About Project Haans
Project Haans for Autism was initiated by a family whose lives are touched by autism. Haans, was born in 2015 and diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. His parents struggled most with finding information most relevant to their unique situation and affordable services for early intervention. This prompted Haans’ mother, Desiree Kaur to pursue a Master in Education (Special Education) at a public university in Malaysia.
Desiree’s journey in completing her Masters was how Project Haans came about. Using her skills as a former Public Relations practitioner, she organised an Autism Awareness event in collaboration with a local private hospital. This event was held on 27 April 2019, consisting of two forums and a live messy play session and demonstration by qualified occupational therapists.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, on-ground events were no longer an option. Project Haans social media accounts were maintained on Facebook and Instagram . Then, with the dawn of Clubhouse in 2021, Project Haans became an official club with rooms hosted weekly. Join Project Haans on Clubhouse here .
This Website was created to address the needs of parents in Malaysia and around the world for information useful to their specific needs. Key sections of our Website are the Resources section containing lists of information for caregivers and Spectrum of Voices, a space where all are welcome to contribute their stories, tips and articles. Autism is a spectrum, and speaking to self-advocates and families are the best resource.
Desiree Kaur, Founder
Desiree was inspired by her son Haans, to dive right into the world of autism. She was led by Haans, always wanting to see and understand the world through his eyes. Sparked by this curiosity, she pursued a Master in Education (Special Education) with the hope of helping others who like herself, struggled with information to help her family on their journey.
She has a background in Public Relations of over 8-years. She then started her own business in education in 2013 which is an academic based centre that is still running. Haans became her top priority from the day he was born in 2015, and with his diagnosis in 2017, it spurred her to dip her toe into the world of special education.
While her passion as a mother is unwavering, she also writes for a Malaysian parenting portal, Makchic.com, with the intention of being the voice of special needs parents. Her advocacy for autism is just beginning and she hopes to collaborate with likeminded people on this journey. Connect with Desiree here.
Collaborations
Project Haans has worked well since 2019 with various collaborations. These collaborations were with private entities and individuals who gave their time and expertise to further the cause. Why we say collaborate instead of volunteer? Because when you are part of a cause, you do not work for the cause but work towards a positive outcome. By collaborating, people are working together towards a common goal.
Collaborating entails everyone using their innate skills, strengths or talents. Everyone has a skill and this makes everyone a worthy collaborator for any cause.
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