About Us
Our mission is to foster a love of learning in your little ones, through creative lesson plans and prompts.
Getting to Know the Founder
Nurulhuda binti Mohd Zaki is the founder and managing director of Shine And Hope Therapy. She holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Reading, UK, and has a Professional Certification/Diploma in Disabilities Studies from CAE Malaysia/Pusat Latihan Asia Pasifik. In addition, she has completed a comprehensive training program from Early Autism Project (EAP) Malaysia, including modules on PECS (Phases 1-3), managing challenging behaviors, peer play, school shadowing, behavioral management, and social skills generalization.
With more than seven years of teaching experience in pre-schools, secondary government schools, and special needs centers, Nurulhuda's passion for special needs children led her to establish Shine And Hope Therapy. Her natural ability to connect with children and her deep love for them drive her work, as she strives to make a meaningful difference in their lives through her organization.
It all begins with a purpose.
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My answer to my purpose of starting this may sound cliche but I would like to help as many families as possible. In my previous working experience, I was lucky to get the opportunity to work alongside Pusat Dalam Komuniti (PDK) and National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM). I have witnessed and concluded that children/adults in lower class families should have received good quality of treatment therapy. As much as I want to help these children/adults, I can’t help but feeling weak and decided to have my own learning centre one day.
There were also some encounters with parents where they felt the heavy guilt for not earning enough and mentioned “it's an illness for rich people”. It has striked me to the core. Obviously, the target market that can afford to receive my therapy treatment is middle to high class income family but my focus is to earn so that I can help the lower class family, B40. Throughout my career, I try to contribute extra regardless the classes of family income with different types of contribution just because every child deserve to receive the right education.
“I know deep in my heart that there are educators out there who are aligned and want to reach the same goal as mine. I would like to create a space of educators who have the same drive, compassion, love and ambition so that it transfers to the children who eventually will be our leaders of tomorrow and continue this legacy. “
I would like to reach out to as many families as possible including the B40 families.
There is an ongoing project which called “No One Is Left Behind” to support families with therapy tools as a start. As we grow, a therapy programme will be implemented to support these families in the future.
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I began my journey in the field of autism therapy through the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) approach, which gave me a strong foundation for understanding behavior and teaching essential skills. ABA has many valuable principles that I still hold close, such as the importance of Cooperation, Imitation, and Attention as foundational skills, as well as the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) framework, which remains a powerful tool to identify and address the triggers of behavior.
However, as I worked with more children and witnessed their individual needs, I realized that some aspects of traditional ABA approaches didn't align with my values as a neuro-affirming practitioner. For example, I noticed that heavy reliance on tangible reinforcement could sometimes shift a child’s focus toward external validation rather than fostering their internal sense of achievement. Additionally, during moments of emotional overwhelm or meltdowns, I found that co-regulation—helping the child feel emotionally safe and connected—was often more effective and respectful than complete extinction methods.
Through this experience, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of integrating principles from various approaches, including Occupational Therapy (OT), Play Therapy, DIR/Floortime, Relationship Development Intervention (RDI), and Speech Therapy (ST). This combination allows me to provide a more holistic, child-centered approach that honors each child’s unique journey.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process. It takes collaboration—between different types of therapists, educators, and, most importantly, families—to create an environment where a child can truly thrive.
As the saying goes, 'It takes a village to raise a child.' I am deeply committed to being part of that village and ensuring that every child I work with is met with compassion, respect, and the support they need to grow.
Treatment Foundation Framework
Cooperation
Attention
Imitation
Learning Branches
Memory
Physical Motor Skills
Social Skills
Sequencing
Our Practices
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Strength-based Practices
We utilise your child’s strengths by incorporating their strengths into their learning.
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Child-led Practices
We believe it is important to have a positive association with therapy to help enhance the child’s progress. With child-led practices, we respect the child’s decision and open up their minds which allow us to understand them better and solidify the trust between the child and therapist. This would in turn maximize their progress and learning journey.
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Zero tolerance
We do not condone any form of verbal and physical abuse in our practices. Your child’s mental and physical safety are our top priority at all times.
Our Clinic Team
Nur Sabrina binti Hamdan is our Experienced Special Needs Therapist. She has almost 3 years of experiences working with a number of different caseloads (Autism and Dyslexia) with special needs children aged 4 to 11. She had a first-hand experiences working with special needs children as a ABA Behavioural Therapist in Early Autism Project Malaysia (EAP Malaysia) previously. She graduated from Lincoln University College in Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences. Although she studied in a different field, she has shown immense passion working with special needs children and continuously making differences with families in need. She also has a Professional Certification in Learning Disorder Management and Child Psychology from Centre for Inclusive Education, CAE Malaysia.
Vivialyn Tan is a dedicated child psychologist with a degree in Child Psychology from UCSI. Her academic background has equipped her with a deep understanding of child development, behavioral patterns, and the unique challenges faced by children with special needs. She also has working experiences in Autism Behavioural Centre (ABC) centre.
With extensive experience in working with children , Vivialyn has honed her skills in therapeutic interventions, focusing on supporting children with autism and developmental delays. She is passionate about creating an inclusive learning environment where every child can thrive, regardless of their background or abilities.
Kauthar binti Mohd Taib has 3 years of experience being a child therapist to children among 2-7 years old. She graduated from International Medical University with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science (HONS) in Psychology. She is a passionate yet moderate individual with high patience and a vey loving personality. Kauthar is also one of our most enthusiastic therapist, eager to learn new things. Her enthusiasm is the reason as to why she can connect and create a special bond with her clients. She creates a safe and playful environment for the kids, and she strives to continue doing so.
Hazell Li Xuan is our Experienced Special Needs Therapist. She has over 3 years of experiences working with Autism children aged 2 to 10. Hazell studied Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Hons) in University of Nottingham Malaysia. She is currently doing Master of Professional Counselling at Monash University. Hazell is a person who has a big heart pouring out all her love and care to her clients. She can create a special bond with the clients while helping them to progress reaching their maximum potential. She continues wanting to bring the change that the world needs.
Our Admin
Sarah Jasmine binti Fadzhairi is our admin. She studied foundation in Creative Multimedia at the University of Multimedia. She is currently pursuing her studies at the same university in 3D Animation. Sarah has always been the kind of person who loves having kids around and she likes to help with whatever she can so that the kids get the opportunity to grow as best as they can be. Although she only works behind the scenes in preparing materials and so on, it brings her joy to be a big part of the teams.
FAQs
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Our team conducts a thorough assessment of your child's needs and creates a customized plan to ensure they receive the right combination of therapies for their unique development goals.
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Simply contact us to schedule a free consultation. Our team will assess your child’s needs and recommend the best program to start their journey with us.
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Our therapists are highly qualified with professional certifications in areas like disabilities studies and learning difficulties management. They have extensive experience working with children with special needs, ensuring that your child receives expert care and personalized attention.
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We offer both one-on-one therapy sessions and small group activities depending on your child’s needs and goals.
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We are offering home-based therapy sessions for now. We are working towards offering centre-based therapy sessions in the future as we are aware not all clients could provide a space for therapy at home.