When I was about 7 years old, my parents told me that my younger brother, Tee Ray, is special. As a child, I did not fully understand what “autism” meant. It has taken me over two decades to learn what that word means, and every day I am still discovering new things about my brother…
The moment the bus reaches St. Andrew’s Autism Centre, she slumps over in her seat, releasing the full weight of her body. When 21-year-old Sze Min first came to our Day Activity Centre she was determined not to go to class. Day after day, her coaches at the Day Activity Centre cajoled and even carried…
Imagine being unable to communicate how you feel when you are unwell, what you need or even what you want to eat. How frustrating that would be. For most of SAAC’s beneficiaries on the moderate to severe autism spectrum who are non-verbal or have limited verbal abilities, the use of AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication)…
Celebrating 16 years of commitment to the autism community this year, let’s take a closer look at the SAAC impact on the lives of those we serve.
The End Caps Assembly Project began in a relatively humble manner in 2016.
By April 2019, about two and a half years after it first began, the project had grown significantly with 10 classes of SAAS students and several classes of Day Activity Centre (Siglap) [DAC (Siglap)] clients assembling 44,000 end caps and 86,000 top and bottom pads!
Meet two mothers of two adults on the autism spectrum SAAC has had the privilege of working with. Each has a unique story that illustrates the determination and resilience needed to care for and raise autistic children.
What is it like to share family life with a special sibling? Let’s get an inside look at the bond siblings share, with SAAC@Siblings4LIFE series.
Dressed in black from head to toe, with dark shades covering his eyes and a black ear piece, almost inconspicuously, placed in this ears, he may appear menacing.
The lead character from a new Men in Black sequel or a local spin-off of Vincenzo? Neither.
Meet Henry, the father of a 28-year-old autistic resident at St. Andrew’s Adult Home (Sengkang) [SAAH].
Unlike most schools in Singapore, two teaching staff at St. Andrew’s Autism School would lead a small class size of six students. For about four and a half hours daily, during school terms, our teachers deliver the customised curriculum, helping our students develop functional, independent and daily living skills, nurturing each one holistically as our students focus on learning and growing.
Coaches at our Day Activity Centres (DACs) spend six hours each day, five days a week, working closely with clients with moderate to severe autism. Being a DAC coach is an intensely engaging role. Beyond the requisite knowledge and skills, the ability to read situations. react quickly and respond appropriately is a daily reality for which a lot of understanding, patience and creativity are needed. And not forgetting that the role can be physically demanding too.
Let’s meet two of our coaches and find out why they choose to work with adults on the autism spectrum.