Jakarta, Kemendikdasmen – The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) participated in the Kick-Off Meeting of the regional collaboration project entitled "Transcultural Adaptation of Early Childhood Care, Nutrition and Education (ECCNE) Module for an Inclusive ECCNE Model for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Southeast Asia" , which was held online via the Zoom platform on September 23, 2026.
Inter-Centre Collaboration (ICC) is a collaborative work between several SEAMEO Centers on a specific topic. SEAMEO Regional Center for Food and Nutrition (SEAMEO RECFON) as the Lead Center , collaborates with SEAMEO SEN (Malaysia) and SEAMEO RETRAC (Vietnam) as Co-Lead Centers , and is supported by academic partners from the University of Indonesia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, National Institute of Public Health Cambodia, and National Institute of Nutrition Vietnam. Where the background of this collaboration looks at the issue of fulfilling the right to education and care for early childhood with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which is still a common challenge in various Southeast Asian countries. Specific challenges include the limited adaptive care modules to the needs of children with ASD, minimal training for educators, and the unequal distribution of nutrition and health services.
This project aims to develop and validate a module that will then be cross-culturally adapted and implemented as a pilot to address the gap in care services for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the Southeast Asia region. Regarding the Ministry of Education and Culture's contribution to the project framework, Retno Wulandari, as the Associate Expert Prada Widya Prada of the Early Childhood Education Directorate, emphasized that cross-sector involvement is key to the program's successful implementation. "This project demonstrates that we have worked efficiently, with a difference in health that will contribute to one of the pillars needed in this work," said Retno Wulandari.
In the Country Perspectives session, representatives from the Ministries of Education from four countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia—presented the current state of ECCNE and ASD services in their respective countries. The Ministry of Education and Culture, along with the Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga/BKKBN), represented Indonesia in this strategic session.
In addition to the presentation of country perspectives, the meeting also discussed the three main work packages (WP) of the project: WP1 which focuses on the Nutrition and Health pillar (including Local Specific Food-Based Recommendations ) under the coordination of SEAMEO RECFON; WP2 on the Care and Education pillar coordinated by SEAMEO SEN; and WP3 on strengthening leadership and education systems at the school level so that the ECCNE ASD model can be implemented effectively, coordinated by SEAMEO RETRAC.
As a follow-up to this activity, it was agreed to establish a Technical Working Group (TWG), develop analyses in each country, and schedule subsequent coordination meetings. For Indonesia, involvement in this project is a strategic step toward strengthening early childhood education policies that are more inclusive and responsive to the needs of children with autism.
Through this engagement, the Ministry of Education and Culture affirms its commitment to supporting the strengthening of an inclusive early childhood education system, especially for children with special needs, in line with the national education transformation agenda.*** (Author & Documentation: SEAMEP RECFON/Editor: Denty)
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