A digital revolution transforms early assessment

The Sun

6 days ago

WHEN Shun Matsuzuka was diagnosed as dyslexic at the age of 19, he was pursuing his foundation year at art school in the UK. It came as a total shock to him. As a child he enjoyed learning, but could not quite understand why his grades did not reflect his efforts or his curiousity in learning.
'That discovery at age 19 proved significant, as it helped me understand that my challenges were not due to lack of ability but rather a different way of processing information. It changed how I saw myself and later how I supported others facing similar struggles,' said Shun, who made the decision to move to Malaysia in 2017. He had worked as creative director for a global advertising agency in Japan.
It was also a pivotal moment for Shun when he became a father. He preferred his daughter to grow up in a diverse environment, which Malaysia offered, due to its multicultural identity and culture.
When his daughter turned 3 years, Shun received a government issued notice from Japan for a standardised developmental check-up in Japan for her. This he then realised was the missing gap in Malaysia, where there was no systematic developmental screening for children in the crucial ages of 3 to 5 years.
Why develop a digital tool for assessment?
'After I became a parent, I was determined to build a tool that would help other children like me – before they start falling behind. That determination led to the creation of TOY8, which later when I introduced the screening aspect became known as TOY8 screening,' said Shun, who teamed up with a former Nintendo game director to co-design the app.
The digital screening and intervention tool was also built in collaboration with Sunway University, University of Malaya and the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) of Ministry of Health (MOH).
Dato' Dr Amar-Singh HSS, Consultant Pediatrician and child disability advocate said, 'Most Malaysian children receive surveillance and screening for developmental disabilities until the age of 18 months, linked to the Ministry of Health's (MOH) primary vaccination programme. Some may opt out to see private pediatricians.
'However, from the age of 2 to 6 years, most children do not receive any routine surveillance or screening.
'Developmental surveillance is also expensive in the private sector and limited. Hence important developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, intellectual disabilities, attention deficit disorder (ADHD) and other specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia are not identified.
As a result, many children enter school, unable to face the academic challenges. For 2024, MOE reported that 122,000 year one students, which represents 24% of children for that age, lacked the essential skills of reading, writing and counting,' said Dr Amar-Singh.
Today TOY8 screening provides parents with an invaluable opportunity to have their child screened; using this AI-powered digital screening tool in preschools so as to identify the children with learning disabilities early.
TOY8 is revolutionary due to the time taken to screen the child, in total twenty minutes and the child-centred design and playful interaction is highly engaging for young children to use.
Implementation of the TOY8 screening tool
The developmental TOY8 screening project has been successfully introduced both in Sarawak and Selangor. The Sarawak state government offered TOY8 the opportunity to pilot the digital screening tool in preschools. In 2024, Shun launched the first pilot programme in Sarawak with 301 children. More than 30 children were identified as needing developmental support.
'We worked closely with local educators and health professionals to provide targeted interventions for each child. In 2025, the programme is expanding to reach 600 children across the state,' said Shun.
In Selangor, the system is being spearheaded through organisations such as KEMAS, the community development department, an agency which manages preschools and the Selangor Children's Heritage Foundation, also referred to as Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (YAWAS).
TOY8 is now preparing to present this Sarawak based model as a regional policy proposal at the 2025 ASEAN Business Summit, to be held in October this year and hosted by Malaysia.
'What began as a local effort has evolved into a globally recognised initiative. Sarawak's model is now seen as a towering initiative of how data and digital innovation can enable inclusive education to function as a full eco-system –integrating health, education and family support,' added Shun.