By, Noor Qistina Arsad and Nadiatul Syahirah Roslie
Do you ever wonder if people with autism can also be successful like typical people? People always think that people with autism will always be dependent but Akademi Remaja Islam Autism (ARISMA) proves that they are not like that and they can stand alone and achieve what other people can do as they can be entrepreneurs of snacks made with love and sincerity. ARISMA is an organisation dedicated to helping teenagers with autism in improving their daily lives and giving support to their parents and other caregivers.
According to a 2020 study by the International Food Information Council (see: https://foodinsight.org/2020-food-and-health-survey/) forty percent said they at least occasionally replaced meals by snacking (lunch being the meal most often replaced) and 25 percent sometimes skipped meals entirely. This highlights that people can survive by just eating snacks as it can fill our stomach. On the other hand, some people claim that snacks are not healthy as they contain various ingredients that are dangerous for our health as they are high in sugar, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and artificial flavourings. Snacking several times every day, especially those with high fat, sugar, or salt content, has a deleterious influence on diet quality and weight, reports a 2015 study by Barnes, French, Harnack, Mitchell and Wolfson in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (See: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.01.009).
ARISMA is one of the snack entrepreneurs that uses selected ingredients to make their products healthier compared to other brands. They sell a lot of Malaysian favourite snacks such as kerepek pisang tanduk, kerepek bawang rangup, chocolate cookies chips, kacang rangup medan and bawang crispy goreng. All these definitely have a special taste as they are made with love and care.
What makes ARISMA special is because of the texture of their snacks. Their snacks make us remember the taste of our childhood due to the familiar taste and enjoyable eating experiences. They make the kerepek pisang tanduk, kerepek bawang rangup and bawang crispy goreng as thin as possible so they are light and crispy and can satisfy our every bite. Their chocolate chip cookies and kacang rangup medan are satisfying crunchy without being overly oily. As it stated on the Instagram of Gombak Food Festival 3.0 (@gombakfoodfest), ARISMA, will be selling crunchy local favorites perfect for munching munching. The snacks make them suitable for both casual snacking and social gatherings. This balanced texture enhances the flavors and makes the snacks comfortable to eat for extended periods.
ARISMA is different from other brands as the academy trains the ‘special entrepreneur’ who have autism or a neurodevelopmental condition of various severity with lifelong effects that can be recognized from early childhood, chiefly characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour, explains Oxford Languages (see: https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/). This makes them unique because everybody with autism is different. Some people with autism need little or no support. Others may need help from a parent or caregiver every day.
Customer feedback plays an important role in strengthening trust in ARISMA products. Many customers repeat orders and highlight that the taste of ARISMA snacks is consistent and never changes until the last piece of snack. That means their snacks are on top and never disappoint their customers. On ARISMA’s official social media account, a customer said “(ARISMA) kerepek pisang is the best indeed.” Another customer said, “chocolate chips are definitely to die for……” Consistency in quality increases consumer trust and confidence in the brand. Other than that, such repeated positive experiences also increase consumers’ confidence and strengthen the belief that ARISMA products are a perfect choice for people who are looking for snacks and in wanting to support a noble cause.
All the products can be purchased through Gombak Food Festival 3.0 that will be held at Human Sciences Square of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Gombak from 6 to 7 January 2026. You can straight to vendor no. 4, booth no. 7 because ARISMA will be there. With affordable pricing and generous portions, ARISMA is an ideal choice for daily snacking, festive preparations, or souvenirs.
For those who enjoy crunchy local favourites and snacks that never go out of style, ARISMA offers the taste of heaven in every bite. Don’t forget to visit the festival and buy them!!! ***
(This advertorial is a part of assessment from a course, COMM 2312 Basic of Writing)
