Early Autism Project, Malaysia (EAP) has been one of our longest-standing collaborators, and this year marks a meaningful milestone for both teams. As EAP celebrates its 20th year of helping kids with autism and their families, we look back on the nine years we’ve spent working with them as their visual storytelling partner.
The content we’ve made together isn’t the only thing that makes this relationship exceptional; it’s also the common goal behind it. We don’t just tell stories with EAP to inform or document. We do it to teach, empower, and build understanding. This work has had a lasting effect on audiences and on our team over the years.
Where It All Started: Learning to See Things Differently
Our journey began in 2017 when Early Autism Project, The Hope Project, and Stories for Business all worked together. The goal was to produce a short educational video about how to take photos of kids with autism, which is a subject that required sensitivity, patience, and a willingness to learn.
With consent from families, we stepped into environments that were new to many of us. As a team, we learnt that taking pictures of kids with autism wasn’t about getting the lighting or poses just right. It was about reading clues, respecting limits, and changing how we worked with each child to make sure they were comfortable and met their requirements.
This project taught our photographers and videographers things that no technical workshop could. It taught us how to be more understanding, and it changed how we approached storytelling—not just for autism-related projects, but for all of our work.
Giving Faces to a Mission
In 2018, our collaboration deepened. We took professional headshots of the EAP staff so that people could see who was behind the programmes and therapies. These pictures were more than just business headshots. They showed therapists, educators, and other experts who spend their lives helping kids reach their full potential.
That same year, we filmed children with autism sharing a bit about themselves as part of the “Love Someone with Autism” video campaign to launch for the World Autism Awareness Month.
More videos followed in the following years, and in 2019, we filmed “Can Autism be Prevented?” at our studios, which was educational to help raise awareness, and in 2020, we shot a powerful testimony video with Titan and his family called “Kindness is cool”. The video showed not only the challenges of autism but also the love, strength, and growth that exist within families.
Through this project, our team has learnt how storytelling can humanise complex topics. Autism is often spoken about in statistics and diagnoses, but Titan’s story reminded us that at the heart of every conversation is a child, a family, and a journey.
Expanding Impact Through Education: Autism at Home Series
One of the most impactful collaborations with EAP was the launch of the Autism at Home video series on the EAP Malaysia YouTube channel. This series was designed to make Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) concepts accessible to parents, carers, and educators.
ABA is a scientifically proven way to help people with autism learn new skills and reduce challenging behaviours in such individuals. It generally uses positive reinforcement to help with communication, social skills, schoolwork, and daily life. Translating these principles into short, engaging videos required careful planning, clear storytelling, and a deep respect for the subject matter.
The goal was simple but big: to raise awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and provide free, practical resources that could support families anywhere in the world.
Over time, the channel has grown to reach and impact more than 4,000 individuals globally, with over 35,000 subscribers. One of the most-watched videos, “Interactive Play Ideas for Children with Autism”, has garnered 161,000 views, demonstrating the global demand for accessible, reliable autism resources.
Seeing these numbers reminded our team that thoughtful content, when shared freely, can extend far beyond its original intention.
Documenting Milestones and Community
Beyond educational content, our partnership with EAP continues through event coverage, corporate videos and testimonial storytelling. We captured family days filled with joy and connection each year since for their annual World Autism Awareness video campaigns featuring real family testimonies and milestone corporate videos—including EAP’s 15th year anniversary and, most recently, the upgraded 20-year anniversary corporate video.
These projects allowed us to witness the growth of the EAP community over time. Children we once photographed as toddlers now have grown into older kids and have returned years later with new skills, confidence, and independence. Parents we interviewed shared how early intervention had changed the trajectory of their family’s lives.
For our team, these moments reinforced the importance of long-term storytelling. Impact is not always immediate—but when documented consistently, it becomes undeniable.
How This Work Changed Us
Working with EAP has shaped our team in profound ways. We learnt that meaningful visuals are not created by directing a moment but by creating a safe environment for moments to unfold naturally. Every photo and video became a responsibility—to represent families truthfully and respectfully.
Most importantly, seeing how our work has helped families, educators, and friends better support individuals with autism has given deeper meaning to what we do as storytellers. It reminds us that stories, when told with care, can educate, connect, and create real change.
As EAP celebrates 20 years of impact, we are honoured to have been part of nine of those years—learning, growing, and telling stories that truly matter.
Nine years later, we’re still proud to be on this journey.
