Observing Malkeith as he carries out his duties, be it patiently guiding his clients as they go about their activities or managing challenging behaviours, there is a certain rhythm and ease with which he does things that can only come from over a decade of experience on the job. Today, I joined him on his…
Looking out the window, Viknesh clutches his bag expectantly. The excitement in the air is palpable. Today is movie day for the residents at St. Andrew’s Adult Home. For 28-year-old Viknesh, the last time he set foot in a cinema is a distant memory from years ago. As a child, Viknesh loved watching movies at…
It is hard to look at the thick calluses covering Alfred’s forearms without feeling a whole gamut of emotions – like shock, pity, curiosity and even fear. The scars are physical manifestations of daily self-injurious behaviour over his 34 years of life. Alfred is a non-verbal adult with ASD and he bites himself as a…
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 autistic means. 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…
“Why don’t you send him to IMH?” “So you have a genius in the family!” These are just some of the comments that a person with autism may encounter on a regular basis. Andrew Ang, father of 17-year-old Alex who is a student at St. Andrew’s Autism School, he can understand why certain misconceptions persist,…
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)…