‘All about autism’ – SAYS champions Autism Awareness and provides platform for autistic Malaysians to share their stories

In conjunction with World Autism Awareness month, celebrated throughout the month of April, social news platform SAYS is championing awareness and acceptance of autism with their six-week long campaign, ‘All About Autism’.

The initiative includes a special landing page, which will be available year-long, where Malaysians can read, watch, and learn more about autism spectrum disorder through interviews with autistic individuals, as well as find resources from specialists, therapists, and experts in the field.

To kick off the campaign, SAYS released an experiential video that showcases ‘sensory overload’, a common issue that many individuals with autism face. Garnering 1.2 million views to date, the video touched the hearts of many Malaysians.

Viewers were able to experience the world through the eyes of autistic people, and were given the opportunity to understand what it means to have their senses of sight and sound be overwhelmed.

On Friday, 14 April, SAYS will go live on TikTok for six hours from 12pm to 6pm, with a goal to raise funds for The National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM). Throughout the six-hour live stream, SAYS will be teaming up with TikTok creators who have autism, to entertain and educate the public at the same time.

Follow @saysdotcom on TikTok to watch the live stream!

Happening concurrently on Friday, 14 April is an on ground event at PICO in Sunway Pyramid.

In collaboration with TikTok and PICO, SAYS will be releasing an immersive 360° VR video that can be experienced through PICO.

The central message of autism awareness and acceptance is creating a safe space for all neurodivergent individuals.

In line with this, SAYS will be hosting a special playgroup for children on the spectrum and their families, in collaboration with Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC), on Sunday, 14 May. Open to the public, the playgroup will be an event where autistic kids can be free to be themselves and parents can connect without judgement.

In addition to games and giveaways, the families will be treated to a free screening of ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ at GSC’s sensory-friendly halls.

“As a mother to an autistic 14-year-old son, I’m excited to be able to use our platform to spread awareness and acceptance of autism. Malaysia is considerably far behind when it comes to understanding neurodiverse individuals, and I hope that we can help move things along for the benefit of everyone,” said Laila Zain, Head of English Network, REV Media Group.

“I remember feeling lost many years ago, trying to get a diagnosis for my son. We bounced from hospital to hospital, specialist to specialist. When we finally got the diagnosis of autism, it opened a new avenue for learning to me and my family.

“It was difficult because we didn’t know where to start, where to go, or what to do. I hope that SAYS will be able to provide a space for parents of autistic children and autistic people themselves, to get more clarity and build a community. Additionally, for neurotypical people to come in and educate themselves to be more aware and accepting of neurodiverse individuals,” she added.

“Our ‘All About Autism’ campaign on SAYS is an extension of our core values at REV, where we strive to be inclusive of people from all walks of life. As a media company, we see it as our responsibility to spread awareness and understanding, especially when it comes to important topics, such as autism awareness, that may be overlooked,” said Samuel Wee, Chief Executive Officer at REV Media Group.

“Through this initiative, we hope to share our platform with autistic Malaysians to share their stories and increase greater public awareness on autism,” he added.

“As a media company, we have a responsibility to use our platforms to raise awareness and support important causes. The ‘All About Autism’ campaign hopes to promote inclusivity and understanding by shining light on the challenges faced by individuals with autism and their families.

Media Prima is proud to champion this campaign to foster a more compassionate and empathetic society towards autism awareness,” said Rafiq Razali, Group Managing Director, Media Prima Berhad.

“As a parent to a child on the autism spectrum, I look forward to seeing the content being produced throughout this campaign, including articles, videos, and social media postings.”

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