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16
In Focus In Focus
17
MEETING
EIPIC
NEEDS
Bridging gaps and enhancing strengths
in services for children with special needs
By Ms Joann Chen, Senior Executive, Children Disability Services,
NCSS
Each year, an average of 1,500 children diagnosed with special
needs are helped by the Early Intervention Programme for
Infants and Children (EIPIC). Currently, a total of 14 EIPIC centres
in Singapore provide early intervention services for children
from birth to 6 years old with intellectual disabilities, sensory
impairments, physical disabilities, global development delay,
multiple disabilities or autism.
NCSS collaborated with KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
(KKH) and National University Hospital for a consultancy project
to enhance service quality and standards as well as bridge gaps
across the EIPIC programmes. The consultancy project was one of
the key recommendations made through the EIPIC baseline study,
which sought to establish the baseline of service delivery at EIPIC
centres and understand parents’ perception of the usefulness of the
programme.
There are three phases to the project. During the diagnostic phase
of about 10 weeks, the consultancy team, which comprises senior
early intervention experts, including doctor, senior psychologists
and physio, speech and occupational therapists, will work with the
EIPIC centres to identify gaps, strengths and needs.
A Centre Development Plan (CDP) is then developed. The CDP covers
areas such as professional practices, supervision and mentoring,
and caregiver training and support. Professional practices include
establishing clear roles of various professionals in the intervention
process. This ensures the development of a standardised and
comprehensive Individual Education Plan (IEP) for each child, using
appropriate tools for assessment, training and to provide activitybased
intervention that could be incorporated into a child’s daily
routine at home. EIPIC centres will also be guided to establish a
supervisory and mentoring framework which includes orientation
programmes, in-service training, case conferences and staff
supervision as well as developing a caregiver support framework for
caregivers.
Through guidance and supervision, the consultants will implement
the CDP during the implementation phase, lasting another 10 to
20 weeks. A two-week review phase will be conducted one year
after the start of the project to ensure that recommendations were
carried out and sustained.
The consultancy project has since commenced at three Community
Chest-supported EIPIC centres, namely Metta Preschool@Punggol,
THK Moral EIPIC Centre (Choa Chu Kang) and SCAS EIPIC. Both
staff and management of the centres have provided positive
feedback about the EIPIC consultancy project. Key staff who was
involved acknowledged that the project was an important learning
journey that helped build team spirit within the centre and noted a
significant improvement in the quality of the IEP goals set.
Mr Nandana Koh, Manager of Metta Preschool, said: “The
consultancy project has enabled Metta Preschool to take a giant
leap forward through improved EIPIC services. The children have
benefited from a holistic approach to functional skills, group
activities intervention and family-centred based models.”
The EIPIC consultancy project aims to expand its outreach to all
EIPIC agencies by 2014.
DIFFERENT
ABILITIES, SAME
MOTIVATIONS
Job placement programmes for people with disabilities
NCSS is committed to help persons with
disabilities find meaningful employment
opportunities. One such initiative is
the Job Placement Job Support (JPJS)
programme managed by MINDS. The
objective of the programme is to promote
the employment and retention of persons
with intellectual disabilities in the open
job market. Since its inception two
years ago, the programme has helped
more than 60 clients find new purpose
and confidence through positive work
experiences.
OVERCOMING THE ODDS
When Ms Masni Bte Miswari, who was diagnosed with intellectual
disability, first applied to be a kitchen stewardess at the Holiday
Inn Atrium through the JPJS programme, her potential employers
were concerned that she would not be able to handle the heavy
workload at their staff canteen’s dishwashing station.
After training and support from her supervisors and the JPJS team
at MINDS, her work performance made a favourable impression on
her employers.
Her exemplary success led to more open doors. The JPJS team
facilitated more job placements with Holiday Inn Atrium and
Ms Masni was subsequently joined by Ms Lee Yen Jun and
Ms Joanne Ang (shown in photo).
As a group, the girls had the additional challenge of managing the
dishwashing station on their own. However, their performance
and abilities earned them their employers’ praise, who highlighted
their exceptional attitude and independence.
IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORT
The management team at Holiday Inn Atrium played an important
role in giving the girls the motivation and resolve to perform well.
For example, accommodation was made for them to use padlock
lockers instead of the more complex combination locks.