits behind them;

1. Opportunity to socialize - As the bench is designed like a see-saw, the children needed to have other people together on the bench for it to be balanced. This will give reasons for them to interact with other children or adults -to balance the bench or anyone that see kids on the bench can join them and make a new friend.

2. Can provide calming and relaxing sensation - the rocking motion is good for the children when they are agitated or stress with the new environment. The blood pressure of them will reduce during rocking and they will feel less stress.

3. Increase focus - if the children are restless, rocking can provide a way for them to have motion and helps focus their attention when people are talking to them. 

4. Increase core strength- the bench can improve the child’s upper and lower body strength as they move up and down and maintain their body balance when sitting there. 

那什么是+A Friend Bench（友谊凳子）？它能怎么帮助自闭症？

+A Friend Bench的灵感启发于Buddy Bench/Friendship Bench，Buddy Bench原先的目的是为了帮助感到孤独的孩子们，这些孩子可以在这些凳子坐着，坐在这张凳子上就代表着孩子需要同伴一起玩乐的信号。当其他孩子看到了坐在凳子上的小孩，他们便可以带他加入他们的游戏里。而在这个活动中，我们计划升级Buddy Bench成+A Friend Bench，+A Friend Bench更适合自闭症儿童。大部分有自闭症的人都面对着与他人沟通和社交的困难。

除此之外，这个友谊凳子和在公共场所里的一般凳子是不同的。友谊凳子的设计是为了提供自闭症孩子在公共场所时的舒适感。凳子设计成跷跷板样子和模式。任何孩子都会喜欢与朋友坐在跷跷板玩乐。不仅如此，它还有很多好处：

2. 提供安抚和轻松的感官体验 -上凳子下摆动的动作设计对于在陌生环境时感到烦躁或压力的孩子们是相当有帮助的。此动作能够降低他们的血压，以此感到不这么压力与紧绷。

3. 增加专注力 - 如果孩子过于过动，无法冷静下来，凳子上下摆动的动作很好的提供了他们活动的机会，也帮助他们在他人与他们说话时能够有更好的专注力。

4. 增加核心力量 - 凳子通过上下摆动的动作能够让孩子们在玩乐之余提升上半身与下半身的力量。

Apakah kegunaan Bangku +A Friend untuk orang autisme?

Bangku +A Friend ini dapat membantu;

1. Menenangkan mereka kerana pergerakan jongkang-jengket tu ibarat membuai mereka dan membuat mereka tenang.

2. Membuka peluang untuk berkawan dengan orang baru- setidaknya dua orang diperlukan untuk seimbang bangkh tersebut

3. Menambahkan fokus mereka- apabila mereka sudah kurang resah setelah duduk di bangku tersebut, mereka boleh menjadi lebih fokus dengan keadaan sekeliling mereka.

4. Meningkat kekuatan dalaman- bangku ini boleh membantu meningkatkan kekuatan bahagian atas dan bawah tubuh kanak kerana mereka perlu kekal stabil ketika duduk di atas kerusi tersebut.

What is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex developmental disability (where) signs typically appear during early childhood and affect a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. People on spectrum also have a certain kind of behaviours that affects each of them at different degree. Children with autism are typically less responsive when calling their name, prefer not looking directly in the eye, have trouble remembering faces and recognizing emotion. They also have a problem communicating and socializing with other children. 

Furthermore, most of them have problems adapting to new situations because they are more sensitive towards certain stimulus like loud sound, bright/glaring light and crowding places like shopping malls. It is very difficult for them to adapt to new environments and may meltdown if they are feeling too overwhelmed. They are also are lacking in social skills and communication, so they find it hard to find friends. Therefore, Autism-friendly public space like +A Friend Bench is very much needed to help them. 

那什么是自闭症呢？

自闭症是一个复杂的发育障碍，同通常在幼儿时期就已出现症状。自闭症会影响一个人沟通和与他人互动的能力。得此病症的人也会表现某种行为，这些行为会在不同程度上给孩子的生活带来一定的影响。自闭症儿童通常对于别人对他们的呼叫表现出非常少的反应，他们回避直接性的眼神接触，人脸识别和情绪识别障碍，他们也在与其他孩子的沟通和社交上出现问题。

不仅如此，他们大部分都很难适应陌生的环境，他们对于特定的刺激非常地敏感，例如吵杂声，强光和拥挤的环境如购物中心。适应陌生环境对于他们来说非常的困难，他们有可能因此感到过度的不知所措而崩溃。他们也缺乏社交和沟通技能，所以他们很难交到朋友。正因如此，非常需要像+A Friend Bench（友谊凳子）这样对自闭症群体友好的公共空间来帮助他们。

Apa itu autisme? Kenapa mereka yang mempunyai autisme perlu tempat khas?

Autisme ini ialah gangguan saraf yang memberi kesan dalam perkembangan komunikasi sosial, interaksi sosial dan tingkah laku yang berulang-ulang dan terhad.

Mereka juga mempunyai masalah untuk menyesuaikan diri apabila berada di tempat baru. Mereka yang mempunyai autism terutamanya kanak2 amat sensitif dengan cahaya lampu terang dan bunyi-bunyian yang kuat. Kebanyakkan keluarga yg mempunyai anak autisme jarang membawa anak mereka ke tempat awam kerana risau kesan terhadap anak mereka.

Orang autistik juga mempunyai masalah untuk bersosial pendek kata, susah untuk berkawan berbanding orang lain.

Your donation will help...

Families with autism to go out without worrying about the condition of their children in public.
The design is quite unique as it combined the function of a bench and a see-saw hence the cost for 1 bench is RM 5000. It might sound pricey, but the amount includes the cost of the bench, modification, carpenter fees and installation cost. It is upsetting to see that families with autistic children are fearing to bring their kids out in public because of the lack of autism-friendly space in public.

No one should be alone especially special needs children who also are neglected and find it hard to earn friendship. So, if you see any special needs kids/teenagers or even adults sitting at the bench alone, we want you to go over and balance the +A Friend Bench and let that someone plus a new friend in his/her life!

With your donation, we can sponsor up to 10 benches for people with autism who are in need of friendships!

We are very thankful for the donation of any size!

你的捐款能帮助。。。

有自闭症儿童的家庭能够在没有担忧的情况下带着孩子出门。由于凳子的设计非常的独特，它结合了凳子与跷跷板的元素，因此一张凳子要价RM5000。虽然听起来昂贵，但是价钱包括了凳子的成本，修改，木工价和安装费用。我们感到非常的遗憾仅因为这些地方没有自闭症友好的空间，这么多有自闭症孩子的家庭因而害怕带孩子出门到公共场所。

其实没有人就得独自一人，尤其是特殊儿童，他们时常被忽略并觉得非常难获得友情。所以，如果您看到任何特殊儿童或青少年甚至成人独自坐在凳子上，我们希望你能够走到凳子的另一端帮助他们平衡起+A 友谊凳子（Friendship Bench）让他人生中多一个新朋友！

通过您的捐款，我们能够赞助多达10张凳子给予需要友情的自病症人士！

无论数目大或小，我们仍衷心感谢您的热心捐款！

Macammana projek ini dapat membantu orang autistik dan keluarga mereka?

Bangku yang kami gunakan boleh membantu kanak² autisme kerana reka bentuk dia yg unik, ia bangku yg menyerupai permainan jongkang-jongket di taman permainan.
Harga sebuah bangku adalah RM5000, dan harga ini merangkumi kos bangku, kos modifikasi, kos pertukangan dan kos pemasangan bangku. 


Bantuan anda boleh membantu
- keluarga yang mempunyai anak autisme untuk membawa anak mereka bersama ketika di tempat awam tanpa sebarang kerisauan.
- harga sebuah bangku tersebut adalah RM5000, dan harga tersebut meliputi kos bangku, modifikasi, kos pemasangan dan upah pertukangan. Sejujurnya kami sedih melihat keluarga yang takut² untuk membawa anak autistik mereka ke tempat awam kerana risau mereka tidak dapat menyesuaikan diri dan kurangnya tempat awam yang mesra Autisme di Malaysia.

Tiada orang yang patut keseorangan terutama sekali anak² istimewa yang terabai dan susah untuk mendapat kawan. Jadi, jika anda melihat mana² kanak-kanak/remaja mahupun orang dewasa duduk di bangku +A Friend seorang diri, sertai mereka duduk dan seimbang bangku tersebut dan mereka mungkin berpeluang untuk mendapat rakan baharu.

Dengan bantuan anda, kami boleh menyediakan sehingga 10 bangku untuk diletakkan di tempat² awam untuk kegunaan kanak² istimewa dan keluarga mereka.

Kami amat berterima kasih atas bantuan anda.

ABOUT A PLUS FOR AUTISM

A Plus is a platform that strives to promote positivity for people with Autism. Instead of promoting awareness, A+ strives to highlight on the “plus” points of Autism and hopefully by inducing positivity for people towards the word “Autism”, it will make the world a better place for everyone.

 

关于 A PLUS FOR AUTISM

A Plus 是一个致力于为自闭症患者提升正面性。不只是倡导意识，A Plus更致力于提高自闭症的“加点”，并且希望通过提升人们对“自闭症”的正面性，可以是这个世界变得更适合所有人。