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SPEECH BY DR. ALINE WONG, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE ‘WE CAN’ WORLDWIDE CONFERENCE ON AUTISM NEEDS ON TUESDAY, 28^TH NOVEMBER 2000, 9.00 AM, PSB AUDITORIUM, JALAN BUKIT MERAH

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

1. Mdm Ho Ching (Advisor, Autism Resource Centre), guests, parents and educators. It is my pleasure to give the opening address for the ‘We Can’ Worldwide Conference on Autism Needs.

    

   Increasing awareness of autism

2. In many countries of the world today, including England, the United States, Australia, there has been in recent years, an increasing interest among professionals, parents and educators in Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). More and more people are becoming aware of autism and how it affects the lives and learning of children having this developmental disorder.
3. Here in Singapore, a similar trend can be observed. Five years ago, very few mainstream schools would be aware that they might have children with autism among their pupils. Some of these children went unnoticed, as parents, teachers and professionals then lacked the knowledge and understanding to identify and recognise their special needs.
4. However, in the last two to three years, the level of awareness and understanding of autism has increased markedly. At present, there are 58 autistic children in our primary schools supported by MOE’s team of psychologists, guidance specialists and key resource teachers. In addition, 86 children with autism in both primary and secondary schools are receiving assistance from Autism Resource Centre’s (ARC) Outreach Support Advisors. Some of these children are very able and talented, although they encounter the difficulties that typify autism in terms of impairments in social interaction, communication and imagination. Apart from these students who are studying in our mainsteam schools, there are other autistic children whose levels of impairments are moderate to severe, and their learning needs are being met in special schools.
5. The challenge for educators, parents and professionals is to understand the spectrum of the disorder and find the best ways of providing support and meeting the wide range of learning needs among these children.

    

   Understanding Autism

6. Research studies carried out over the last 2 decades have brought us closer towards understanding the nature and causes of autism. We now know that autism has a biological origin, it is not the consequence of poor parenting or poor discipline. Recently, researchers have also pointed to the possibility of a genetic predisposition towards autism that render some individuals more vulnerable than others.
7. We also have a better understanding of the range and variability of the characteristics that encompass autism. In our special and mainstream schools, we see the entire spectrum of autistic behaviours, ranging from the more severe Kanner’s autism to the more subtle Asperger’s Syndrome. Although diagnosis for these different subtypes of autism is difficult and expert opinions may differ, we have been better able to recognise autistic characteristics in the children that we work with.

    

   Early recognition and intervention

8. This ability to recognise autism is an important first step. Without it, many pupils with autism would be misunderstood and mis-labelled as having discipline or emotional problems. This would delay appropriate identification of the child’s needs, and consequently, delay appropriate rehabilitation and support for the child.
9. Early identification and assistance is crucial for the child. Research tells us that early intervention, especially during infancy and toddler years, increases the long-term prognosis for children with autism. In this aspect, parents play a crucial role. Parents need to monitor closely their child’s development, and seek appropriate help when they observe any signs of abnormality or delays in development. In Singapore, developmental assessments are available in government hospitals, polyclinics and the IMH, as well as in specialist clinics in the private sector.
10. When a child’s needs are identified early, planning for appropriate intervention can be facilitated. Many therapeutic approaches have been put forward for autism. These range from the more familiar approaches involving cognitive behaviour therapy and behaviour modification, to the more recent approaches involving communication and sensory integration therapy.
11. The level of knowledge and skills of professionals and educators working with autistic children are important factors that determine the quality of resources and support that are available for these children.

     

    Role of MOE

12. The Ministry of Education will continue to work with our schools, parents and VWOs to provide for the learning needs of children with autism. In mainstream schools, MOE’s team of psychologists, guidance teachers and specialist teachers will continue to work closely with the Outreach Advisors from the Autism Resource Centre to advise schools in setting up intervention programs for autistic children. There are also plans to increase the special school provisions for autistic children. Presently, Margaret Drive and Balistier special schools provide placements for autistic children. In January next year a new special school, Metta school, will be opening. This school will provide placements for autistic children and children with moderate learning difficulties.
13. To ensure continued professional development in the area of autism, major workshops by foreign consultants from the National Autistic Society (UK) have been organised over the last two years. In 1998, about 450 mainstream teachers attended a workshop on "Understanding Autism". In 1999, 27 teachers and MOE HQ officers underwent a 5-day training on strategies for managing the learning and behaviour of autistic pupils. Such training workshops will continue to be organised, so that teachers and professionals are equipped with knowledge on the best practices and intervention methods for autism.

     

    Conference theme

14. Thus, this conference with the theme of "Focus on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Interventions" is very timely. The invited keynote speakers are well known experts in the field of autism. In the next few days, they will be sharing with us effective interventions strategies and teaching approaches for working with individuals with autism. It is also very apt that this conference will give emphasis to the collaboration between professionals and caregivers. It has been established that successful intervention rests on positive and close collaboration between parents and schools. The greater the consistency and continuity in the efforts put in by parents and schools, the greater is the likelihood of successful outcome for the child.

Collaborative approach in meeting the needs of children with learning disabilities.

15. Singapore is committed to meeting the needs of children with disabilities. Compared with other countries, our efforts in understanding and providing for the needs of children with disabilities are relatively recent. There is more to learn and we can certainly benefit from other countries’ experience and expertise in this area.

16. However, as in any other country, educational resources are not unlimited. As we understand the many facets of learning disabilities in children (be it autism, dyslexia or moderate learning difficulties), we are aware of the different needs of these groups and the different specialised provisions that they need. It is important that we exercise careful balancing in deciding the best ways of maximising and utilising the limited resources, so that the needs of all groups of learning disabilities are adequately met.

17. The strength of our approach lies in our close collaboration with community based organisations such as the VWOs and NCSS. This collaborative partnership has enabled us to harness the support of the community and enhance the quantity and quality of the resources we can provide for children with disabilities.

 

Conclusion

18. I am sure participants in this conference will benefit a great deal from the discussions and training workshops. I am also certain that you will feel encouraged to carry on working in this relatively new area for the welfare of children with autism.

19. I wish all of you a fruitful and an enriching time in this conference.