Chapter 3 - Report of the Research and Policy Development Group iii. Screening and Assessment Process It was pointed out that the present medical screening did not result in a diagnosis but rather it identified a child as having developmental problems. In addition, there were some barriers and problems with regard to screening tests, namely that: • There were medical officers who were not able to correctly identify children with learning disabilities, possibly due to the absence of a suitable or adequate training curriculum in medical schools on identifying learning disabilities. • It was alleged that specialists, including paediatricians, lack the skills to adequately assess and identify the milder types of learning disabilities such as dyslexia, high functioning autism and dyspraxia. • IQ tests are not part of the screening process. This is unlike the practice in the United States of America, where its Office of Education has adopted a test known as ‘Model Discrepancy’ where the discrepancy between IQ and achievement is used as the main criteria in diagnosing learning disabilities. iv. Building Facilities and Classroom Conditions During the visits to schools, the Commission observed that, particularly in the older schools, SEIP classes were located in buildings/blocks separated and sometimes secluded from the mainstream classes. The classrooms for special education were also small and further partitioned to create more rooms. Some rooms were separated by thin walls made of plywood or bookshelves. That said, the Commission noted that the buildings of the newer schools were based on the inclusive/universal building design which took into account the special needs of children with disabilities and hence appropriate facilities were adequately installed. v. Multi-sensory Room The Commission noted the importance of facilities such as multi-sensory rooms (also known as “snoozeland” rooms) to assist the physical and emotional development of CWLD. However, this facility was absent in all Government schools visited. Based on the observations and findings above, the Commission recommends the following: 1. Implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 The Commission welcomes the commitments and programmes outlined by the Education Blueprint, especially with regard to special education. To ensure that Government machineries translate these commitments into actions, the Commission strongly recommends an independent monitoring mechanism be established to assess and chart the progress and implementation of the Education Blueprint. 2. Consolidation of Data and Statistics on Children with Disabilities Including CWLD While recognising that registration of PWD is voluntary, the Commission sees the need for consolidated data and statistics, especially on CWLD, to ensure they too have equal 63