All About Autism
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Hi, regarding autism, I’m not sure whether this was mentioned previously in any page, but having read and once contacted a teacher who’s experienced in helping autistic children, I would suggest swimming therapy for them. The swimming therapy may not be cheap though useful in helping them deal better with surrounding.
Water is in fact a good way of helping them in terms of thinking; I’m not very clear about how it works either but it’s been proven to be really effective. Sg also has some schools which specialize in swimming therapy for autistic children.
Hope this helps! -
belachanbabe:
There are mainstream schools with strong support of AED teachers such as Naval Base (Yishun) and St. Andrew (Toa Payoh). It may be more, you may want to explore more.botakgundul
Thanks so much for the insights in coping with primary school. You must have gone through a lot of agonising with your eventual decision to transfer your boy to PL. But you seem to have made the right decision.
Am in the same situation as nugget, what types of support are AED officers expected to or are able to provide given that they have to take care of so many students?
My boy’s school has 2 AEDs but that’s because there’s 330 students per level. That’s 1,980 students. Say there are 10% students that require more help: not only autistic but ADHD, dyslexia etc. still 99 to take care per AED teacher. Most schools have 1 AED but the ratio should be the same.
Practically, am not expecting any other help than to monitor my kid’s progress in the school with feedback from his teachers. Yeah, low expectations.
For Naval Base, it's not our favour due to distance.
For St. Andrew, it's not our favour due to long waiting list. -
Double E:
For your friend's son who is also mildly autistic but yet coping well in P4, was it due to the good support by AED in school or is just his ability?
Thanks very much for your sharing. Is really useful.
For your friend's son who is also mildly autistic but yet coping well in P4, was it due to the good support by AED in school or is just his ability?
And I have the same question as nugget, how easy or difficult is it for you to transfer to Pathlight mid way? And how long did you wait for the transfer to be approved? Do you have to send your boy for assessment at Pathlight? I am thinking, can the transfer be done during mid-term or must he complete a year in main-stream before he can transfer? Also, your boy will go to P3 in Pathlight next year or he has to start all over from P1?
Sorry for the many questions.
thanks
When I mentioned that my friend's son is coping well until he's in P4, I'm not referring to his academic result. Her son is still facing challenging on his creative writing and oral. However, her son is able to submit his homework independently, can focus better recently (especially when he entered P4 this year), have few friends and no major issue is reported by the class teachers and school DM (Discipline Master).
My friend exempted her son for Chinese since P1. She submitted the form during P1 orientation and it's approved once the school is reopened and her son entered P1.
My friend is only outsourcing English to the tuition. She's teaching her son Math & Science.
how easy or difficult is it for you to transfer to Pathlight mid way?
I didn't transfer my son mid year because it'll be very disruptive.
Do you have to send your boy for assessment at Pathlight?
Pathlight school invites me to bring my son for class stimulation assessment in September.
Here are detais:
- The assessment lasted for 2 hours from 9.30AM to 11.30AM.
- Have to give my son $4 in case he wants to buy food during recess.
- My son joined the existing class (P2 class).
- According to my son, he's having test for Math and English.
- I saw my son having recess with his P2 Pathlight friends and he was playing UNO card happily with his new friends.
your boy will go to P3 in Pathlight next year or he has to start all over from P1?
My son will join P3 in Pathlight next year. However, you may take note that if you want to transfer your children from Pathlight to mainstream school, you have to downgrade her/him to 1 level below.
Let say, your son is in P5 Pathlight this year, 2013. Then you want to transfer him to the mainstream school next year, 2014. Then, your son will be in P5 mainstream school for 2014.
I hope I answer all your questions. Cheers! -
ImMeeMee:
Hi ImMeeMee,botakgundul
My doter is enrolling into PL P1 next year. There is an orientation towards the end of December. I just received the registration package and there are quite a few things to follow up, eg. booklists, uniforms etc.
Hope you are getting the required information for the transfer too?
I just received it last night. Thanks for letting me know. -
tyeogh:
*sitting around waiting for botakgundul reply too*
Sorry tyeogh, I'm only available between 6pm and 7pm. Also midnight, if I have to continue doing my office work at home. -
AdeleisG:
People are quick to charge more when there's a \"therapy\" word in there somewhere. End of day, it's just swimming lessons. So don't have to pay for more than necessary. All one needs is a patient swimming instructor and a child that is not afraid of water and ready to learn.Hi, regarding autism, I'm not sure whether this was mentioned previously in any page, but having read and once contacted a teacher who's experienced in helping autistic children, I would suggest swimming therapy for them. The swimming therapy may not be cheap though useful in helping them deal better with surrounding.
Water is in fact a good way of helping them in terms of thinking; I'm not very clear about how it works either but it's been proven to be really effective. Sg also has some schools which specialize in swimming therapy for autistic children.
Hope this helps!
Swimming helps the ASD child in so many ways:
- coordination => getting the strokes in order, timing the breathing with the strokes
- improves the vestibular and proprioception
- survival skills
- exercises and loosens the tight muscles => as the body relaxes, child becomes less rigid and fixated in his ways
Personally, I feel that a good time for an asd child to learn swimming is about 6-7yo or around the lower primary school years.
If below 6yo, I find swimming lessons not necessary - actually a waste of $$ at that time, as the child is not ready psychologically and behaviorally. Best to just let him play in the kids/wading pool or increase water confidence at that age. -
botakgundul,
Thank you once again for the detailed write up.
Yup I have authorized KKH to release all documents (Psychological reports, Medical Reports, IQ test reports) to the school.
On top of this, I have also send the AEDs the "School readiness" report as well.
I have already reached out to the AEDs and will share all your pointers with the AEDs as well. I hope he will meet a nice buddy in class. Right now in his mainstream CC, he also have this buddy who always look out for him. But too bad they are not enrolled in the same school.
May all our kids keep meeting kind souls along the way. -
tabgha:
I agree with you. When it comes to Wedding, Feng Shui, Baby, Special Needs, the price tag on the same thing/service increase tremendously.
People are quick to charge more when there's a \"therapy\" word in there somewhere. End of day, it's just swimming lessons. So don't have to pay for more than necessary. All one needs is a patient swimming instructor and a child that is not afraid of water and ready to learn.
Swimming helps the ASD child in so many ways:
- coordination => getting the strokes in order, timing the breathing with the strokes
- improves the vestibular and proprioception
- survival skills
- exercises and loosens the tight muscles => as the body relaxes, child becomes less rigid and fixated in his ways
Personally, I feel that a good time for an asd child to learn swimming is about 6-7yo or around the lower primary school years.
If below 6yo, I find swimming lessons not necessary - actually a waste of $$ at that time, as the child is not ready psychologically and behaviorally. Best to just let him play in the kids/wading pool or increase water confidence at that age.
I think whether or not to get a special needs teacher to teach tuition/swimming, its really depends on how adaptable the child is to mainstream teacher. If the child meltdown easily, a normal teacher without special needs training will not know how to handle.
But children being children, a patience teacher will always better for a child. Other than therapy which calls for specialized interventions, his tuition/enrichment are all under the normal usual teachers. But I do change teachers / classes a few times to find the right fit.
I believe even for NT kids, they all adapt to different teachers as well.
Having said that, I am also looking for a swimming instructor for my kids. If you know of any patient instructor who teaches in the Seng Kang / Hougang / Serangoon area, please let me know. The one I know has a super duper long waiting list. -
nugget:
Nugget, my son's swimming instructor is very patient, charging $60 an hour for one-to-one. U interested?
I agree with you. When it comes to Wedding, Feng Shui, Baby, Special Needs, the price tag on the same thing/service increase tremendously.tabgha:
People are quick to charge more when there's a \"therapy\" word in there somewhere. End of day, it's just swimming lessons. So don't have to pay for more than necessary. All one needs is a patient swimming instructor and a child that is not afraid of water and ready to learn.
Swimming helps the ASD child in so many ways:
- coordination => getting the strokes in order, timing the breathing with the strokes
- improves the vestibular and proprioception
- survival skills
- exercises and loosens the tight muscles => as the body relaxes, child becomes less rigid and fixated in his ways
Personally, I feel that a good time for an asd child to learn swimming is about 6-7yo or around the lower primary school years.
If below 6yo, I find swimming lessons not necessary - actually a waste of $$ at that time, as the child is not ready psychologically and behaviorally. Best to just let him play in the kids/wading pool or increase water confidence at that age.
I think whether or not to get a special needs teacher to teach tuition/swimming, its really depends on how adaptable the child is to mainstream teacher. If the child meltdown easily, a normal teacher without special needs training will not know how to handle.
But children being children, a patience teacher will always better for a child. Other than therapy which calls for specialized interventions, his tuition/enrichment are all under the normal usual teachers. But I do change teachers / classes a few times to find the right fit.
I believe even for NT kids, they all adapt to different teachers as well.
Having said that, I am also looking for a swimming instructor for my kids. If you know of any patient instructor who teaches in the Seng Kang / Hougang / Serangoon area, please let me know. The one I know has a super duper long waiting list. -
Thanks Double E,
$60 per hour is way out of my budget. I am looking for normal class session. Like 6-8 kids type. And I was hoping my #2 can join in too.
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