2020
My child graduated from Rainbow in year 2020. I didn't place her into any DAC due to the cost and extremely short operating hours. She has been staying home with helper. I didn't take her out to shop or eat outside because she isn't vaccinated. Why? read this.
I like one of the DACs, Red Cross but the cost is too high. Normal full day (before subsidy), 0900-1700 hours, cost close to $2000/month, excluding transport. Sun Dac is cheaper, including transport, below $1000 but not the kind of environment I would like to place my girl. It is now having renovation, maybe it will look more 'pleasant' and bright.
DAC fee (by location) Note: that part-time cost indicated is not a monthly fee, it is the hourly rate this centre is using to calculate
For a full-time working mother, DAC is certainly not a good option vs employing a domestic helper.
Covid19 is a 'blessing in disguise', I am able to work-from-home with a stable income. The Day office reopens and working in the office becomes default, I may end up with no job.
When Covid situation improves... life is back to normal, I'm likely to enrol my girl into Me2 Club or YAA. If the centre(s) insist that vaccination is a must then my poor girl has to continue stay home.
Rainbow Yishun school arranged for parents to visit Day Activity Centres (DAC). All students must graduate from special schools at 18 years old.
I picked a few and was almost in tears to see the DACs. The Centres are mainly occupied by elderly persons. Some of them were strapped or confined in a windowless area!! Lost of freedom! My teen who is mobile, short attention span, multiple disabilities and likes fun (just like a toddler) is going to have problem adapting.
DACs take in persons from 16-50 years (if I remember correctly). The DACs that I picked were all not near my place so I hope in the next two years, PAP government could build one new Centre near my place, just in time for my teen to be enrolled.
The DACs are not full day because most are operating from 9 or 10am to 3pm, they are not childcare centres that operates from 7am to 7 pm. If I am holding a full-time job, there's no way I could place my teen in a DAC and keep my job because the centres available are far and have no transport provided to and fro our house. The fees for these weird half day centres are not cheap too. Some Centre fee + transport cost more than a live-in FDW (foreign domestic workers).
I have searched the government website to know more about setting up a special needs daycare centre and I was really shocked to see the minimum education level for staff that can be hired. Why can't we have an affordable daycare centre that is not run by Certificates?
Why can't operators employ qualified nurses and foreign domestic helpers (maid duties cum perform caregiver roles) from cheap source countries?
Not every special needs persons can contribute or able to earn an income. The DAC - special needs daycare centre that I hope to have could be a place that has its own swimming pool, outdoor playround, gym/indoor exercise area, TV/computer area, activity room, foldable beds/resting chairs, etc. It is a fun place not a place to rot or be strapped! The roles of caregiving can be performed by FDWs and nurses who stay in that Centre but working only 5.5 days, 7am to 7pm (Mon to Fri and Sat half day). Why our government has to create strict policies and "unrealistic" hiring guidelines? Why can't parents have option of not employing FDW to live in their own houses but have a Centre based - shared resources?
Special needs families aren't rich so why can't our govt do more to help? We have to work because govt is using means testing so all the dollars and cents are from our pockets .... no subsidy! Don't understand why special needs families are punished/penalised by our govt.
Special needs gaps in 'every child matters', Straits Times, 1 Dec 2016
New policy to make primary school compulsory for special needs kids is welcome step toward inclusiveness, but issues such as fees, teacher training need to be addressed
The education of every child matters, regardless of his abilities and learning challenges. That is the signal sent by the milestone announcement by the Education Ministry (MOE) last month for special needs children.
MOE is making it compulsory for all children with moderate to severe special needs who are above six years old to complete six years of primary education at publicly funded schools before they turn 15.
Currently, such children are exempt under the Compulsory Education Act. But starting with the 2019 Primary 1 cohort, they will all have to attend a government-funded special education (Sped) school, unless they get approval to be exempted.
While the policy change affects a small number of children, it sends a strong signal for inclusiveness - requiring all special needs children to attend publicly funded schools, like all other children in Singapore.
About 440 out of 1,770 children with special needs in each cohort - about 25 per cent- are now exempt under the law. These children have moderate to severe special needs, such as autism, intellectual disabilities and cerebral palsy.
Nearly all go to Sped schools, though it is not a must. Under the new rules, they will be required to attend a public-funded school.
Supporters of the new rules said they have not been calling for compulsory integration of special needs children in mainstream schools. Indeed, Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary has said "CE doesn't mean we're going to force everybody to do one thing".
Still, given that Sped schools will come under the Compulsory Education Act, like mainstream ones do, there are several issues arising from this new "inclusiveness".
These are areas that could be addressed by an advisory panel that MOE has appointed to look at how best to put the new policy into practice.
One is fees. Mainstream primary schooling is technically "free" - though there are some small monthly miscellaneous fees. At Sped schools, it is not.
Funding for Sped schools is also an issue - should they now get more funding from MOE?
Then, there is the issue of the qualifications required for a Sped teacher, which are not as stringent as those required for mainstream teachers.
Their pay scales are also lower.
Fourth, what aspects of the mainstream curriculum should be commonly taught to special needs pupils?
FEES AND FUNDING
A government-appointed panel recommended in 2012 that extending the Compulsory Education Act to special needs children should be made by this year. Doing so, it said, would "promote inclusiveness and ensure that resources are adequately available" for special needs children.
Now that the Act is, at last, to include them, if every child matters, and children in mainstream schools pay the same fees regardless of their intellectual abilities, why should special needs children - whose parents also pay taxes - pay a different amount?
Singaporean children in mainstream primary schools do not pay school fees, only miscellaneous fees that amount to about $6.50 to $13 a month. (AS: In my opinion, govt is punishing special needs families as well as reaping easy profits. Forcing parents to send kids to school and pay high costs is in no way sparing thoughts for us, not benefiting us. Govt made us go through means testing and in my case, I have to pay $60 per month to lousy Rainbow Centre. EIPIC would cost more than PPMD, about $300 for middle income group. No therapy given by YPS, just a place for my teen to kill time. Learning opportunities robbed by school! Unfair, don't know how govt funds were administered to each child. I suspect my teen's funds were used by others because when I requested for 3 days school instead of 5 days, I was not allowed because lesser funds will be disbursed by govt .... accordingly to senior teacher.)
Those enrolled in more than half of the 20 Sped schools pay about that amount too. But in some cases, involving more severe special needs conditions, Sped school fees can rise to as much as $350, although needy families can apply for this to be waived.
MOE has assured that no special needs child will be denied an education because of a lack of finances, and there are financial aid schemes for low-income families.
But this is still unfair to middle and high-income families, said people in the social service sector.
Disabled People's Association executive director Marissa Lee said: "There are already increased costs that come with having a special needs child. On a more symbolic note, what does it say about inclusiveness when school fees are means-tested for pupils with severe disabilities, but not for those without?"
The discrepancy is felt more strongly when parents of special needs children point out that mainstream schools are technically "free", while Sped schools are not.
MOE states on its website that while "general education is almost fully subsidised by the Government", the payment of miscellaneous fees is to "instil the sense that parents must be responsible for the education of their children".
Some Sped school websites make a distinction between school fees and miscellaneous fees, but there is no indication that schooling is free the way it is in mainstream schools. Removing the disparity and making Sped education free would strengthen the message of inclusivity.
People in the welfare sector said Singapore has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - and both mandate that primary education should be made compulsory and free for all.
On school funding, MOE does offer Sped schools funding support and its annual subsidy for each Sped school pupil is 2 1/2 times that of a mainstream primary school pupil. The average cost of educating a mainstream primary school pupil was $10,200 last year.
MOE funding amounted to around $145 million last year, a spokesman said yesterday. This figure does not take into account additional funding from the community, which includes contributions from ComChest. "MOE will continue to partner the Sped sector and National Council of Social Service (NCSS), to ensure that Sped schools are adequately resourced to support students with moderate to severe special needs," the ministry spokesman said.
Some parents said they had hoped that MOE's policy change would see the ministry absorbing more of the costs involved in schooling a special needs child, such as transport and therapy.
Even middle-income families struggle with these costs. In a survey commissioned by the Lien Foundation this year, 43 per cent of 830 parents with special needs children aged nine and below said they did not receive enough financial help from the Government.
Six in 10 parents with a monthly household income of between $7,000 and $9,900 felt this way.
One cannot expect MOE to foot the bill for all the costs involved in schooling a special needs child - pupils in mainstream schools still pay school bus fees, and subsidies for medical and social services for other disadvantaged groups are generally means-tested.
But MOE should give a clearer signal of its commitment to provide learning opportunities for all children by increasing financial support for parents, even as parents should be primarily responsible for ensuring that their children attend school.
PAY AND QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS
If every child matters, and every child should have access to quality education, then the teachers who provide that education should be treated equitably, regardless of whether they teach in a mainstream or Sped school.
There are 20 Sped schools with funding support from MOE. They are run by 13 voluntary welfare organisations (VWO) and their teachers are employees of the VWOs. MOE teachers can also be seconded to the Sped schools.
It is not a must for Sped or mainstream primary school teachers to have a degree from the National Institute of Education.
Different VWOs have different criteria in the hiring of Sped school teachers, but the panel that recommended changes to the law previously said the qualifications of such teachers are usually less stringent than those of mainstream teachers.
As Sped teachers do not come under MOE's purview, they also do not have access to the same salary scales and opportunities as their peers in mainstream schools.
VWOs are encouraged to follow salary guidelines by the NCSS, and some try to offer pay packages that are on a par with mainstream peers. But the general perception is that Sped school teachers have less recognition, and their pay packages are less attractive, even though their jobs are usually tougher.
Mr Victor Tay, president of the Association for Persons with Special Needs, which runs four Sped schools, said: "Typically, in Sped schools, teachers deal with more challenging behaviour from pupils."
Ms Anita Fam, who was on the 2012 expert panel that recommended the inclusion of special needs children in the Compulsory Education Act, suggested that the Government assume "full financial and hiring responsibility in the Sped sector".
She said: "I hope all Sped school teachers will come under the MOE employment system, and that they will be treated no differently from mainstream counterparts."
WHAT IS THE GOAL?
After the changes were announced, Ms Rachel Yeo, in a letter to The Straits Times Forum last month, said: "Compulsory Education aims to give children a common core of knowledge and a common educational experience. Is it right to impose a common core of knowledge on a group of individuals so inherently different in the first place?"
Sped school pupils need not follow the mainstream curriculum or take the PSLE, but with this move towards inclusiveness, what is the common core of knowledge and educational experience among the two groups, then?
Institute of Policy Studies research fellow Justin Lee said: "There is a lack of consensus as to whether having a special education curriculum in mainstream settings or a mainstream curriculum in specialised settings is more preferable.
"For instance, if MOE thinks mainstreaming is the goal, then the policy directive is to equip mainstream schools to admit more special needs pupils."
Meanwhile, Mr Tim Oei, chief executive of AWWA, which runs a Sped school, said it is vital for parents to understand the benefits of sending children to Sped schools. A child can pick up skills that help him gain independence and prepare him for employment, he said.
At the least, even if special needs children do not learn alongside their mainstream peers, there should be more opportunities to play and eat together. This is currently done through partnerships between some Sped and mainstream schools.
But then, again, what if a special needs child cannot even get into a Sped school? MOE has pledged that there will be enough school places for all Singaporean children. Yet, some Sped schools have long waiting lists.
So, there is much for the MOE advisory panel to consider before 2019 comes around.
It is unlikely that all the issues parents and experts are concerned about - such as the disparity in fees and teacher qualifications - can be addressed by then.
Even so, the advisory panel and MOE would need to let them know just what the Government can do in the short term to narrow the gap between Sped and mainstream schools, and come up with a roadmap to address the other issues.
Special needs people grow their skills at vertical farm, Straits Times, 9 Jul 2016
There is something refreshing about the new centre of the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN), which officially opened in Jalan Ubi yesterday. Instead of having just the usual sheltered workshops, the APSN Centre for Adults is the first in Singapore to feature a "vertical farm" for the purposes of training people with mild intellectual disability.
The centre, located at the Kembangan-Chai Chee Community Hub, helps 120 clients aged at least 17 to experience an actual working environment in preparation for employment. At the vertical farm, the centre's clients are taught how to germinate and harvest crops, as well as the mechanics of transplanting, maintenance, soil care and soil mixing. Vegetables planted will be sold and the income used to fund the running of the centre.
Its first crops - such as bok choy, purple cai xin and kang kong - were harvested yesterday by Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin, the guest of honour at the opening.
Noting that the Kembangan-Chai Chee Community Hub is home to other voluntary welfare organisations, Mr Tan encouraged the groups to collaborate and share resources to serve their clients better. "For example, APSN has experience in horticulture and landscaping activities, and has shared its expertise with the We Care Community Services, which is also based here (in the hub)," he said.
One client who is happy to work on the farm is Mr Saw Wei Yuan, 29, who has cerebral palsy and mild intellectual disability. He said: "I learnt how to cut and water the plants. I'm very happy to work here - it's good for my future." In addition to horticulture, APSN offers vocational programmes covering the food and beverage, hospitality and retail sectors.
The centre has seven training rooms that simulate actual work environments, such as a kitchen, bakery and occupational therapy room. A sheltered training room is provided for clients to perform simpler tasks such as refurbishing spectacles and pasting labels on egg trays, as part of contract work.
APSN president Chan Chee Keong said: "This centre was set up 30 years ago when we realised that our (special needs) children required vocational training more than academic education." He hopes the training will arm people with special needs with the skills to enter industries lacking manpower, such as the hospitality and food and beverage sectors. "They need to acquire the skills to lead meaningful lives through gainful employment," he said.
Legal boost for rights of special needs kids, Straits Times, 5 Jul 2016
Most parents of children with special needs want new laws to promote the rights of their children, and better pre-school education for them, a survey has found. The survey polled 835 parents with special needs children aged nine and below and was commissioned by the Lien Foundation, a philanthropic house.
Findings released yesterday showed that close to three-quarters of parents polled agreed that new laws are necessary. The poll also asked parents about challenges faced in raising their special needs children, and how the public acts towards them (see chart on key findings). Of parents with children in pre-schools, fewer than half felt their children had adequate support from the pre-schools - be it from teachers, the curriculum or facilities available (see chart).
Close to half of the parents of pre-schoolers also said it was difficult to enrol their children in pre-school, usually because there were pre-schools that were unwilling to admit the child, or because of inexperienced teachers.
On a broader level, 77 per cent of the respondents supported the idea of inclusive education, an approach that caters to both children with and without special needs.
• 28 per cent regard Singapore as inclusive
• About half felt their key service needs were being met - in transportation (58%), medical and dental (55%) and childcare (54%)
• 43 per cent wanted more financial help from the Government, and close to 60 per cent of those with a monthly household income of $7,000 to $9,900 felt this way
• Four in 10 think their special needs children spend too little time in the community outside school; among these, 31 per cent said it is difficult to spend time in public spaces as they feel judged by others
• Around one in three have heard adults directing insensitive remarks at their special needs children
• Almost half said their special needs children do not have friends without disabilities
• 61 per cent said they or their spouses are the primary caregivers; among this group, two in five quit their jobs to take care of the child
The Lien Foundation said laws could help promote inclusiveness and suggested that the Compulsory Education Act, which makes primary school education a must, be extended to special needs children. It said in a statement: "This would set a baseline of access to education for these children and ensure a commitment to their education needs."
Its chief executive Lee Poh Wah said Singapore is an exception among places that came up tops in education rankings, such as Hong Kong and South Korea, "because unlike them, we have yet to introduce laws to support inclusion in education". Lien Foundation programme manager Ng Tze Yong added that the committee behind the 2012-2016 Enabling Masterplan - which guides the development of policies and services for people with disabilities - had recommended that children with special needs be included under the Act by 2016. But no update on this was given in a progress report released in April, he said.
Parents of children with special needs, while noting that it could be more inconvenient for their children to attend mainstream schools, said they wanted their children to socialise with their typically-developing peers.
Ms Sally Kwek, 39, founding editor of an online parenting magazine, moved her nine-year-old daughter out from a primary school - after staff asked that she hire a shadow teacher to help the child cope, which was too expensive to do so - to a special education school. "She has friends, but she's less exposed to what life will be like when she grows up in the real world. That in itself is also a disability," she said.
Children with and without special needs stand to benefit from more inclusive education, she added. The former would better understand what is socially acceptable; the latter would learn how to respond to people with disabilities.
Weight-management coach Lawrence Ng, 44, who has a son with autism, hopes teaching can be differentiated to suit children's varied learning styles. For Mr Izaan Tari Sheikh, 32, an executive director in a bank, his able-bodied daughter learns alongside special needs children in a pre-school. He said: "I have not seen the teachers showing any less attention to my child than to those with special needs. She also seems to show more concern for others."
My Angel:
19 months old - attended Rainbow Centre Margaret Drive, referred by KK Hospital. It started with 2 days per week, each session 4 hours. This is good because I heard some students attend only 2 hours per session. Not everybody lives near to special schools so the journey and time taken can be very energy as well as time consuming.
My girl was given physio and occupational therapies. When she was almost 2 years old, after she managed to walk with strong support, we rented a K-walker every school holiday so that she could exercise. 3 months after she turned 3 years old, she was able to walk without any support, wide gait and both hands upwards.
Once my girl hit 5, she was kicked out from EIPIC to PCMH. I realised some others 'graduated' when the student hit 6 but mine was one year earlier. Requested to let her stay in EIPIC she turned 6 but was strongly rejected. Reason: to make way for other EIPIC new students, MD felt my girl was doing quite well. Ever since my girl left EIPIC, her progress were not noticeable.
6 or 7 years old - transferred my girl to Rainbow Centre Yishun Park (YP) because it was tough to squeeze into the crowded mrt ... office peak hours. Ever since we left Margaret Drive (MD) school, most of her therapies were on waitlist. By the time was managed to get weekly therapy, her progress was greatly slowed, we lost the momentum. The teachers and therapists don't seem to share our concerns and help us in their capacity as a special school.
A number of parent meetings with the teachers and principal took place. Complain and feedback .... no use. Yishun Park school cherry pick who they prefer and gave a lot of "added values" to those students. For example, certain parents could treat YP like a childcare centre. Parents dropped the children at 8am and come to pick them around 12pm, Mondays to Fridays. When I requested for such "service" because I intend to work part-time, I was flatly rejected. They said school is short-handed. Claimed school didn't give any student "added value or special leeways". I have eyes to see, a few other parents who accompanied child to school on a daily basis can see the truth too. One of them, after numerous disappointing discussion, decided to transfer to AWWA. Have requested senior teacher to sit in and find out who are the apple-students. Well, obviously they know who so they didn't come into class to observe. The fact is YP doesn't want to be kinder and fair to us.
At one stage, I was so angry that I requested not to attend school from Mondays to Fridays, just Mon, Wed and Fri. YP said student who attend 5 days means they will get more govt funding .... how come I didn't see my angel benefiting? Email MOE and NCSS how YP make use of the govt funding? How do they ensure each student will be benefited... I threw a few stones but didn't get enough ripples.
One parent who succeeded in leaving the child in class to learn well during her absence (independent) told me not to discuss with teachers ... just leave the child in class, no need to give explanation, don't give school any chance to be biased or cherry pick. Some kids will learn better without parents (eg mine) and teacher becomes less dependent on sit in caregivers. Teachers have to manage somehow so don't over pampered them .... anyway, I have wasted so many golden years, now my angel is molded, guess it is too late. Furthermore, my insistence on therapies or sudden work load may end up with an unhappy maid.
As my girl gets older, it became very hard to train her, get her to do things right or be given weekly therapies. I am merely a parent, not trained in Special Education or therapies, although worried about my angel's future but what can I do? Pay for private therapy that cost at least $100 per hour?
Soon, my angel's therapies were cut from weekly to alternate week. Occupational and Speech were removed for the benefit of other students. I am not working, how to enrol my girl for costly private therapies? Govt isn't giving subsidy for private therapies or equipment. Am I suppose to sell my HDB flat to get money? One special needs family sold their condo at a loss and got themselves a HDB flat. They converted one room into a therapy room. Some parents sent their kids for external support eg Glenn Doman. KKH advised us not to go for therapy session when they found out my girl was attending special school. Anyway, the therapy in KKH was once a month so at that time (still EIPIC), I was fine to be out because the therapists and class teachers were fantastic, MD really helped a lot. At least my dark days weren't that bad.
10 years old - YP stopped all my girl's therapies. After repeated feedback, even quoted a section from Rainbow Centre's website about continued learning .... just realised that few lines were removed, YP placed my angel in group consult, meaning not one to one but a few students in the session, the therapist will observe. Attending YP was something I felt like killing time. My previous ex-filipino maid was of great help during employment. She learnt from therapists and teachers and enforce work time at home. Due to her misunderstanding or sudden change in personality after taking home leave, she left me.
During IEPs, YP said the teachers can give advise and able to take the roles of therapists. Thus, having a one to one session is not required for my girl. If there's anything the teacher can't handle, she will find out from the therapist. The recent IEP in Oct 2015, one of the therapists joined and maybe she had a tongue slipped, I thought I heard her saying my girl will get therapy next year.... was elated, thought finally YP decided to show some concern. When I recapped the meeting, this therapist quickly jumped to say she didn't say therapy will be given to my angel, it should be teachers will carry out the tasks that she has outlined. In that case, why waste her time to attend IEP? I don't need to meet her since her involvement is so little or means nothing to us.
The YP teachers started to be nicer to us. Although I am now working and unable to visit my girl in school frequently, teacher kept me updated by sms. Some AS were able to say water, papa, mama but mine can't. Some AS could use the tablet well or point to what they want but mine can't. The learning chain has been broken since we attended YP. If YP has continued giving my girl chance to learn, be fair, my girl could achieve better.
If 'apple-student' attend school without caregiver, all students should also be able to attend class without any - equal attention and learning time distributed. Probably years ago, I should just 'dump my angel in class', let the teachers fully handle and not be 'threatened by senior teachers/principal' or frighten off by their reason they are short-handed.... eg can't change my girl's diaper.... they can find time to change for others because the parents were too far to reach/missing from school premises. Yes, I pity the teachers, it is 8 to 10 PPMD students vs 2 teachers. By showing I care and be understanding, my angel lost her chance to excel. Those apple-students who really learnt have no sit in caregivers (since the day I knew them at age of 6+), 4 hours alone in class, be independent and totally under the guidance of teachers.... how fortunate of them!
I am greatly disappointed with Rainbow Centre Yishun Park. They know my angel has nowhere else to go. If we transfer to AWWA or CPAS (for multiple disabilities) it means I have to move house or endure the long travelling time. Rainbow Centre, either center will just need about 30 mins in the train. AWWA and CPAS, I have to spend one to two hours per trip on public transport (excluding taxi). No school bus for AWWA school to ply my area.
I strongly believe a special needs child can achieve independence with effective and timely help. Special schools can give parents tips but shouldn't rely on parents to know how/what to do or expect parents take over training. School therapies are important so if weekly one to one is unavailable, something has to be done to avoid taking away a child's needs/enrichment. PAP still has a lot to do and improve.... the bright ideas they had may not be able to brightened most people. The funds look huge but how many really could tap on it? There are terms and conditions. Could be child's age, could be household income, etc.
If govt school can't provide therapies, our govt should give subsidy, create a fund like baby bonus - lump sum/one time basis, skills credit similar to SkillsFuture (support Singaporeans in lifelong learning) or a yearly special needs training grant that parents can use to help our children. This grant or fund shouldn't be tagged with household income. If household income is a must to avoid misuse, maybe set at monthly household income of $8000-9000. I do know there are a lot of people who can easily earn $9000 per month. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them.
Early Intervention
There is no debate or doubt: early intervention is your child’s best hope for the future. Early attention to improving the core behavioral symptoms, will give your child – and the rest of the family – several important benefits that you will not gain if you take a wait-and-see approach until your child enters your preferred school.
Early intervention services are intended to provide families who have children with developmental disabilities or delays with support and resources to maximize the child’s abilities, while respecting family decisions and cultures. The earlier a child receives services to address the effects eg speech, the more time there is to influence positive learning outcomes. Programmes are generally aimed at children aged six and below, may consist of a variety of different services but typically include speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and strategies to address behaviour.
For example, a child with high functioning Autistic (ASD) who receives help on his social skills early is less likely to struggle with confidence and anxiety compared to one who has tried unsuccessfully to make friends for years, she says.
Children born with any type of developmental delay are at risk for falling behind in their educational potential. When a diagnosed is made, it is very important that you begin the planning process for your child’s educational future. That is where early intervention services come in. Early intervention services are designed so children receive the early intervention or other services they need in a timely manner so they can enter preschool, SPED or mainstream school ready to succeed.
Studies have shown that the following three goals are vital to any early intervention plan:
* A service plan developed as early as possible after the child’s diagnosis.
* Heavy involvement by families in the development and execution of the agreed upon plan.
* A highly structured plan that provides clear and measurable goals.
In the most basic terms, a child's brain is programmed to learn foundational language skills during the first six years of life, the first three years being the most critical. After age 6, it is increasingly difficult for the human brain to acquire language and speech skills.
As with every aspect of raising your child, your full commitment and involvement in an early intervention plan is vital to the success of your child. Even with regular speech therapy, the vast majority of your child’s learning will take place with you at home. At every stage of your early intervention services, make sure you are aware of what things you can do at home to continue language development.
How Early is early enough?
From the moment a parent notices anything different about her child, it is appropriate to seek a professional opinion. This could be as early as four to five months of age. Playgroup or play-school teachers are usually more tuned in to developmental differences. As the differences can be subtle and more behavioral, it usually requires a more in-depth analysis and understanding of the way a child engages with his environment, which can be missed during a brief doctors’ appointment.
When a developmental milestone has been missed by a few months, it indicates a delay for that specific milestone. Parents should stay alert and seek help if they are worried that the child is not developing as well as his peers in physical development or in motor milestones. It is a sign of developmental disorder. There is no need to wait for an official diagnosis before seeking therapy. This is because neurological disorders like ADHD cannot be properly diagnosed until age six or seven. By then, valuable intervention time is lost and the child may develop unhelpful patterns of coping.
Intervention need not be just a problem-solving solution. It can also be a proactive measure to ensure the healthy, social-emotional-cognitive development of a child. The healthy development of a child goes back to the basic fundamentals: a stable, secure and supportive home environment, an engaging learning environment, a healthy body, and a happy mind.
More children are at risk of developmental disorders today. Possible contributing factors include lifestyle choices such as child-raising being outsourced, an over-reliance on maids, the boom of the i-generation, lack of sleep, stress, and even dietary factors. Children are spending more time sitting in front of screens and less time engaging actively in the world around them.
What has Play to do with?
Play, say practitioners, is the key. Play-based therapy helps the child to engage with an activity that he is interested in, and removes “performance-stress”. This pressure to perform to a certain standard causes stress to the child and inhibits his natural expression or learning ability.
Assessment and diagnosis
– Child Development Unit at KKH
– Children’s Specialist Clinic at the National University Hospital (aged 7 and above)
– Child Guidance Clinic at Institute of Mental Health
– VWOs such as Feiyue Community Services
List of Special Education Schools
As at January 2010, there are 20 SPED schools run by 13 Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs). The SPED schools run different programmes catering to distinct disability groups of children.
| Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) | School | Address | Contact Information | Disability Groups | Age Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) | Chaoyang School | 18 Ang Mo Kio Ave 9Singapore569767 |
Tel: (65) 6456 6922
Fax: (65) 6456 2030
cys@apsn.org.sg | Mild Intellectual Disability; Mild Autism | 7-12 years old |
| Delta Senior School | 3 Choa Chu Kang GroveSingapore688237 |
Tel: (65) 6276 3818
Fax: (65) 6276 5608
dss@apsn.org.sg | 7- 18/21 years old | ||
| Katong School | 900 New Upper Changi RoadSingapore467354 |
Tel: (65) 6445 8027
Fax: (65) 6445 6313
ks@apsn.org.sg | 7 - 18 years old | ||
| Tanglin School | 143 Alexandra RoadSingapore159924 |
Tel: (65) 6475 1511
Fax: (65) 6472 0408
ts@apsn.org.sg | 13 - 18 years old | ||
| Metta Welfare Association | Metta School | 30 Simei St 1Singapore529949 |
Tel: (65) 6788 5800
Fax: (65) 6788 5507
enquiry@mettaschool.edu.sg | 7 - 18/21 years old | |
| Presbyterian Community Services | Grace Orchard School | 6A Jurong West St 52Singapore649297 |
Tel: (65) 6561 9128
Fax: (65) 6561 4133
info@go.edu.sg | 7 - 18 years old | |
| Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) | Fernvale Gardens School | 7 Fernvale RoadSingapore797635 |
Tel: (65) 6481 6697
Fax: (65) 6483 2631
fgs@minds.org.sg | Moderate Intellectual Disability; Autism | 7 - 18 years old |
| Lee Kong Chian Gardens School | 802 Margaret DriveSingapore149311 |
Tel: (65) 6473 8332
Fax: (65) 6473 4776
lgs@minds.org.sg | |||
| Towner Gardens School | 1B Lengkong LimaSingapore417557 |
Tel: (65) 6446 2612
Fax: (65) 6243 7498
tgs@minds.org.sg | |||
| Woodlands Gardens School | 30 Woodlands Ring Road #01-01Singapore737883 |
Tel: (65) 6468 0566
Fax: (65) 6468 2142
wgs@minds.org.sg | |||
| Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) | AWWA School | 11 Lorong NapiriSingapore547532 |
Tel: (65) 6511 5280
Fax: (65) 6511 5281
awwaschool@awwa.org.sg | Multiple Disabilities; Autism | 7 - 18 years old |
| Rainbow Centre | Rainbow Centre - Margaret Drive School | 501 Margaret DriveSingapore149306 |
Tel: (65) 6472 7077
Fax: (65) 6475 9739
rcmds@rainbowcentre.org.sg | ||
| Rainbow Centre - Yishun Park School | 15 Yishun Street 61Singapore768548 |
Tel: (65) 6482 2592
Fax: (65) 6482 2593
rcyps@rainbowcentre.org.sg | |||
| Cerebral Palsy Alliance of Singapore (CPAS) | Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (CPASS) | Cerebral Palsy Centre, 65 Pasir Ris Drive 1Singapore519529 |
Tel: (65) 6585 5634
Fax: (65) 6585 5635
cpasschool@cpas.org.sg | Multiple Disabilities | 7 - 18 years old |
| Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) | Pathlight School | 5 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10Singapore569739 |
Tel: (65) 6459 9951
Fax: (65) 6459 3397
queries@pathlight.org.sg | Autism | 7 - 18/21 years old |
| Autism Association (Singapore) | Eden School | 101 Bukit Batok West Avenue 3Singapore659168 |
Tel: (65) 6265 7400
Fax: (65) 6265 9400
enquiry@edenschool.edu.sg | 7 - 18 years old | |
| Saint Andrew’s Mission Hospital (SAMH) | St Andrew’s Autism School | 1 Elliott RoadSingapore458686 |
Tel: (65) 6517 3800
Fax: (65) 6517 3801
| 7 - 18 years old | |
| Canossian Daughters of Charity | Canossian School | 1 Sallim Road Singapore 387621 |
Tel: (65) 6749 8971
Fax: (65) 6749 8976
admin@canossian.edu.sg | Hearing Impairment | 7 - 14 years old |
| Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) | Lighthouse School | 51 Toa Payoh RiseSingapore298106 |
Tel: (65) 6250 3755
Fax: (65) 6250 5348
lighthouse@lighthouse.edu.sg | Visual Impairment; Autism; Hearing Impairment | 7 - 18 years old |
| Singapore Association for the Deaf | Singapore School for the Deaf | 227 Mountbatten RoadSingapore397998 |
Tel: (65) 6345 6765
Fax: (65) 6345 9095
admin@ssd.edu.sg | Hearing Impairment | 7 - 18 years old |
NCSS - Children with Disabilities
MOE - a parent's guide
MSF - Early Intervention and Education for Special Needs Children
Teachers Trained in Special Needs (TSNs)
All schools have a core group of Teachers trained in Special Needs (TSNs) to support students with mild special educational needs. To date, 10% of teachers in all primary schools and 20% of teachers in all secondary schools have been trained in special needs. MOE continues to train teachers in special needs
TSNs are equipped with deeper knowledge and skills to better support students with mild special educational needs in their schools. They are able to plan instruction, adapt and differentiate the curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners in their schools. They can also build the capacity of their fellow teachers in their schools on the strategies and resources to support students with special educational needs in their classes.
Schools with Special Needs Facilities
The following schools are resourced with facilities and/or programme to support their students with the respective special needs (Table 1):
Integration programmes for Hearing Impaired (HI) students who use Total Communication (TC) or Natural Auditory Oral (NAO) Approach
Integration programmes for Visually Handicapped (VH) students
Full handicapped facilities for students with Physical Disabilities (PD)
Support for Special Needs in Mainstream Schools
In 2004, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced the following initiatives to support students with mild special educational needs in mainstream schools:
Deployment of Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support) [AEDs(LBS)], to support students with mild special educational needs such as dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in mainstream schools.
Providing training to a core group of teachers in all mainstream Primary and Secondary schools with a Certificate level training in Special Needs. These teachers take on the role as Teachers Trained in Special Needs (TSNs) in schools.
These initiatives were implemented in 2005.
Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support) [AEDs(LBS)]
AEDs(LBS) support students with mild special educational needs such as dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by:
Providing direct intervention through
in-class support;
individual / small group intervention support (e.g. in literacy skills);
small group skills training (e.g. social skills, study and organisational skills
Working with teachers trained in special needs (TSNs) and School Counsellors to support students' learning needs
Working in case management team to discuss on support plans and provide progress updates
Maintaining and managing good documentation of the cases and providing updates on students' needs and progress to relevant school personnel
Preparing, building up and managing learning resources for students as well as for staff
Primary Schools
Currently, all primary schools have been staffed with at least one AED(LBS) to support students with mild special educational needs.
For special needs children, pre-school is not a given, Feb 2015
Speak to industry players or any parent who has a child with special needs and the consensus is clear: Singapore has some way to go when it comes to making the education system more inclusive for children with learning disabilities.
While the authorities have undertaken efforts to provide support for children with mild learning disabilities, those with more severe special needs and their parents are, more often than not, left to their own devices, especially when it comes to pre-school education.
Plagued by a plethora of issues, the privatised pre-school sector has been seen as the weak link in the national education system and there have been calls for the Government to take a more hands-on approach towards the sector.
Despite introducing a raft of measures in recent years — including initiatives to ease a manpower crunch, increase the number of pre-school vacancies, improve affordability, address the uneven quality across pre-schools and ease the transition from pre-school to Primary One — policymakers have yet to adequately address the lack of support and pre-school education options for parents of children with special needs.
Nevertheless, the Government said last October that it is reviewing how the sector could be better organised to help these children. International research has shown the importance of providing pre-school education for special needs children, as well as the benefits of integrating them into mainstream pre-schools.
A 2009 policy brief by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) urged countries around the world to provide children with disabilities access to formal pre-school education, calling it critically important. It argued that early childhood care and education are a “powerful means of nurturing diverse abilities and overcoming disadvantages and inequalities. “The early years offer a special opportunity to foster developmental gains in children, as 80 per cent of the brain’s capacity develops before the age of three. The gains are shown to be highest for those with maximum disadvantage,” it said.
What has been done so far
There are about 7,000 children aged six and below, or 3 per cent of their cohort, who have developmental difficulties. Often, parents of children with special needs must trawl forums or rely on word-of-mouth to find a suitable kindergarten. Many of them end up turning to costly pre-schools or those far from their homes, or signing their children up for extra enrichment lessons.
Four-year-old Ben (not his real name), who has Down Syndrome, will not be attending pre-school this year. His mother, Mrs Rina Ong, 45, an operational risk manager, said: “Even a normal child has difficulty finding a place at a pre-school, not to mention my son ... He’s not independent yet (and) still needs some kind of support. Also, I’m concerned whether teachers are well trained enough to handle my child.”
In 2012, the Government introduced a pilot for the Development Support Programme, which provides learning support and therapy for children of pre-school age with mild developmental needs at mainstream pre-schools. After a successful trial, the initiative, which has an annual budget of S$4 million, has been progressively rolled out at all mainstream pre-schools.
By this year, about 2,000 children each year with conditions such as learning difficulties and behavioural problems are expected to benefit.
Principal of Melbourne International Specialist School Ms Juliet Cooper speaks about the importance of holistic education for special needs children, as well as the challenges of special needs education. However, in contrast to places in the region such as Japan and Taiwan, pre-school education options and support here remain limited for children with more severe developmental difficulties.
Currently, many parents of children with special needs enrol them in the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC). Demand for the programme is high — with some parents having to wait more than a year before getting a place — but industry players said it is not a substitute for pre-school education.
Subsidised by the Government based on household income, EIPIC provides five to 10 hours of therapy a week on motor, communication, social, self-help and cognitive skills. Children with intellectual, physical or multiple disabilities are usually referred by doctors to the 17 EIPIC centres run by voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) such as Rainbow Centre. Therapy fees are between S$2 and S$960 a month after means-tested government subsidies.
Responding to TODAY’s queries, a Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokesman said EIPIC seeks to help children with special needs maximise their developmental growth potential and “learn how to learn”, and is for families to learn how to support them, but it is not a kindergarten or pre-school programme.
“Children attending EIPIC who are ready to do so should enrol in a mainstream pre-school as well,” he said. Citing the Development Support Programme, he reiterated that the Government is working to improve its support and services for children with special needs of pre-school age.
Social and Family Development Minister Chan Chun Sing said last October that the Government is exploring other models to improve social integration of children with special needs, within the constraints of its resources. He cited two models: Grouping children with special needs together or integrating them in programmes and schools with mainstream children. The latter would be more resource-intensive, requiring dedicated teachers to guide those with special needs, Mr Chan noted, adding that the authorities need to find a balance between the two models.
Parents face limited options
In December, the Lien Foundation and the Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) announced an inclusive pre-school that would be the first of its kind here, with curriculum and facilities designed for mainstream and special needs children to learn and play together. The fees will be subsidised by the Government and the pre-school will take in 75 children — with 30 per cent of places set aside for special needs children— when it opens in July.
Currently, some organisations here adopt a partially inclusive model. For example, Wee Care (Singapore) offers an early intervention programme for special needs children to build functional, communication and social skills. Its therapy fees are between S$60 and S$140 an hour, with intensive therapy sometimes recommended at 25 to 40 hours a week.
When deemed suitable, children with special needs will be integrated with their mainstream peers at Wee Care’s kindergarten. A parent, who wished to be known only as Madam Xu, saw her four-year-old son, who has autism, make that progression, but only after sending him for extra therapy at two other centres.
Nevertheless, the fees, in the thousands of dollars, paid were worth it, she said. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn how to socialise with other children.”
A pricier option for parents of children with special needs is private pre-schools such as the Melbourne Specialist International School (MSIS), which officially opened here yesterday. Using visual and performing arts to teach literacy, numeracy and other skills, the school takes in children with special needs from three to 18 years old.
In its pre-school programmes, a therapy team works with teachers to develop learning strategies for each child. Principal Juliet Cooper said she had received queries from Singaporean families although the programmes are targeted at expatriate families. Annual fees for its full-day kindergarten classes are as high as S$21,400.
Wee Care Group’s managing director Denise Lai said: “If you leave it to the private sector, yes, it can meet needs, but it will invariably discriminate … Families who can’t afford the fees will not (enrol their children) and centres can’t reduce their fees as they have to pay rent (and) salaries.”
Lien Foundation CEO Lee Poh Wah added that the fact that mainstream pre-schools are unable to receive extra financial support for taking in children with special needs further discourages them to reach out to such children, even if these centres have the capabilities to care for them. “(The mainstream pre-schools) need to commit additional resources to go that extra mile for these children.”
What needs to be done
Calling on the Government to do more to provide help and financial support in pre-school education for families with special needs children, he said: “There is statutory support for inclusion practices in education in Japan, South Korea and China. Singapore must catch up.”
While more government support will go a long way to improve the situation, experts said there is also a shortage of qualified manpower specialising in caring for children with special needs in the pre-school sector, which is facing a labour crunch.
To compound the shortage, a high teacher-to-pupil ratio is necessary when it comes to providing special needs children with pre-school education.
Moulmein-Kallang GRC Member of Parliament Denise Phua, a vocal advocate for special needs education and who is also president of the Autism Resource Centre, said the expertise of educating children with special needs at mainstream pre-schools has to be deepened.
Agreeing, AWWA CEO Tim Oei added: “That would start (making) the teachers more comfortable with taking in children with different needs and I think that will (nudge) schools to take in more children (with developmental difficulties).”
Ms Phua suggested that the Government and key disability centres work more closely to identify early intervention centres with strong expertise that can be imparted to other EIPIC centres and mainstream pre-schools, while Mr Lee proposed leveraging the existing Development Support Programme by extending it to support children with more severe special needs.
Last November, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stressed the need for Singapore society to value every individual. Speaking at the 50th anniversary gala dinner for SPD, a social service provider and advocate for the disability community, he said: “Are people with special needs just there to be helped or should they not be people who matter in our society, who are enabled to contribute to our society in full measure? Our society should value every person ... These are the basic principles that should guide us as we build a fair and just society.”
Ms Phua reiterated that many people with special needs can be trained and become contributing members of the workforce, if they receive timely and effective early intervention and education. For parents such as Mrs Ong and Mdm Xu, what they want is for their children to have the best shot at life — and this would entail starting on the right footing. On the limited options, Mdm Xu said: “It means the load has to be on the parents to teach their child at home or to find another option.”
** Schools for Special Needs Children
** Therapy
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