Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower at the Diploma Certificate Presentation Ceremony for Special Needs Officers by Autism Resource Centre on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 11.15 am at the Pines

SPEECH BY MR GAN KIM YONG, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND MINISTRY OF MANPOWER AT THE DIPLOMA CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION CEREMONY FOR SPECIAL NEEDS OFFICERS BY AUTISM RESOURCE CENTRE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2007 AT 11.15 AM AT THE PINES

1. In May 2005, MOE announced the Special Needs Officer Scheme or the SNO Scheme to provide support for students with mild to moderate Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Dyslexia in mainstream schools and to help them integrate better with their school community.

2. Today, 130 SNOs have been deployed to 103 schools (80 primary schools and 23 secondary schools). By 2010, there will be at least 96 SNOs to support students with autism and140 SNOs providing support for students with dyslexia.

3. These SNOs will provide in-class support, small group specialised remedial work and skills training for students with autism and dyslexia. They complement the support that class teachers provide to these students.

4. Education opens doors to opportunities in life. The support given by the SNOs along with close collaboration with the class teachers will ensure that these students will receive the best possible education.

5. In addition, MOE recognises the need to support students with other special learning difficulties, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, speech and language difficulties. Therefore, up to 10% of the teaching staff in all schools will be trained to better support students with other special needs in their respective schools. This in-service training commenced in June 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2010.

6. Today, I am pleased to present certificates to 30 SNOs from the first two cohorts who have completed their specialist training in Autism Spectrum Disorder. They have undergone a one year full-time Diploma in Special Education course conducted by the National Institute of Education (NIE) and as part of this course, they attend 288 hours of lectures and practical training at the Autism Resource Centre and Pathlight School. The training includes six specialist modules:

                a. Foundation studies in autism
                b. Communication difficulties and intervention in autism
                c. Functional analysis of behaviour
                d. Coaching social and communication skills
                e. Test and exam taking strategies
                f. Effective collaboration skills with key partners

7. I am glad that the SNOs have found the practical nature of their training at ARC and Pathlight School helpful to their work in the schools.

8. Today, SNOs are making important contributions to our schools and have created an impact on both students and fellow teachers. When SNOs effectively support students with autism under their charge, they make great impact on the students’ future.

9. ARC has been a key partner of the Ministry of Education in training SNOs, educators, teachers and other professionals both in mainstream schools and special education schools.

10. I am pleased to note that ARC and Pathlight School adopt a rigorous hiring process to ensure that the most passionate and qualified people are hired. Once on board, ARC and Pathlight invest heavily on the professional development of their staff, consultants and psychologists. This is important, because it determines how well our SNOs are trained and how well our children will be supported.

11. I am sure many SNOs present today will find your new career challenging and rewarding. Congratulations on having completed your specialist modules in autism. You are an important part of our mainstream schools. You have a heavy responsibility and you can make a difference to our children with special needs, their parents, and their teachers. I look forward to your contribution to the education of our children.